An Overview

Here is an overview of what is required in order to get your student loans and/or grants for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Generally you will receive a portion of your assistance at the beginning of your study period and the remaining portion halfway through your study period. To get your first instalment of money at the start of the year, you will need to work with your postsecondary institution to complete some documents that will be waiting for you at your financial aid office when you start classes.

• Through your Confirmation of Enrolment form your school must confirm that you have enrolled in and started classes and you must update the income you reported to OSAP.
• Your personalized loan/grant certificate indicates the amount of loan and/or grant assistance you are entitled to receive, authorizes the release of your funds, and provides you with declarations to sign. Complete this form as outlined under completing your loan/grant certificate.
• Once your loan/grant certificate is completed, submit it to a designated Canada Post Outlet or National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) kiosk at your postsecondary institution.

To get your second instalment of money, half-way through the year:

• Pick up your second loan/grant certificate at your financial aid office and complete it.
• Submit it to a designated Canada Post Outlet or National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC)  kiosk. This second certificate will authorize the rest of your Canada-Ontario Student Loan or Canada Student Grant assistance.
• If you qualify for an Ontario Access Grant, this is not issued through the loan/grant certificate but is issued as a cheque that will be available for you to pick up at your financial aid office.

For information about getting any other asistance (i.e., scholarship, grant, or bursary funding not indicated here), for which you are eligible, please refer to the specific program. Go to Other Assistance for a list of programs.