2022-23 Micro-credentials application

Application agreement

Before you can apply for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) for Micro-credentials, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions in this OSAP Application Agreement for Micro-credentials assistance. Once you have read all sections you must indicate that you agree to the terms and conditions and then select "Next".

The terms and conditions are set out in the Consents, Declarations and Signatures sections below and include the following:

I understand that any Micro-credential Grants that I receive may result in a grant overpayment if I do not meet the terms and conditions of the grant.
I agree that until I repay any OSAP assistance provided to me, including Micro-credential Student Loans, and any grant overpayments, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (ministry) can, without limitation, collect and exchange personal information about me that is relevant to the administration, enforcement and financing of any and all OSAP assistance, including OSAP for Micro-credentials, with: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC); my postsecondary institution and its authorized financial administrators and auditors; the ministry’s contractors, auditors or other authorized third party administrators; collection agencies operated or retained by the federal or provincial government; and consumer reporting agencies.
I understand that if I fail to fulfil any obligations respecting the repayment of any grant overpayments, the ministry may restrict me from receiving OSAP assistance, including OSAP for Micro-credentials, may take legal action, and may require me to repay any financial assistance that I received.
I understand that if I fail to provide complete and true information, the ministry may restrict me from receiving OSAP assistance in connection with this application and any future applications.
I am responsible for providing all required supporting documentation.
I understand that I am responsible for promptly notifying my financial aid office or the ministry in writing of changes to my address and/or my financial, academic, family, and/or study period status.
I understand that I cannot receive assistance through the OSAP for Full-Time or Part-Time programs for a micro-credential that I receive assistance for through the OSAP for Micro-credentials program.

Collection and Use of Personal Information

Your personal information, including your Social Insurance Number (SIN), provided in connection with your student profile, this application, and any previous applications and financial assistance received will be used by the ministry to administer and finance OSAP. Your SIN will be used as a general identifier in administering OSAP. The ministry may use other parties for any of these activities. Under agreement with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the NSLSC uses your personal information to administer OSAP. Under agreement with the ministry, your postsecondary institution and, where authorized by the ministry, its agents who administer OSAP and its auditors, use your personal information to administer OSAP.

Administration includes: determining your eligibility for financial assistance; verifying your application, including verifying the amounts and types of any other form of provincial government financial assistance; updating your OSAP profile; paying your financial assistance; verifying your financial assistance; determining whether you have grant overpayments; considering any applications for review of determinations relating to your financial assistance, eligibility for relief from any payment or loan rehabilitation; auditing your file; assessing and collecting loans, grant overpayments and repayments; enforcing the legislation set out below and your agreements with the ministry; and monitoring and auditing the NSLSC and your postsecondary institution or its authorized agents to ensure that they are administering the programs appropriately. In addition, administration by the ministry includes public reporting on postsecondary education and training, including the administration and financing of student assistance programs and accessibility to and affordability of postsecondary education; planning, delivering, evaluating and monitoring student assistance programs for quality and improvements in both content and delivery, conducting risk management, error management, audit and quality assessment activities; conducting inspections or investigations; and conducting research related to postsecondary education and training, including all aspects of student assistance programs and accessibility to, and affordability of, postsecondary education and training such as developing key performance indicators on the aggregated Ontario Student Loan default rates of your postsecondary institution’s students or for the purpose of evaluating or developing new programs. The ministry may also disclose your personal information to other ministries of the Ontario government for the purpose of conducting postsecondary education-related research on behalf of the ministry. You may be contacted to participate in surveys related to postsecondary education and training. Financing includes: planning, arranging or providing funding of the programs.

I agree that the ministry may use my personal information for the administration and enforcement of other applications I make to the ministry for financial assistance and of any OSAP application made by my spouse, any dependent children and/or my parent(s).

The ministry collects your personal information under the authority of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.19, as amended, O. Reg. 768/20, as amended; s.10.1 of the Financial Administration Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.F.12, as amended; and s. 266.3(4) of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2. If you have any questions about the collection or use of this information, contact the Director, Student Financial Assistance Branch, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, PO Box 4500, 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6G9; 807-343-7260.

Consent to the Indirect Collection and Disclosure of Personal Information

I agree that until any OSAP assistance provided to me, including Micro-credential Student Loans, any grant overpayments, any amounts of excess financial assistance received and any other required repayments of financial assistance are assessed and repaid, the ministry can, without limitation, indirectly collect and exchange personal information about me that is relevant to the administration and financing of OSAP with: Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC); Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC); my postsecondary institution and its authorized financial administration agents and auditors; any financial institution I have identified to the ministry for the purposes of direct deposit and repayment of my financial assistance; any person, including my employer, who received government funding or income support that was for my benefit; bodies identified on this application by name or bodies that administer programs identified on this application; persons or bodies, including government bodies within and outside Canada, that administer any form of financial assistance and that may have information about any of my sources of income, assets or residency or any defaults in repayment of a loan, grant or award made by a government body; other parties used by the ministry to administer and finance OSAP; Ontario's Ministry of Finance and collection agencies operated or retained by the Ontario government; and consumer reporting agencies.
I agree that the ministry may exchange my personal information with the Ministry of Finance for the purpose of collecting on my loans, and on grant overpayments, where I am in default of my obligation to repay the loan or the grant overpayment.

