Canada Access Grants for Students from Low-Income Families

Through this program, the Government of Canada assists first-time, first-year students from low-income families with their tuition costs.

Value

Canada Access Grants for Students from Low-Income Families can cover up to one-half of your tuition costs, to a maximum of $3,000. They cannot exceed the Canada portion of the Canada-Ontario Student Loan assistance you are eligible to receive.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Canada Access Grant for Students from Low-Income Families, you must:

• Be in the first year of your program, and this must be the first time that you are studying at the postsecondary level.
• Your postsecondary program must start within four years of when you left secondary school;
• Meet all eligibility requirements to be considered for a Canada-Ontario Student Loan.
• Your postsecondary program is an undergraduate program of at least two years, and your institution and program are approved for student loan purposes;
• Your parents’ 2007 net income (from Line 236 of the Income Tax form) falls within the range of entitlement for the National Child Benefit Supplement, (see table of income ceilings).

Please note that if you receive a Canada Access Grant for Students from Low-Income Families, the amount of Canada Student Loan that you are issued will be reduced by the amount of your grant.

The table below shows income ceilings by family size.

⁽¹⁾ Number of dependent children, including the applicant, identified in Item 805 or Item 014 of the OSAP application.
⁽²⁾ Net income (from Line 236 of the Income Tax form) of the applicant’s father, stepfather, legal guardian or official sponsor plus the applicant’s mother, stepmother, legal guardian, or official sponsor as identified on the OSAP Application.
⁽³⁾ Higher income ceilings are in effect for families with more than five dependent children.

How to Apply

You do not need to fill out a special application for this grant, because the information that you and your parents supply on your OSAP application is used to determine your eligibility.

If you qualify for a Canada Access Grant for Students from Low-Income Families, the amount of the grant will be identified on the OSAP website under "Check Status" and in the Notice of Assessment that the ministry sends you.

Receipt of Funding

After you have negotiated your loan/grant certificate with the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC), the NSLSC will deposit your Canada Access Grant for Students from Low-Income Families into your bank account. Generally it will be deposited in your bank account within one week of the date the certificate is received at the NSLSC, or within 1 week of the disbursement date on your loan/grant certificate, whichever is later. The grant will be deposited separately from your loan funds.

If you do not arrange to have your assistance electronically deposited, a cheque will be mailed directly to you within two weeks of the date the loan/grant certificate is received at the National Student Loans Service Centre, or within two weeks of the disbursement date on your loan/grant certificate, whichever is later.

Deadlines

If you are taking a one-term program, the deadline for applying is within the first 30 days of your study period. If you are taking a two- or three-term program, the deadline for applying is 90 days before the end of your study period.

Further Information

Contact your financial aid office for further information.