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 2024–2025 academic year. 

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 or second 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

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 2024–2025 academic year

You must register for an OSAP account if the 2024–2025 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 began studies in a previous academic year (starting 2023–2024) are eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant in subsequent years.

Note: If you received funding in your first academic year, you must continue applying to the program for every following academic year you wish to receive the grant.

Log in to your OSAP account with your existing credentials to apply for additional funding for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Note: Applications for the 2023–2024 academic year are open until July 31, 2024.

See eligible regions and programs for previous academic year 2023–2024.

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 2023–2024.

Send or take a completed paper application to your school’s financial aid office instead of applying online.
Paper applications for the academic year 2024–2025 will be available Summer 2024.

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

2024–2025 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

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)

Regional map

Image

Download map (PDF 270 kb)

Eligible programs, institutions and regions

2024–2025 academic year

The following programs, institutions and regional campus locations at the diploma, undergraduate, masters and postgraduate levels are eligible for the 2024–2025 academic year.

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

See programs for the 2023–2024 academic year if that was the year you enrolled.

2025–2026 academic year

In the 2025–2026 academic year:

• eligible programs and regions will stay the same
• institution-specific programs and campus locations will be updated in Spring 2025

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/Honours Bachelor or Bachelor/Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Master’s programs for Nursing

Postgraduate programs for Nursing