OSAP made easier for students, says government

By Jenna Leslie

BELLEVILLE – Improvements to the online OSAP process will be easier for students, according to an Ontario government press release Tuesday.

Students who have applied for college or university will now be able to go online and see the estimated tuitions for the programs that they have applied for, as well as the estimated OSAP coverage for those programs, the release said.

On top of that, students will also receive a bill from their schools with the OSAP that they are receiving already deducted from the bill.

The remaining funds will be sent directly to the student to cover any additional costs. This includes things like rent, books, etc.

Applications for the 2018-19 school year opened in November, four months earlier than they did in previous years.

“By opening up applications earlier, providing new tools to estimate financial support and delivering grants and loans upfront, students and their families will have the information and support they need to make their dreams a reality,” said Deb Matthews, the minister of advanced education and skills development of Ontario, in a news release on Tuesday.

These improvements are part of a plan to make postsecondary education more affordable in a time of “rapid economic change,” according to the release.