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Apply to OSAP Online

To take the agony out of applying for OSAP Ontario student funding you need to know how to apply for OSAP online. OSAP is the Ontario Student Aid Program, and this is a program that most students in Ontario, Canada need to access to help pay for their college education. Applying for college can be exciting – but applying for student aid can be tedious, at best. Below, we easily explain what steps you should take first when applying for OSAP online.

How to Apply for OSAP Online
• Determine which school you will be attending before you apply to OSAP, and which program you will be enrolling in. Not all schools or all programs are approved by OSAP, and you will need to visit the website to ensure that your choice is approved. Just because a school is approved, this is no indication that the OSAP program that you want to participate in through that school is approved.

• Be sure of the academic year that you will need funding for when applying for OSAP 2010. Read the application form. Generally, near the top of the page, you will see which academic school year the application is for. Make sure that you are filling out the right OSAP form. This is a common mistake that many people make – filling out the wrong OSAP application form.

• Know the deadlines before you apply to OSAP Ontario. Deadlines are essential, because OSAP does not have any grace periods. If you miss a deadline, you will miss your OSAP funding for the coming academic year. OSAP deadlines cannot be missed if you expect to get funding through OSAP.

• Have the appropriate documents when you are applying to OSAP. As you work through the application process, the program will be essentially making a list of the documents that you are going to need. Basic documents that everyone should expect to submit include a copy of your social insurance card and your identification card, your birth certificate, proof of address, proof of current income, tax forms, and marriage certificates or divorce papers. Other documents may be required as well, but this is determined by the information that you provide on your OSAP application form, as well as your individual circumstances.

• Get cooperation from other people when applying for OSAP online – it will be needed. If you are a dependent of your parents, they will have to fill out certain sections of your application form. The same is true if you are married or in a common law relationship.

• Make use of the tools provided for you on the OSAP website when you apply to OSAP. Use the Aid Estimator to determine how much your education is going to cost for the coming academic year, how much aid you can expect from OSAP, and how much additional funding you must come up with from other sources. You can also use the loan counselor section of the website to learn more about the OSAP process, the OSAP Aid Finder to find additional sources of funding, and the Repayment Calculator to determine how much your payment will be after graduation.

• Read through the information provided on the OSAP website when you apply for OSAP. This information will be very important to you, and will help you to understand what is expected of you now, while you are in school, and after you finish school.

It doesn’t take much to prepare to fill out the OSAP application. Just use common sense regarding what might be expected from you, and make sure that you set aside at least an hour to fill out the form correctly. For more information about the Ontario Student Assistance Program go to: apply for OSAP.


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