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. The same programs are eligible for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years.

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

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, you must:

• successfully apply to and enrol in the first year of 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

Students starting in the 2024–2025 school year

Applications will be available in Spring 2024 for students starting their first year during 2024–2025 school year.

Students starting in the 2023–2024 school year

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.

Apply online

You need an OSAP account to apply for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.

Create an account or log in with your existing OSAP credentials.

Notice about application 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.

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

You can download a paper application form 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

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

Find the regions and public health units on the regional map below.

The numbers on the map tell you which public health unit that area is.

North region

• Thunder Bay (6)
• Sudbury (12)
• North Bay-Parry Sound (21)
• Northwestern (24)
• Timiskaming (26)
• Porcupine (33)
• Algoma (34)

East region

• Kingston Frontenac Lennox and
  Addington (16)
• Eastern Ontario (20)
• Ottawa (22)
• Leeds Grenville and Lanark (23)
• Renfrew County (27)
• Hastings Prince Edward Counties (30)

Southwest region

• Huron Perth/Oxford Elgin St. Thomas (2)
• Southwestern (4)
• Lambton (8)
• Middlesex-London (11)
• Chatham-Kent (15)
• Windsor-Essex County (17)
• Grey-Bruce (19)
• Haldimand-Norfolk (25)

Ontario Learn and Stay Grant regions

Regions based on Ontario Public Health Unit boundaries.

Image

Download map (PDF 1.3 MB)

Eligible programs, institutions and regions

The following programs, institutions and regional campus locations at the diploma, undergraduate, masters and postgraduate levels will be eligible for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years.

Note: Institution-specific program offerings and campus locations are subject to change based on institutional discretion.

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

Bachelor or Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Master’s programs for Nursing

Postgraduate programs for Nursing