OSAP Definitions

Academic year

American Sign Language

If your program of study is not delivered in American Sign Language, you are eligible for the Canada portion of the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student loan.

Common-law Relationship

For OSAP purposes, you are living in a common-law relationship if:

• you and your spouse have been living together in a conjugal relationship for not less than three years, or
• you and your spouse are living together in a conjugal relationship and are raising any children of whom you both are the natural or adoptive parents.

Crown Ward

A Crown ward is a child who has been made a ward of the Crown pursuant to a court order made under the Child and Family Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.11. Such an order gives the Crown the rights and responsibilities of a parent for the purpose of the child’s care, custody, and control. Most of the Crown’s duties and obligations in respect to a Crown ward are exercised and performed by a Children’s Aid Society.

Dependent Children

For OSAP purposes, a dependent child is a child who is living with the applicant (and spouse, if any) during the applicant's study period and who meets one or more of the following criteria:

•  is under 16 years of age;
•  is 16 years of age or over and
  •   is enrolled in high school and taking at least 60% of a full course load;
  •   is a full-time postsecondary student and has been out of high school less than four years; or
  •   has a permanent disability and is wholly dependent on the applicant (and spouse, if any).

Dependent Student

For OSAP purposes, you are considered a dependent student if none of the following applies to you:

• You are married.
• You are in a common-law relationship.
• You are a sole-support parent.
• You are separated, divorced, or widowed, AND have NO dependent children living with you.
• You have not been a full-time student at a high school or postsecondary institution for at least 12 consecutive months on 2 or more occasions.
• You have been out of high school for at least 4 years before the start of your study period.

Father

For purposes of OSAP, "father" refers to your father, stepfather, legal guardian or official sponsor.

Financial Aid Office

Financial aid office refers to the office at the postsecondary institution that assists students who are applying for student financial assistance. If you are planning to attend  postsecondary institution outside Ontario, the Student Support Branch, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities acts as your financial aid office.

Full-time Postsecondary Studies

Full time postsecondary studies means 60 per cent or more of a full course load or at least 40 per cent if you have a permanent disability.

Full-time High School

"Full-time" means 60 per cent or more of a regular high school program. If you left high school at any time and were out of high school for at least one full year, enter the date on which you first left high school.

Income - Total Gross

You must provide all taxable and non-taxable income from all world-wide sources (except if it is an income item from the list of Income - Not to be Reported in your OSAP Application provided below). For example, you must include employment, child-support and alimony payments, monetary gifts, lottery winnings, and government benefits, cashed-in RRSPs, cashed-in RESPs, and any other income (e.g., awards, scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, grants, interest, investments, and/or trust fund income). All income is verified with Canada Revenue Agency. The ministry may also contact any of the government bodies that administer income support in order to verify income. 

Income - Not to be Reported in your OSAP Application

There are certain items that you should not report in your OSAP application:

• DO NOT include GST Rebates, Child Tax Benefits, Universal Child Care Benefit, OSAP funding, including student loans, Child-Care Bursary, Bursary for Students with Disabilities, Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Scholarships, Canada Study Grants, Millennium Bursary, Millennium/Ontario Access Grants, and/or Canada Access Grants.

• DO NOT include an award, bursary, and/or a needs-based scholarship from a publicly-funded Ontario college of applied arts and technology or university IF that postsecondary institution informs you in writing that they will report it to OSAP directly.  If you have not received notification in writing from your postsecondary institution, then you must report this income.

Independent student

For OSAP purposes, you are considered an Independent student if the following applies to you:

• You are separated, divorced, or widowed, AND have NO dependent children living with you.
• You have not been a full-time student at a high school or postsecondary institution for at least 12 consecutive months on 2 or more occasions.
• You have been out of high school for at least 4 years before the start of your study period.

Loan

Loan refers to the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan.

Loan certificate

Loan certificate refers to the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan Certificate of Loan Approval and Eligibility.

Ministry

Ministry refers to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Mother

For purposes of OSAP, "mother" refers to your mother, stepmother, legal guardian or official sponsor.

NSLSC

NSLSC refers to the National Student Loans Service Centre.

Official Sponsor

The person in Canada who officially assumes responsibility for your maintenance by either "nominating" or "sponsoring" you into Canada and has signed an Undertaking with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

Online Application

Online application refers to the application for full-time students that you complete electronically on the OSAP website.

Ontario Residents

To be an considered an Ontario resident on the first day of your period of study, either

• Ontario is the last province you resided in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time postsecondary student
• If you have a spouse, Ontario is the last province your spouse resided in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time postsecondary student, or
• If you are a single dependent student, Ontario is the las province your parent(s), step-parent(s), legal guardian(s) or official sponsor(s) resided in for at least 12 consecutive months. If your parents/step-parents are separated or divorced, this requirement refers to the residency of the parent with whom you normally reside, or who financially supports you.

