2026-27 Learn and Stay application
If you’re going to school full-time and have previous loans, you must ensure that these loans are placed into interest-free status, or you’ll have to start repaying them six months from your last confirmed study period end date. For most students, those who leave school in April and are starting a new term in September, this must happen before the end of October. If you delay, you may not get full interest-free status and you may be required to pay some interest on your loans.
For your loans to be placed into interest-free status, the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) must be notified that you’re in full-time studies. This can be done in one of two ways: Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) process or Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) application. See below for details on the two different processes.
1. Confirmation of Enrolment Process
If your application is taken off hold and you’re getting OSAP and/or the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, your school will automatically confirm your enrolment in full-time studies and the NSLSC will be advised so that they can place your loans into interest-free status. All schools in Ontario will confirm your enrolment electronically.
2. Continuation of Interest-Free Status Application
If you don’t get your OSAP and/or Ontario Learn and Stay Grant funding within six months from your last confirmed study period end date, or if your application is unlikely to be removed from hold before you have to start repaying your loans, you should complete a Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) application (this is to avoid going into repayment status on your loans due to processing delays).
The CIFS application is available online through your OSAP account. A paper copy is also available on ontario.ca/osap. You can submit your application up to 15 days before the start of your study period. It takes about three weeks to process, so it’s critical that you submit your application in enough time for it to be processed within six months from your last confirmed study period end date. Once processed, the NSLSC will be notified, and your loans will be placed into interest-free status.