McMaster Intersession Learning

Full-Time OSAP

If you are already enrolled in a full-time course load in the entire Spring/Summer term without the Intersession course(s), then you may be eligible to receive full-time OSAP funding for all your courses that term.

If you are not enrolled in a full-time course load without the Intersession course(s), you may still possibly be eligible to receive full-time OSAP funding for all of your courses that term.  However, it depends on the unit requirements for your program and your total enrolled units in the term. 

In some situations, you may be eligible for full-time OSAP funding only until the study period end date of the Intersession(s) courses (May 30, 2025).  This means that you may only receive full-time OSAP funding for the 4-week Intersession term. You may then be eligible to apply for part-time OSAP funding for another regular Summer course. 

Examples:

*You are enrolled in one Intersession course (4 weeks) and one Spring course (7 weeks):

• You may be considered for full-time OSAP funding only until the study period end date of the Intersession course (4 weeks)

*You are enrolled in one Intersession course (4 weeks), one Spring course (7 weeks), and one Summer course (7 weeks) AND you are in a program worth 30 units over the Fall/Winter term (i.e., Social Sciences):

• You may be considered for full-time OSAP funding for the entire Spring/Summer term (14 weeks)

• You are enrolled in one Intersession course (4 weeks), one Spring course (7 weeks), and one Summer course (7 weeks) AND you are in a program worth more than 30 units over the Fall/Winter term (i.e., Engineering):  
• • You may be considered for full-time OSAP funding for the Intersession term only (4 weeks) 
  • You may apply for part-time OSAP funding for the Summer course (7 weeks) 

*You are enrolled in one Intersession course (4 weeks), two Spring courses (7 weeks), and one Summer course (7 weeks):

• You may be considered for full-time OSAP funding for the entire spring/summer term (14 weeks)

Please note: For some programs, 30 units over the Fall/Winter term is a 100% course load. Other programs have a higher unit course load requirement (Engineering, B-Tech, Nursing Level 3, Nursing Accelerated Level 3, etc.) Please refer to the Undergraduate Calendar and our course load calculator to determine the full-time course load for your program.  This will help to determine your eligibility for OSAP funding if you are enrolled in Intersession courses.  If you have questions about calculating your course load, please contact Student Services. 

Full-Time OSAP recipients for the 2024 Fall and/or 2025 Winter term(s):

• If you received full-time OSAP for a minimum of 12 weeks in the Fall and/or Winter terms, submit an OSAP Extension Form no later than 40 days before your study period end date.

Please note: If you are full-time only for the 4-week Intersession, then the deadline date to submit your the OSAP Extension Form is April 20, 2025. The Aid & Awards Office will not process Extension Forms that are received after this date.

No full-time OSAP application for the 2024 Fall and/or 2025 Winter term(s):

• If you are enrolled in a full-time course load in the entire Spring/Summer term without the Intersession course(s), then you may apply for full-time OSAP for the Spring/Summer term only.
• If you are enrolled in a full-time course load in only the 4-week Intersession term, the 7-week Spring session, or the 7-week Summer session, then you may not apply for full-time OSAP funding.

Part-Time OSAP:

If you are enrolled in only one Intersession course, then you may apply for part-time OSAP funding for the 4-week course.

If you are enrolled in one Intersession course and one regular Spring course, then you may possibly be eligible for full-time OSAP for the 4-week Intersession term only.  Refer to the “Full-Time OSAP” section above to see if you meet the criteria. 

If you are enrolled in one Intersession course and one regular Summer course, then you will need to submit two part-time OSAP applications (one 4-week application for the Intersession course and one 7-week application for the Summer course)

Please note: the deadline date to apply for part-time OSAP funding and to submit all your required supporting documentation is 40 days before your study period end date. If you are applying for part-time OSAP for the Intersession term only, the deadline date is April 20, 2025. The Aid & Awards Office will not process applications and documentation that are received after this date.

Students who are enrolled in Intersession courses and are not eligible for OSAP may be eligible to apply for the McMaster Association of Part-Time Students (MAPS) Bursary or the Summer Undergraduate Bursary Program. More information about these bursaries can be found here.

You are considered full-time if you’re taking 60% or more of a full course load (or 40% if you have a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability).

Where can I find my program’s full-time course load units?

• Obtain your program’s full-time course load units from the Undergraduate Calendar
• You can also use our course load calculator

How do I calculate full-time course load if I am taking courses in both Spring & Summer?

• Take your total program units at a 100% course load for the Fall and Winter terms and then divide that by two 
• Multiple this number by 60% (or by 40% if you have a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability) 
• This is the minimum number of units that you need to be enrolled in to be considered full-time for the entire 14-week Spring/Summer term.
• Example 1: Social Sciences Level 1 – 30 units is a 100% course load over the Fall and Winter terms.  Divide this by two and multiply by 60%.  This equals 9, which is the minimum enrolled units for a full-time course load for this program. 
• Example 2: Engineering Co-op Level 1 – 37 units is a 100% course load over the Fall and Winter terms.  Divide this by two and multiply by 60%.  This equals 11.1, but in this case, you must round up to 12.  12 is the minimum enrolled units for a full-time course load for this program. 

How do I calculate full-time course load if I am only taking courses in one of  the Spring OR Summer session?

• Take your total program units at a 100% course load for the Fall and Winter terms and then divide that by four
• Multiply this number by 60% (or by 40% if you have a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability) 
• This is the minimum number of units that you need to be enrolled in to be considered full-time for either the 7-week Spring session or the 7-week Summer session.   
• Example 1: Humanities Level 2 – 30 units is a 100% course load over the Fall and Winter terms.  Divide this by four and multiply by 60%.  This equals 4.5, which is the minimum enrolled units for a full-time course load for this program. 
• Example 2: Bachelor of Technology Level 2 – 36 units is a 100% course load over the Fall and Winter terms.  Divide this by four and multiply by 60%.  This equals 5.4, but in this case, you must round up to 6.  6 is the minimum enrolled units for a full-time course load for this program.