OSAP 2026–27 · Ontario's rules checked October 31, 2026

OSAP Calculator 2026–27

OSAP pays the gap between what school costs you and what you and your family are expected to put in, up to a weekly maximum. Enter your costs and see the most Ontario's published rules allow for your study period. It is an estimate, not an offer: only your OSAP application decides the real amount.

You are

Dependent or independent? Check with OSAP’s rules

I am, or have been, married or common-lawI have a child who lives with me at least half the time, and no spouseI have worked full time for 24 months in a rowBoth my parents are deceasedI am a current or former youth in extended society careYears since I left high school

OSAP would assess you as single, dependent on my parents.

Where you’ll study full timeWeeks in your study periodSeptember to April is about 34 weeks.weeks

Your costsTuition and compulsory feesFor this study period. Sample figure: use your school’s.$Books, supplies and equipment$Living costs per monthRent, food, transit and personal costs. OSAP counts its own standard allowance instead, which it doesn’t publish, so its figure may differ.$/ monthChild care for the study periodOnly if you have children.$

What you’re expected to put inMy $3,600 student contribution is waivedI have children, receive continued care from a Children’s Aid Society, or self-identify as Indigenous.Your parents’ expected contribution, if you know itIt depends on their income and family size; OSAP doesn’t publish the formula. A past OSAP assessment shows it. Leave blank to see the most you could get.$Your own income and savings for schoolMoney OSAP counts as yours during the study period. RESP money doesn’t count.$

OSAP 2026–27 · full time · 34 weeks

Tuition and fees: $7,000
Books and equipment: $1,000
Living (7.8 months): $9,415
Costs: $17,415

Student contribution: −$3,600
Parents: not known
Financial need: $13,815
Maximum ($530/week): $18,020

Estimated OSAP: at most

$13,815

Your parents’ contribution comes off this dollar for dollar, so it can be anywhere from $0 up to this figure.

An estimate, not an offer. It is grants and loans together; for programs starting on or after August 1, 2026 more of Ontario’s share is a loan. Paid in two installments.

Check with OSAP’s own Aid Estimator →

Ontario’s OSAP rules checked October 31, 2026. Not affiliated with OSAP or the Government of Ontario.

How OSAP works out your funding

Allowable costs: tuition and compulsory fees, books and supplies, equipment and a computer, living costs (full-time students only), child care and transportation.
Minus your resources: a fixed student contribution ($3,600 for 2026–27), your own income and assets, and your parents' income (if you're dependent) or your spouse's (if you're married or common-law).
Equals your financial need. If your resources cover your costs, you may not qualify.
Capped at the weekly maximum for your school and family situation, times the weeks in your study period.

That is the formula Ontario publishes. The pieces it does not publish (the standard living allowance it counts, the parental and spousal contribution tables, the asset test and the grant and loan split) are why this page asks for your own figures and shows a ceiling rather than a promise.

OSAP weekly maximums, 2026–27 and 2025–26

Enrolled full time at	2026–27 single	2026–27 married or sole support parent	2025–26 single	2025–26 married or sole support parent
A public college or university in Ontario	$530	$875	$525	$865
An approved private postsecondary school in Ontario	$530	$875	$525	$865
A public college or university in another Canadian province	$530	$875	$525	$865
A private postsecondary school in another Canadian province	$300	$300	$300	$300
A private or public postsecondary school outside Canada	$300	$300	$300	$300

"Single" means a single student with no dependants. Ontario notes that some students get more than these amounts, for example with a disability or dependants; your application shows your own maximum. Schools outside Canada are capped at $300 a week.

Canada Student Grants inside OSAP

Full-time students: up to $6,300 a year, subject to a weekly maximum.
Students with disabilities: up to $2,800 a year.
Full-time students with dependants: up to $280 per child per month.

What changed for 2026–27

Changes announced on February 12, 2026 apply to programs starting on or after August 1, 2026: students get more of their Ontario funding as loans instead of grants, and career college students get all of their Ontario funding as loans. Ontario says the 2026–27 application shows how the changes affect your estimate. Grants can also turn into loans later, for example if you drop below the minimum course load in your first 30 days or a reassessment finds you weren't entitled to them.

Part-time OSAP maximums (per academic year, 2026–27)

Program	Maximum
Part-Time Canada Student Loan	Outstanding balance can’t exceed $10,000 at any time
Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities	$2,800
Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Studies	$2,520
Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependants	$2,688
Ontario Part-Time Grant	$500

Get the official estimate

OSAP's own OSAP Aid Estimator for Full-Time Students uses the parts Ontario doesn't publish, and your application gives the real amount. Apply at least 60 days before your study period ends.

OSAP Aid Estimator for Full-Time Students

Sources

Every rule and figure on this page is from the Government of Ontario's OSAP pages, checked October 31, 2026. This site is not affiliated with OSAP or the Government of Ontario.

Questions people ask

+How much OSAP will I get?

OSAP works out your financial need: your allowable costs (tuition and fees, books, equipment, living costs, child care and transportation) minus your resources (a fixed student contribution ($3,600 for 2026–27), your income and assets, and your parents' or spouse's contribution if they count). Full-time aid is then capped at a weekly maximum: $530 a week for a single student at a public Ontario college or university in 2026–27, so $18,020 over a 34-week year. Your application gives the real figure.

+Is OSAP a grant or a loan?

Both. You are considered for grants, which you don't pay back, and loans, which you do. For programs starting on or after August 1, 2026, Ontario gives more of its share as loans, and career college students get all of the Ontario share as loans. Ontario has not published the exact split; your 2026–27 application shows yours. Federal Canada Student Grants for full-time students go up to $6,300 a year.

+How much do my parents have to contribute to OSAP?

If you're a dependent student, OSAP expects a contribution from your parents based on their income and family size. Ontario does not publish the formula, so no calculator outside OSAP can know it exactly. If you've had OSAP before, your assessment shows the figure; otherwise this calculator shows the most you could get, and your parents' contribution comes off that dollar for dollar.

+What is the OSAP student contribution?

For 2026–27 it is $3,600. It can be waived if you have one or more children, receive continued care from a Children's Aid Society, or self-identify as Indigenous.

+Am I a dependent or independent student for OSAP?

You're independent if you're single with no children and at least one of these is true: you've been out of high school 6 years or more (4 for the federal part), you've worked full time for 24 months in a row, both your parents are deceased, or you're a current or former youth in extended society care. Married and common-law students and sole support parents are assessed on their own (and their spouse's) income, not their parents'.

+Does an RESP affect OSAP?

No. Ontario says money from a Registered Education Savings Plan does not affect how much OSAP you can get.

+When does OSAP pay?

Normally in two installments: one when your study period starts (usually September) and the rest halfway through (usually January). Micro-credential students get one installment.

+How many years can I get OSAP?

There is a lifetime limit of 340 weeks of funding, 400 weeks for doctoral studies and up to 520 weeks for students with disabilities. You also need to keep a full-time course load (6% or more, 4% with a disability) and pass enough of it.