Child-Care Bursary Plan

Purpose

This non-repayable bursary assists students who have child-care costs for three or more children. Child-care costs for your first eligible child and second eligible child are included in your assessment of Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan funding as well as the Canada Study Grant for Students with Dependents.

Value

If you are married or in a common-law or same-sex relationship, the maximum amount of bursary available is $35 per week of study for your third child, $23 for your fourth child, and $29 for your fifth child. If you are a sole-support parent, the maximum amount of bursary available is $70 per week of study for your third child, $46 for your fourth child, and $58 for your fifth child. 

Child-care costs will be considered only for the hours during which your children are receiving child care while you are in school and for the time it takes you to travel directly between your school and the location of the child-care provider. 

Eligibility Requirements

You may be eligible for a Child-Care Bursary if you meet the following requirements: 

• You have three or more children living with you while you are going to school, and you have child-care costs for at least three of these children. These children must be:
  • 11 years of age or younger, and/or
  • 12 years of age or older and need child care because they have a disability, an illness, or an injury. You must provide a letter from a medical doctor showing the nature of the disability, illness, or injury.
• You are eligible for a Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan.

Eligible child-care provider

Your child care may be obtained through a child-care centre or from an individual child-care provider. However, for the purposes of this bursary, an eligible child-care provider must:

• charge you a fee for child care,
• claim the charged fees on his or her income tax form, and
• provide a completed standard OSAP Child-Care Bursary Receipt(s) for the fees received.

The following people are not eligible child-care providers:

• your spouse or former spouse,
• your common-law partner,
• another dependent child of yours,
• a non-custodial parent of the child receiving the child care, and
• an older sibling of your child(ren).

When to Apply

In general, the earliest you would be able to apply for a child-care bursary is four weeks after the start of your study period, because you must provide OSAP Child-Care Receipt(s) for your actual child-care costs incurred during this period. However, if you are studying in a one-term program (between 12 and 20 weeks in duration), your application must be received within the first 30 days of the start of your study period, and your OSAP Child-Care Receipt(s) for the first four weeks of your study period would follow after that period has elapsed.

How to Apply

For your first child and second child, your child-care costs are included in your assessment for Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan and Canada Study Grant for Students with Dependent funding. Therefore, you do not have to fill out a separate application form for these children. However, if you have more than two children, you can complete a Child-Care Bursary Application form for assistance with child-care costs for your other children. 

Your Child Care Bursary submission must include the following:

• Your completed Child-Care Bursary Application form.
• An OSAP Child-Care Bursary Receipt form completed by your child-care provider. This receipt must list the child-care costs you incurred for the first four weeks of your study period. (See When to Apply).
• A copy of the birth certificates for all the children listed on the bursary application. 
• If you have school-age children and you are going to school during the morning and afternoon, a letter explaining why child-care is required for these children. 
• If you are going to school in the evening, when school-age children are home, a letter explaining why you are going to school in the evening. 
• If you are married, a copy of your class schedule and your spouse's work schedule. 
• If you are married or in a common-law relationship and your partner is not employed or a full-time student, you must also attach a letter to your application explaining why child-care is needed. 

The application, receipt(s), and supporting documentation must be sent to your school's financial aid office. If you are going to a private postsecondary institution or a school outside Ontario, send the forms to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

It is your responsibility to provide a child-care receipt(s) for the rest of your study period. Only OSAP Child-Care Bursary Receipts will be accepted. All receipts must be submitted no later than 45 days after the last day of your study period. If you do not provide the OSAP Child-Care Bursary receipt(s), you will be required to repay all or a part of your Child Care Bursary. 

Deadlines

The following deadlines apply to the Child Care Bursary:

Application Deadlines:

• If you are in a one-term program (12 to 20 weeks in duration), your completed Child Care bursary application, along with required supporting documentation, must be received within the first 30 days of your study period.
• If you are in a two or three-term program (21 to 52 weeks in duration), your completed Child Care Bursary application, along with required supporting documentation, must be received within 60 days of your study period.

Child-Care Receipt Deadlines:

• All outstanding child-care receipts must be received no later than 45 days after the last day of your study period. 

Receipt of Funding

The bursary is paid by cheque and distributed through the financial aid office at your postsecondary institution. You may receive all or a portion of the bursary at the beginning of your study period, and any remaining portion(s) will be distributed throughout your study period.

Affect of a Bursary on Your OSAP Loan

Receipt(s) For The First Four Weeks

This receipt(s) is used to estimate the cost of your child care for your full study period. If this estimate is different from the estimate that you provided on your OSAP application, your loan will be recalculated. If you received more loan than you should, the extra loan will be deducted from any future loans.

Receipt(s) For The Remaining Weeks

This receipt(s) is used to verify the actual cost of your child-care for your full study period. There may be a difference between the actual cost and the estimate used to calculate your OSAP loan. If there is, your loan will be recalculated. If you received more loan than you should, the extra loan will be deducted from any future loans.