The new school year is fast approaching, and it’s time to start thinking about your financial options.
The Ontario Student Loan Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government aid program that helps students cover the costs of post-secondary education. It offers funding through grants which don’t have to be paid back, and loans, which you’ll pay back once you’re done school.
Not sure if you should apply? In addition to helping you pay for school-related fees, OSAP could also help you access other types of aid & awards. OSAP is one of the ways to demonstrate your financial need and eligibility for need based aid such as bursaries and the work program.
If you aren’t eligible for OSAP or have additional financial need, learn more about your financial support options.
7 things to know to complete your OSAP application
1. It is strongly recommended that you apply and submit all of your required documentation by June 30th. Apply at osap.gov.on.ca by June 30 to guarantee your funding is disbursed at the beginning of the term.
2. To apply, you will need:
- Information about your school and program
- Your SIN (and parents’ or spouse’s SIN,
if applicable) - Your 2023 tax information (and parents’ or spouse’s tax information, if applicable)
3. If you identify as any of the following, you may be eligible for additional funding:
- An Indigenous student
- A student with a disability
- A student that was ever in the permanent care of a Children’s Aid Society or Child and Family Services Agency
4. You will need to upload all of your documents directly to your OSAP application portal. We will not be accepting or processing any OSAP documents received via mail or email. Use the OSAP document uploader to submit your docs. More info on submitting uploading your documents.
5. If you need to make a correction or update to your application after it’s been submitted, you’ll need to complete a change request form.
6. You are responsible for reporting the following income directly in your OSAP application:
- Scholarships, bursaries, and awards
- Government income, such as Employment Insurance, WSIB, Ontario Disability, Ontario Works, Canada Pension Plan, Better Jobs Ontario, Canada-Ontario Job Grant, and some other types
- Employment income (including co-op income)
- Teaching or Research Assistantships
- Child support and/or spousal support
- Rental income
If you receive any of the above after submitting your application, submit a change request form to make the update.
Still have questions about OSAP? Please refer to our website. You may also contact our Student Services Team.
With the world changing rapidly around us, McMaster recognizes the uncertainty that many students are facing. In response, the university has taken steps to ensure students are safe and connected with all available support options.
There are several resources and relief options offered through the provincial and federal governments, and the university. Students can exhaust all resources such as OSAP, institutional aid, RESP etc. and contact Student Services if there is continuing financial need where rent, food, meds, internet and other essentials cannot be covered. Below are a few financial resources for students.
OSAP – The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government aid program that helps students pay for costs related to attending post-secondary school. Funding is offered through grants, which do not have to be paid back, and loans, which must be paid back once you are done school. For information on completing your application, check out our website or visit osap.gov.on.ca.
McMaster Aid & Awards – McMaster has several aid & award programs to help support students, including scholarships, bursaries and the work program. Learn more about these options on our website.
External Scholarships – Many organizations provide scholarships to students who meet certain criteria. Find these scholarships online, using a search tool like Scholarshipscanada.com or through local organizations. Indigenous Students can also explore aid and award opportunities through Indspire.
Canada Learning Bond – a $500 – $2,000 per person benefit that the Canadian Government adds directly into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) to help pay for full-time or part-time education. Youth who meet the minimum age requirement to open an RESP in their province can open their own RESP and request the Canada Learning Bond for themselves. There is no requirement to make any desposits to receive the funding.
Student Line of Credit – A student line of credit allows you borrow money repeatedly up to a pre-set limit. You can borrow money, pay it back and then borrow again, up to your credit limit. You can speak with your bank about your eligibility or connect with the RBC on campus, located in DBAC.
Emergency Financial Support – The university has a limited amount of funding available to students who are unexpectedly faced with short-term financial emergency that impacts their basic needs. Learn more about these options on our emergency financial support page.
Flexible payment options
Typically, fees are due on the 25th of the first month of the term. With the current economic challenges, we have created some options to hopefully help reduce the financial stress. Students will have the option to enrol in a payment plan.
The university’s payment deadlines will remain; however, you can now choose to pay these fees in equal amounts over the four months of each term. No interest will be charged during the four months, but there will be a one-time deferral fee of $80 for students choosing this option each term. Find out more about your payment options.
Are you entering your first year at McMaster this fall? Get the proactive and personalized support you need through the Archway Program.
For more on your financial support options, contact Student Services.
What is AwardSpring?
The AwardSpring platform is where McMaster students go to find and apply for internal scholarship and bursary opportunities. The platform uses information on your program and background to create a personalized list of awards that match your eligibility. Then, you can apply for awards, monitor their status and find more funding opportunities, all in one place.
