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 courses 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 and pass at least 1.5 credits per funded term. If you received OSAP 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 and pass at least 1.0 credits per funded term. If you received OSAP 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 terms.
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 terms. 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 Academic Probation, you can still receive OSAP funding. However, you will be expected to remain in the minimum course load for the OSAP funded terms and pass the minimum course-load for the OSAP funded terms. If you meet the minimum course-load requirements, then the next time you apply for OSAP, the Academic Probation will be removed.
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.
If you were placed on probation or restriction due to deferred exams or coursework (i.e. you have an SDF on your transcript), you can request to have it reviewed once you have obtained a passing grade in those courses. If you now have enough credits to meet the OSAP requirements, submit a letter in the “reviews” section of your OSAP account to request a reconsideration of your academic status.
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.)