Students on OSAP must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ policies. That means that students are required to successfully complete the academic requirements of their program to continue to be eligible for OSAP. Frequent or multiple program switches, drops, withdrawals and/or repeats of programs that are funded by OSAP may also be considered lack of academic progress and direction.
The minimum OSAP academic progress standards are:
Undergraduate Students: you must remain in at least 1.5 credits per funded term(s). If funded for one term you must pass 1.5 credits. If funded for two terms you must pass 3.0 credits.
Undergraduate Students with a documented disability (either Permanent Disability or Persistent or Prolonged Disability): you must remain in at least 1.0 credits per funded term(s). If funded for one term you must pass 1.0 credit. If funded for two terms you must pass 2.0 credits.
Graduate Students: you must remain in full-time registration status or confirmation from your coordinator that you will be in a 60% course load (or 40% if you have a documented disability). You must successfully complete a 60% course load (or 40% if you have a documented disability) per funded term(s).
In the first instance, an OSAP Academic Probation is applied to your file if you did not remain in the minimum course-load required by OSAP and/or did not pass the minimum course-load for the OSAP funded term(s). For the next academic year, after the OSAP Probation was applied, your academic progress will be monitored closely by the University Registrar's Office. In order to access OSAP funding while on Academic Probation, you will need to submit an Acknowledgement of Academic Probation.
During your OSAP probation, you can still receive OSAP funding. However, you will be expected to remain in the minimum course-load for the OSAP funded term(s) and pass the minimum course-load for the OSAP funded term(s). If you meet the minimum course-load requirements, then the Academic Probation will be removed from your OSAP file at a later date.
If you did not remain in the minimum course-load required by OSAP, or did not pass the minimum course-load for the OSAP funded term(s) for two consecutive years, an OSAP Academic Restriction is applied to your file. You will then be restricted from further OSAP funding for a minimum of 12 months.
For students with deferred course-work/exam (“SDF” courses) for the funded term(s) in question, if an OSAP Academic Probation/Restriction has been applied to your file, then you may request that your academic progress be reviewed once you’ve obtained a passing grade for the course(s). That is, if the passing grade for the course(s) brings you up to the minimum OSAP course-load requirements mentioned above. If this is the case, please provide a signed letter to Enrolment Services to request an academic progress review based on passing grades obtained in SDF course(s).
OSAP also expects you to advance through your program. Frequent or multiple program changes, repeating courses, or failure to advance in your degree can result in an Academic Probation.
OSAP provides funding for the length of your program plus one year. For example, if you are in a four-year bachelor’s degree, OSAP will provide funding for five years of study. If you take longer than this, you may be placed on probation or restricted from further funding for this degree. (Students with documented disabilities are exempt from this policy.)