Bursary for Students with Disabilities and Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities

Purpose

Ontario’s Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities provide non-repayable financial assistance to full- and part-time students for disability-related services and equipment that they need to participate in postsecondary education.

Value

Eligible students receive up to $2,000 from the BSWD and up to $8,000 from the Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities. These funds are non-repayable and taxable.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for assistance through these programs, you must: 

• be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a Protected Person, and a Ontario resident;
• have applied and be eligible for a Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan if you are a full-time student;
• have applied and be eligible for a Part-Time Canada Student Loan or an Ontario Special Bursary if you are a part-time student;
• have a permanent disability (students with a temporary disability may be eligible for BSWD funding only); and
• have additional education-related expenses that result from your disability and are not covered by another agency.

Eligible Disability-Related Educational Expenses

The following disability-related educational expenses may be funded under BSWD and/or the Canada Study Grant for the Accommodation of Students with Permanent Disabilities. This list is not exhaustive:

• tutoring services
• readers
• note takers
• interpreters (oral and sign)
• attendant care for studies
• talking calculators
• tape recorder
• vision/learning aids
• hearing amplifiers
• learning disability assessments
• computers and software
• special needs accessories for computers
• counselling
• specialized chairs

Expenses not eligible for funding include:

• Expenses for services and/or accommodations that are provided by the institution as part of the institutional obligation to accommodate persons with disabilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
• Expenses that are provided for under the Accessibility Fund for Students with Disabilities.
• Expenses that are already factored in the loan need assessment calculation, such as tuition and compulsory fees, books, and supplies, and living expenses.
• BSWD and Canada Study Grant funding cannot be provided to students in cases where an institution requires all students in a particular program to have a personal computer. BSWD and Canada Study Grants funding can only be provided for computer hardware or software purchase or lease in cases where the student requires the computer because of a disability, not solely as a result of a program requirement.
• Expenses already covered by another agency, such as Income Support from the Ontario Disability Support Program, Workers' Safety Insurance Board, OHIP, or the Assistive Devices Program.
• Expenses that are not related to a student's participation in postsecondary education.
• Expenses incurred during time periods that the student is not enrolled in postsecondary studies

How to Apply

Print and complete an application form or obtain a copy of the application from the office for students with disabilities at the school you plan to attend or from the Student Support Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Every provincially-assisted university and college of applied arts and technology in Ontario has an office for students with disabilities that will help you if you have a special need related to your disability. Contact this office to find out what services, facilities, and equipment your school provides. Your special needs coordinator can help with arrangements that may be required during your school year.

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.

Receipt of Funding

The grant and/or bursary is paid by cheque and distributed through the financial aid office at your postsecondary institution.