Other Assets

Other assets include the total gross value of all account balances at financial institutions,bonds,term deposits, GICs, all other investments, and any other assets (e.g., boats, aircraft, motors, etc.) not indicated in  the items on your application dealing with vehicles and/or RRSPs.). Do not include your principal residence, clothing, furniture, personal belongings or OSAP funding.

Parent(s)

For OSAP purposes, "parent" refers to parent(s), step-parent, legal guardian(s), or official sponsor(s).

Part-time Student

A "part-time student" is defined as a student taking between 59 and 20 per cent of a full course load. A student with a permanent disability is considered to be a "part-time" student if he or she is taking between 39 and 20 per cent of a full course load.

Usually, you can find out the number of courses or credits that make up a full course load by checking your school calendar. Once you know how many courses or credits make up a full course load, you can figure out how many are 60 per cent.

For example:

• If 5 courses are considered a full course load, then 3 courses are 60 per cent
  (3/5 x 100 = 60).
• If 30 credits are considered a full course load, then 18 credits are 60 per cent (18/30 x100 = 60).

For OSAP purposes, course load is determined by institution policy. In some cases, factors other than courses or credits are used to determine your course load. Contact the financial aid office of the school that you are planning to attend for information if you are unable to figure out your course load.

Permanent Disability

For the purposes of OSAP, "permanent disability" is defined as a functional limitation that is caused by a physical or mental impairment that restricts your ability to perform the daily activities necessary to participate in studies at a postsecondary level or in the labour force, and that is expected to remain with you for your expected natural life.

If you indicate that you have a permanent disability, you must provide documentation to demonstrate that you are disabled. Acceptable documentation includes a medical certificate, a learning-disability assessment, or a document proving that you are in receipt of federal and/or provincial disability assistance.

If you are a student with a permanent disability and you require additional assistance, you may wish to apply for a Bursary for Students with Disabilities. Information on this bursary is available on the OSAP Web site or from your financial aid office.

Pre-study Period

• If you were a full-time high school or postsecondary student last year, your pre-study period is the time between the start of your new study period and the end of your last study period. If there are more than 16 weeks between these 2 periods, enter the income received in the 16 weeks immediately before the start of your new study period. If there are fewer than 16 weeks between these 2 periods, enter the income received during the actual number of weeks between these 2 periods.
• If you were not a full-time high or postsecondary student last year, your pre-study period is the 16 weeks before the start of your new study period.

Protected Persons

A Protected Person is defined in subsection 95 (2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). Protected Persons are individuals who have been issued a Protected Persons Status Document (PPSD). Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) can designate a person as being a "Protected Person". Protected persons can include the following people:

• Convention refugees and humanitarian-protected persons abroad classes; and
• Persons in need of protection. A person in need of protection is a person in Canada whose removal to their country of nationality or former habitual residence who is subject to the possibility of torture, risk of life, or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)

The total net value of RRSPs is the current market value (principal and interest) of all RRSP accounts less:

• funds (principal and interest) inaccessible under the Canada Pension Act and/or balance owing (at asset valuation date) of any loans taken out specifically to purchase an RRSP, and/or
• any financial penalties assigned by the financial institution and/or income tax withheld by financial institution.

Study Period

"Study period" is the time period in which you are considered by your institution and OSAP to be in school. This time period is used to determine the amount of your funding. In addition, several deadline dates are dependent upon this date. The starting and ending dates for you study period are displayed when you check the status of your application on the OSAP website and are printed on the documentation sent to you by the ministry, including your Confirmation of Enrolment form.

Sole support parent

For OSAP purposes, you are considered a sole-support parent if you have dependent children living with you on a full-time basis during your study period, AND you are single, separated, divorced, or widowed.

Spouse

For OSAP purposes, your spouse is the person to whom you are married or the person you are living with in a common-law relationship.

Undischarged Bankrupt

You are an undischarged bankrupt if you filed for bankruptcy and that process has not been completed, withdrawn, annulled or you did not obtain an absolute order of discharge from the court. 

Vehicle

Vehicles include both primary and secondary modes of transportation such as automobiles and recreational equipment (e.g., boats, planes, motorcycles, etc.). This includes any vehicles leased by the student (and his or her spouse, if applicable). If a student owns a vehicle that has been modified to accommodate a disability (e.g., electronic ramp), the market value of the vehicle may not considered. In this case, the student must contact the financial aid office to discuss his or her situation and the supporting documentation that is required.