How do I apply?
1. Sign in to AwardSpring. Visit the AwardSpring homepage and sign in with your MacID and password.
2. Fill out the General Application. Formerly called the “Common Application,” this short questionnaire asks about your program and background so AwardSpring can create a personalized list of awards just for you. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete.
To automatically apply to the General Bursary Program, select “Yes” for the question “Would you like to be considered for aid that requires you to demonstrate financial need?” It’s the first question in the new Financial Information section. If you demonstrate financial need in the General Application, then you will automatically apply!
The General Application in AwardSpring. Complete this first to start finding awards.
3. Complete your Follow-ups. On AwardSpring’s Dashboard, you will find a “Follow-ups” section. This is where you apply for individual awards with extra criteria like references, essays, etc. Complete these before the application deadline listed on the award. If the award requires a reference, finish the Follow-ups early to give your referee time to respond.
The dashboard tab on AwardSpring showing Follow-ups to complete.
4. Keep checking back. Awards appear in AwardSpring throughout the school year, starting with bursaries in the fall and scholarships on January 1. Make sure you check back frequently to see what new awards are available.
5. Collect your money! Awards will be applied directly to your student account. Any leftover will then be paid out to you directly.
Dates, deadlines and timelines
Please visit our Dates & deadlines page for an overview of what to expect from AwardSpring throughout the school year.
Payment timelines
- Fall: Payments for entrance bursaries, entrance awards and most scholarships
- Early December: Medicine student bursary payments
- Mid-December: MBA student bursary payments
- Mid-February: General bursary payments
Frequently asked questions
Have technical questions about AwardSpring? Ask us here!
Not technical? Reach out to our Student Services Professionals.
Applying for the Undergraduate General Bursary Program just got easier! Simply follow these steps:
- Select “Yes” for “Would you like to be considered for aid that requires you to demonstrate financial need?” It’s the first question in the Financial Information section.
- Complete the rest of the General Application.
- If you demonstrate financial need on your General Application, you will be automatically applied! If you automatically applied, it will appear in the “Scholarships” tab if you filter for “Applied.”
Check out the Dates and Deadlines page for important dates. Individual awards will list their deadlines in AwardSpring.
To be considered for Indigenous-specific awards and opportunities, you must upload documentation. You can find a list of the approved documents in the General Application.
Note that results of DNA testing (like 23andMe or Ancestry DNA) are not accepted.
You will be matched with funding opportunities as applications open. See the “Dates, deadlines and timelines” section for more info on when applications open for different opportunities.
Yes! Use the Funds Finder to discover awards that will match your criteria. You can filter our list of awards by your citizenship status, type of award, program and much more.
No. There are many external award opportunities that you can apply for on your own. You can find a sampling of external awards on our Scholarships page and you can research them on your own.
AwardSpring isn’t perfect. Sometimes it matches you to awards that don’t meet your criteria. It’s important to read about each award you apply for before submitting an application.
Complete Follow-Up – There are additional requirements for you to complete. Navigate to your dashboard and click the button on the associated scholarship.
How to Combine PDFs:
- Software that is capable of combining PDFs
- Scan all your documents together to create one pdf.
- Take screenshots, paste them into a Word document and save as a pdf.
Please do not password protect your pdf documents.
Once the application deadline date has passed, the status of an award will be listed as “Closed” as applications are no longer being accepted.
Are you eligible for full-time OSAP and need help applying? Then this guide is for you! Read on to learn more about the process. Need extra help? Contact our Student Services Professionals via this site’s online chat or in-person during office hours.
Answer these three questions to determine if you’re eligible.
1. OSAP or Out-of-Province (OOP) funding?
Apply for OSAP if Ontario is the last Canadian province that you have resided in for at least 12 consecutive months without being a full-time college or university student, and you meet all other eligibility criteria.
Apply for out-of-province funding if you do not meet the above criteria. More on out-of-province funding.
2. Full-time vs. part-time?
OSAP for Full-Time Students and OSAP for Part-Time Students are separate programs and require separate applications. So if you receive full-time OSAP one term and drop to part-time studies the next term, you’ll need to do a new application for part-time OSAP.
Note: students with disabilities and graduate students have different requirements for full-time and part-time OSAP. More on full-time or part-time OSAP.
Full-time: Enrolled in at least 60% of a 100% course load for your program in each term. Co-op work terms are always considered a 100% course load.
