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 2025–2026 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, second or third 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 2025–2026 academic year

You must register for an OSAP account if the 2025–2026 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 2024–2025 are eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant in subsequent years.

Note: If you received funding in your first year or second year, you must apply for the grant each following year to continue receiving it. If you do not apply for the grant in subsequent years, 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 Continuation of Status for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant form.

Log in to your OSAP account with your existing credentials to apply for additional funding for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Note: Applications for the 2024–2025 academic year are open until July 31, 2025.

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 2024–2025.

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

Paper applications for the academic year 2025–2026 will be available Summer 2025.

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

2025–2026 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

North region

• Thunder Bay
• Sudbury
• North Bay-Parry Sound
• Northwestern
• Northeastern
• Algoma

East region

• Eastern Ontario
• Ottawa
• Renfrew County
• South East

Southwest region

• Huron Perth/Oxford Elgin St. Thomas
• Southwestern
• Lambton
• Middlesex-London
• Chatham-Kent
• Windsor-Essex County
• Grey-Bruce
• Grand Erie

Eligible programs, institutions and regions

2025–2026 academic year

The following programs, institutions and regional campus locations at the diploma, undergraduate, masters and postgraduate levels are eligible for the 2025–2026 academic year.

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

Previous years: See programs for the 2024–2025 academic year and 2023–2024 academic year if you enrolled in either year. 

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