Applicant's Instruction to Obtain a Consumer Report

This is my instruction authorizing the ministry to obtain information about my credit history from a consumer reporting agency for the purpose of determining whether I am eligible for financial assistance.

Applicant's Declaration

I have given complete and true information on this form.
I understand that I am responsible for providing all required supporting documentation as indicated on my application or as directed by my financial aid office or the ministry.
I have advised my dependants who are 16 years of age or older that I have provided limited personal information about them on this application and future applications. I have shown them this section and I have obtained their consent to the disclosure and use of their limited personal information for the administration and financing of OSAP, including OSAP for Micro-credentials.
I understand that I am responsible for promptly notifying my financial aid office or the ministry of changes to any information I have provided in my personal profile or application, including the income reported by me (or my spouse or parent(s), if applicable) and my financial institution, or of changes to my address and/or financial, academic, family, and/or period of study status. I will communicate any changes in information by updating my account on the OSAP website or in writing to my financial aid office or the ministry.
I understand that information I provide will be verified and the ministry may also conduct audits and investigations.
I understand that any change to the information I provide and any change resulting from verification and audit will result in a reassessment.
I understand that if I do not meet the terms and conditions of any grant, the ministry may determine that the Micro-credential Grants are grant overpayments. Specifically, I understand that any Micro-credential Grants that I receive may be determined to be grant overpayments if I do not meet the terms and conditions of the grant under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.19, as amended; in particular, my Micro-credential Grant may be determined to be a grant overpayment if I withdraw from the micro-credential program for which I received OSAP assistance, if the income I have reported, or my parent(s) or spouse have reported, cannot be verified to the satisfaction of the Minister of Colleges and Universities, or if a reassessment results in a determination that I am no longer eligible for the Micro-credential Grant or that I am no longer entitled to the amount of the Micro-credential Grant received.
I understand that if my application is reassessed, it may affect my eligibility and the type and amount of financial assistance I may receive.
If I received financial assistance in excess of my entitlement, I will be responsible for the repayment of the amount of excess financial assistance received and I acknowledge that any future amount of financial assistance I am entitled to receive may be reduced by the amount owed.
I will not receive student financial assistance from any other province, territory, state, or country while receiving OSAP for Micro-credentials assistance and I have not defaulted in repayment of a loan, grant or award made by any other province or territory.
I must have financial assistance to continue my postsecondary studies, and I will use this financial assistance to pay my academic fees first and then to cover educational costs related to my studies.
I acknowledge and agree that if my educational institution owes me a refund of tuition fees, I am responsible to repay to Ontario any portion of such fees that have been paid with the proceeds of my Micro-credential Grant or Micro-credential Student Loan for credit against my outstanding student loans or against any excess amounts of financial assistance owing.
I understand that I can withdraw any required consent I have given by writing to the Director, Student Financial Assistance Branch, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, PO Box 4500, 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6G9, at any time before I accept financial assistance. I understand that I cannot withdraw any consent relating to an academic year for which I have received any amount of financial assistance. I understand that if I withdraw any of my required consents it will affect my eligibility for, and the type and amount of, financial assistance under OSAP.
I understand that if I fail to provide complete and true information; fail to promptly notify my financial aid office or the ministry through my account on the OSAP website or in writing of changes to the income or assets reported by me (and my spouse or parent(s), if applicable) and my financial institution or any changes to my address and/or financial, academic, family, and/or period of study status; or fail to fulfil any obligations respecting the repayment of any loan or excess amounts of financial assistance received, the ministry may restrict me from receiving financial assistance in the future and may take legal action and may require me to repay any financial assistance that received. I further understand that it is an offence to knowingly provide false information for the purpose of obtaining or receiving OSAP assistance. If convicted, I may be liable for a fine of up to $25,000 and one year in prison.

Consent to the Indirect Collection and Disclosure of Information from Income Tax Returns

I authorize CRA to provide to the ministry, identifying and income and expense information about me (“the information”), from its tax records. The information will be used solely for the purpose of determining my entitlement to, and collecting overpayments of, financial assistance under the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The ministry will not disclose the information to any person or organization without my written consent, except where authorized by or where required by law. The ministry administers OSAP under the authority of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.19, as amended, O. Reg. 768/20 as amended, and O. Reg. 70/17 as amended s.10.1 of the Financial Administration Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.F.12, as amended; and s. 266.3(4) of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2. This consent applies to the 2021 and 2022 taxation years and to any subsequent taxation year for which assistance is requested.