What financial aid is available to undergraduate students?

• Financial Aid is a broad term for money that is given or loaned to students to help pay for education, and it includes awards, scholarships, bursaries, in-course awards, grants, and loans.
• When students apply for government funding through agencies such as OSAP, they are applying for financial aid in the form of student loans.
• Financial Assistance that is in the form of student loans is applied directly to tuition and other associated costs that are charged against a student’s account.
• Financial Aid that is in the form of a loan will need to be repaid in part or in full, depending on the type of student loan it is, whereas a grant does not need to be repaid.

The University of Toronto Policy on Student Financial Support guarantees that no student offered admission will be unable to attend due to financial circumstances (Canadian students, Canadian permanent residents and protected persons only). This guarantee requires that students use all available means of student aid:

• OSAP and other government aid — a government financial aid program made up of a mix of grants and loans. Once you apply and qualify for OSAP, you will be considered automatically for other sources of funding, like UTAPS (see below). If you are from another Canadian province, territory or First Nations band, you can visit this central U of T page for more information

Year 1 Bachelor of Information students who are applying for Summer OSAP should note the following:

• If you are only taking the practicum and INF313H1 in the Summer term: your courseload will be considered 40% from May to August
• If you have a permanent disability that is documented with OSAP, you may apply for full-time OSAP
• For any inquiries about OSAP, please connect with the OSAP office directly (osap.staff@utoronto.ca / 416-978-2190)
• The U of T Advance Planning for Students program (UTAPS) is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons studying full time.

The University of Toronto has created a new Indigenous Tuition Initiative to foster and strengthen relationships between U of T and Indigenous communities in Ontario, across Canada, and in the United States. This initiative includes three programs:

• The U of T Indigenous Tuition Grant covers the cost of tuition in eligible undergraduate and graduate programs for students from the nine identified First Nations communities
• Indigenous students from the rest of Canada may be eligible for domestic Ontario tuition fee
• Native American/Alaska Native students from the continental U.S.A. may be eligible for domestic Ontario tuition fee

All international students applying to the University of Toronto are eligible for automatic or application-based scholarships and awards, including the International Student Admission Bursary. For more information, visit the International Student Aid webpage.

International Financial Aid Application decisions will be issued in April each year. Please note that scholarships and bursaries rarely cover the full cost of tuition and living expenses.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents in need of financial aid can explore various programs such as the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, alternative/private loans, the 529 College Savings Plan, among others. For more information, visit the United States of America Student Aid webpage.

Ontario residents with permanent disabilities may receive funds through the Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities as part of their OSAP funding. In addition, grants are available through the Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities to help with disability-related supports and services for students with permanent or temporary disabilities.

Students receiving aid from another province or territory should contact their province or territory to learn more about the disability-related programs that may be available.

To learn more about the associated funding through the Canadian provincial and federal government, please view the Enrolment Services page on Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities.

Bursaries are considered as financial assistance provided to students based directly on their economic needs and to help pay for tuition and associated school costs. Bursaries are available at the beginning of your studies and throughout your studies, so you can apply for these at the time of admission and while in your courses.

For some bursaries, you would need to apply directly for them and will need to demonstrate your financial need by submitting formal documentation in support of your need.  Bursaries are typically applied directly to your student account to off set your tuition fees, but might also need to be used for other emergency situations. Similarly with awards and scholarships, bursary money that you receive does not need to be repaid.

Some bursaries are donated to the university by organizations, individuals (or their heirs), who might expect a “thank you” from the recipient along with some information about how the financial support has impacted them and helped with their education.