- To continue to be eligible for Full-Time OSAP, students are required to achieve passing grades in a minimum 60% course load (40% course load for students with a permanent disability) of what the institution considers to be a 100% course load (for their specific program of study)
- Students also must progress through the successive years of their program of study. The following actions are all considered failure to progress academically:
- Multiple program switches
- Dropping from a Full-Time Course Load to a Part-Time Course Load
- Withdrawing from a program
- Repeating courses
- Extending a degree by adding multiple majors
- Failing to actively participate in courses (no attending classes, not submitting assignments, not writing exams)
- Private extensions
Periods of Study Plus One
Students may apply for Full-Time OSAP for the number of periods of study normally specified by the institution for completion of that program of study plus one (1) study period.For example:
- A student in a 1-year certificate program can receive a maximum of 2 years of Full-Time assistance
- A student in a 2-year diploma program can receive a maximum of 3 years of Full-Time OSAP assistance
- A student in a 4-year diploma program can received a maximum of 5 years of Full-Time OSAP assistance
A student who has reached the study period maximum for their program is not eligible for further Full-Time OSAP for that program. This means that some students who take less than 100% course load each year, or have failed and have had to repeat courses, may be unable to complete their program before they become ineligible for further Full-Time OSAP.
NOTE:
- A study period is defined as 1 academic year
- Periods of study in which a student did not receive Full-Time OSAP funding from Canada or Ontario are not included
- Students with permanent disabilities are exempted from this policy
Consequences of Failure to Meet Requirements
If students do not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements there is an impact on their eligibility for further OSAP assistance. The consequence of the failure is increasingly severe as the number of failures increases.
Academic Progress Consequences |
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|---|---|---|
Academic Situation |
Consequence |
Remedy |
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Failure to make satisfactory academic progress during 1 academic year.
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Student is on probation for the remainder of the current academic year, if any (for example, due to a withdrawal), and the next FULL academic year. During the probationary period, the student remains eligible for Full-Time OSAP or Part-Time OSAP, unless there is a part-time academic penalty on file. |
Must succeed in following academic year to maintain continuous Full-Time OSAP eligibility. If student is not receiving OSAP funding during probationary year, the student must maintain Canada – Ontario Integrated Student Loans in good standing.
|
|
Failure to make satisfactory academic progress for 2 successive academic years.
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Restriction Student loses eligibility for Full-Time OSAP and Part-Time OSAP for a minimum of 12 months (1 year).
|
Must maintain Canada – Ontario Integrated Student Loans in good standing during the 12-month period.
|
|
Second failure to make satisfactory academic progress for 2 successive academic years – has previous one-year restriction.
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Restriction Student loses eligibility for Full-Time OSAP and Part-Time OSAP for a minimum of 36 months (3 years).
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Must maintain Canada – Ontario Integrated Student Loans in good standing during the 36-month period.
|
|
Third failure to make satisfactory academic progress for 2 successive academic years – has previous three-year restriction.
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Restriction Student loses eligibility for Full-Time OSAP and Part-Time OSAP for a minimum of 60 months (5 years).
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Must maintain Canada – Ontario Integrated Student Loans in good standing during the 60-month period.
|
|
Fourth failure to make satisfactory academic progress for 2 successive academic years – has previous five-year restriction
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Restriction Student loses eligibility for Full-Time OSAP and Part-Time OSAP for Part-time Students.
|
Must repay all loans prior to obtaining new loans.
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Academic Progression Reviews (Personal Circumstances Reviews)
When a student fails to meet academic progress requirements due to circumstances beyond their control, they may request a personal circumstance review when they have an academic progress code on their file (OSAP Academic Probation or OSAP Academic Restriction).
Acceptable circumstances include the following:
- Medical conditions
- Family crisis
- Disability
- Pregnancy or parental leaves
- Code was put on the file in error
- Student was coded with two academic failures in one year (for example, student attended two institutions and failed at both)
Click here if you wish to submit a request for an OSAP Academic Progression Review.
