(Via neads.ca)

News Release – December 12, 2016 10:00 A.M. – Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development

With applications now open for college and university programs, Ontario has launched a new online calculator to help students and their families find out quickly and easily whether they qualify for free tuition or other grants and supports from the province.

By entering basic information at Ontario.ca/osap, in just a few clicks students will learn whether they are eligible for free tuition and how much aid they could receive from the new Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

Starting in the 2017-18 school year, the new OSAP will:

• Provide free average tuition to more than 150,000 students across Ontario whose parents earn less than $50,000 a year
• Provide more generous grants to make college and university more affordable for students from middle income families
• Provide greater access to grants for mature and married students
• Reduce the provincial debt load for about 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients.

Ontario is also redesigning OSAP for the digital age by making it easier to use. Students can apply, check their status and manage their financial aid anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Expanding access to college and university is part of our government’s plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Quick Facts:

• Students applying to college and university for September, 2017 will be the first to benefit from the new OSAP.
• Average tuition will be free for more than 150,000 students once the changes to OSAP are fully implemented. About 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients will graduate with less provincial debt.
• The new OSAP will allow mature students to qualify for more grants so they can go back to school to upgrade their skills.
• If you are a single parent, have three children and earn $60,000 a year, for example, the new OSAP calculator will tell you that you are eligible for over $16,000 of non-repayable aid, making tuition free should you want to attend college.
• Ontario will work closely with colleges and universities to ensure that families clearly see upfront the difference between the sticker price for tuition and what students would need to pay.

• In 2014-15, Ontario issued almost $1.3 billion in grants and loans to students.

Additional Resources:

• Ontario Student Assistance Program –

https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program?_ga=1.52687788.561915757.1481643810

• Ontario Universities’ Application Centre –

• Ontario College Application Service –

http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/home

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Source:

http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=430