Awards and Financial Aid

Ontario Student Assistance Program

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) provides assistance, based on financial need, to eligible students. This assistance is intended to supplement, not replace, the resources of students and their families. Although assistance is not based on academic standing, students must achieve satisfactory academic progress in their studies to remain eligible for funding. OSAP includes over 20 separate loan, grant, bursary, and scholarship programs. To apply for OSAP and obtain detailed information on available OSAP funding, please visit the OSAP website at http://osap.gov.on.ca.

Here are some of the main OSAP funding programs:

1. Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loans provide assistance interest-free loans to students who wish to pursue full-time post-secondary studies. Students should apply for OSAP 6-8 weeks before the start of their study term. First-time applicants who plan to attend university in September should apply for OSAP by mid June.
2. The Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Scholarship is designed to recognize students who have shown academic excellence at the high school level and to assist students with financial need. Students who have achieved the best marks at Ontario high schools may receive a scholarship worth up to $3,500 per year. Students who keep their grades high in University may continue to receive the scholarship for up to four years. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be an Ontario resident and apply for the QEII scholarship in the year you are graduating high school, no later than mid June. If you wish to defer your application or have any questions or concerns, please contact the Student Awards and Financial Aid office, or visit the OSAP website.
3. The Ontario Work-Study Plan provides part-time on-campus employment opportunities. Students whose financial needs have not been fully met by OSAP are eligible to apply. Job postings are listed online through the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office website at http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.
4. The Child-Care Bursary may be available to sole-support parents or married students who have applied for and qualified for OSAP funding, have three or more dependent children, and who will incur child-care expenses during their study period. Applications are available in the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office, Needles Hall.
5. The Bursary For Students With Disabilities is available to students who have applied and qualified for Canada Student Loans/Part-time Loans, OSAP, or Ontario Special Bursary funding and who will incur disability-related educational expenses. Applications are available in the Office for Persons with Disabilities, Needles Hall.
6. The Ontario Special Bursary Plan provides assistance to students taking 40% or less of a normal full course load. This Plan is intended for individuals who are unemployed, receive social assistance, or have a low family income. Students receiving Ontario Special Bursary are not eligible to receive OSAP for the same study period.
7. The Canada Student Loan - Part-time Loans and Special Opportunity Grants for High-Need Part-time Students provide interest-bearing loans and grants to eligible part-time students. A student's eligibility for the Special Opportunity Grant will automatically be assessed from the CSL Part-time Loan application.
8. The Canada Student Loans Special Opportunity Grants for Female Doctoral Students offers grants to female doctoral students. If you’re interested in this program you must submit the application along with an OSAP application to the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office, Needles Hall.

Four to six weeks after you have applied you may find out up-to-date information regarding your application processing and assessment by accessing the OSAP website at http://osap.gov.on.ca.

Note
Students from provinces outside Ontario should approach the student assistance program in their home province. Applications and/or addresses are available from the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office, Office of the Registrar, Needles Hall, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, (519) 888-4567, ext. 33583 and on our website at http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.