Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

About the grant

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant provides funding for students studying in priority postsecondary programs in underserved and growing communities in Northern, Southwestern and Eastern Ontario. This program:

• requires you to work in the region where you studied
• responds to labour market needs, including in health care
• helps underserved and growing communities get the workers they need for in-demand professions

The grant will cover the cost of:

• tuition
• compulsory fees
• books
• other direct educational costs (for example, supplies, equipment)

Find out which programs, postsecondary institutions and regions are eligible for students starting in the 2026–2027 academic year.

You can also apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to help pay for other expenses, such as living costs.

If you are interested in the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant for Medical Education for the 2026–2027 academic year, more information will be available later this year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, you must:

• successfully apply to and enrol in an eligible program
• be an Ontario resident
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
• commit to working in the same region where you studied after you graduate
• not be receiving funding from any of the following government programs:
  • The BEGIN Initiative: Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing
  • Better Jobs Ontario
  • Skills Development Fund

Apply

The academic year for OSAP and the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year.

Students starting in the 2026–2027 academic year

You must register for an OSAP account if the 2026–2027 academic year is your first time applying for OSAP or the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.

You can apply up to 60 days before the end of your study period if you are enrolled in an eligible program at an approved institution.

Students enrolled in previous academic years

Students who started their studies in  2023–2024 or later are eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant in subsequent years.

Note: You must apply for the grant each year to receive it. If you do not apply for the grant in subsequent years, after receiving it, you must confirm your enrolment in an eligible program to prevent your grant from being converted to a repayable loan. To do this you should complete the form Continuation of Status for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.

Log in to your OSAP account with your existing credentials to apply for additional funding for the 2026–2027 academic year.

Note: Applications for the 2025–2026 academic year are open until July 31, 2026.

See eligible regions and programs for previous academic years.

Access to your online application and site maintenance:

Scheduled maintenance to the grant application site is usually on Sunday mornings. If the application is unavailable on a Sunday morning, please try again later.

Paper applications

You can download a paper application form for academic year 2025–2026.

Send or take a completed paper application to your school’s financial aid office instead of applying online.

Check your application status

If you apply online, you can check the status of your application as soon as you submit it.

You'll find out:

• if your application has been processed
• if you have to provide any documents
• if you or your school have to provide any information
• how much money you'll receive
• when your money will be available

Where you can work after you graduate

You must agree to fulfill a service commitment after you graduate to receive this grant.

As part of the agreement, you must work in the same service region where you studied for at least 180 days (6 months) for every full year of study funded by the grant. Find out which region you must work in.

For example, if you received funding for 4 years of studies at a postsecondary school in the north region, you must work for an eligible employer in any of the public health units within that same region for 24 months (2 years) after your graduation. Your service agreement will have information about which public health units are eligible based on where you study.

The duration of your service commitment may be adjusted based on the amount of Ontario Learn and Stay Grant funding you receive.

Your funding will be converted to a repayable loan if you do not meet required conditions, including completing the service commitment.

You will get the full Service Commitment Agreement when you apply for the grant.

Ontario Learn and Stay Grant regions

2026–2027 academic year

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant regions are groups of public health units. ^{footnote 1[1]}

You can choose to study and work in any of the following regions:

• north region
• east region
• southwest region

Note: The numbers in parentheses identify public health units within each eligible region.

Find them on the regional map below.

North region

• Thunder Bay (25)
• Sudbury (24)
• North Bay-Parry Sound (14)
• Northwestern (16)
• Northeastern (15)
• Algoma (1)

East region

• Eastern Ontario (5)
• Lakelands (8)
• Ottawa (17)
• Renfrew County (20)
• South East (22)

Southwest region

• Huron Perth/Oxford Elgin St. Thomas (10)
• Southwestern (23)
• Lambton (11)
• Middlesex-London (12)
• Chatham-Kent (2)
• Windsor-Essex County (28)
• Grey-Bruce (7)
• Grand Erie (6)

Regional map

Regions are based on Ontario Public Health Unit boundaries.

Regions eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant are:

• north region
• east region
• southwest region

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Eligible programs, institutions and regions

2026–2027 academic year

The following programs, institutions and regional campus locations at the diploma, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels are eligible for the 2026–2027 academic year.

Note: Institution-specific programs and campus locations are based on institutions’ discretion and are subject to change. Students should confirm program details with their respective institution.

Previous years: See approved programs in previous academic years starting in 2023.

Diploma programs

Eligible programs include:

• Practical Nursing
• Paramedic
• Medical Laboratory Technology/Medical Laboratory Science

Practical Nursing

Paramedic

Medical Laboratory Technology/Medical Laboratory Science

Undergraduate programs

Nursing

Graduate programs

Nursing

Postgraduate Ontario Nurse Practitioner Education Consortium programs