Part-time: Enrolled in between 20% and 59% of a 100% course load for your program in each term. Learn more about part-time OSAP.
Not sure if you’re full- or part-time? Use our course load calculator to figure out your percentage.
3. Is my program eligible?
The following McMaster programs aren’t eligible for OSAP:
- Continuing Education courses
- Graduate Post-Degree Diplomas and Certificates
- Master, Finance
- Master, Public Policy in Digital Society
- Master, Communication Management
- Master, Executive MBA
- Master, Midwifery
- Blended Learning Part-Time MBA
- Master, Rehabilitation Science (online)
- PhD, Divinity (OSAP is offered through Divinity College)
- Courses taken with a continuing, transitional or non-degree status
- MELD
- UNENE Nuclear Engineering graduate diploma program
- McMaster Continuing Education (MCE) courses.
- Online Letter of Permission (LOP) courses that do NOT have term dates that are concurrent with McMaster’s term dates. Athabasca University, University of New Brunswick, and Thompson River University (and possibly other schools) have open-ended study period dates; therefore, these LOP courses are NOT OSAP eligible.
- Graduate degree co-op terms
- Start by making your OSAP profile. You only need to do this once if you’re full-time.
- For this step, you’ll need your Social Insurance Number (SIN), date of birth and when you last attended high school on a full-time basis.
- Once you finish this step, save and write down your OSAP Access Number (OAN) and your password for the future.
- Start your application on the OSAP website.
- We recommend you apply before June 30 to make sure you get your funding by the beginning of September. Processing times take 4-6 weeks.
- If you plan on taking a full-time course load in both the fall and winter terms, you only need one application. You must fully enrol in both terms before OSAP funding is released.
- For this step, you’ll need:
- info about your school and program (Mohawk and Conestoga Nursing students select your college, not McMaster)
- your parents’ or spouse’s SIN (if applicable)
- your tax information
- your parents’ or spouse’s tax information
- Complete the consent to release section of the OSAP application if you would like a parent/spouse/sibling to assist on your behalf.
- You’ll also need to complete Signature and Consent Declaration pages.
The deadline to apply for full-time OSAP is 60 days before the end of your study period.
Grad students (non-MBA): If your program includes fall, winter and spring/summer courses, you can apply for all three terms using one application
MBA students: You must apply one term at a time.
You may also be asked for additional documents including income information, transcripts from other colleges/universities, etc. These documents can be uploaded directly to your application by logging into your OSAP account.
To upload documents to OSAP:
- Log in to your OSAP account and go to “My Apps”
- Under “Submitted Applications”, go to “View Documents and Print/Upload”
- Go to each of the document’s names for a description of what you’re required to upload
- Complete and date/sign your document(s) in blue or black ink and take a clear scan or photo of the page(s)
- Upload each document as a PDF
Unsure which documents you need? Select the “Required documents” tab in this section.
Your online Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) is your loan agreement with the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). The NSLSC is where your OSAP funding comes from.
You only need to sign this once at the first time you apply for full-time OSAP. If you return to full-time studies after a break that is two years or greater, you’ll need to re-sign a new MSFAA when you apply for financial assistance.
- After applying for OSAP, you will receive a Notice of Assessment from the NSLSC, including a 10-digit MSFAA number.
- You can also find your 10-digit MSFAA number by logging into your OSAP account and going to your “Required Documents” page.
- You will then receive a welcome email from the NSLSC inviting you to register for an online account and complete the online MSFAA.
- Register and create an online account with the NSLSC.
- Verify your identity with the NSLSC.
- Complete the online MSFAA.
Enrol in a full-time course load for all the terms listed on your OSAP application.
- REMEMBER: you need to be in at least a 60% course load (40% for students with disabilities) in each term
- If you are full-time in one term and part-time in another, you may submit 2 separate applications
- Your enrolment in Mosaic must match the course load percentage on your OSAP application for funding to be released.
- Added/dropped a course? Upload a Change Request form to update your OSAP application:
Did you know that you automatically demonstrate financial need if you receive OSAP? That means there are plenty of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to you!
It’s never been easier to find and apply for awards at McMaster on our AwardSpring platform. You can start getting awards in three easy steps:
- Complete the common app in AwardSpring when it opens in August. This will help the platform match you to awards that meet your eligibility.
- Finish any tasks in the “Follow-ups” section of the platform. Similar requirements (like essays on the same topic) can be used across different follow-ups.
- Receive your extra funding when it’s released. It’s that easy!
Before your funding is released, McMaster needs to complete your Confirmation of Enrolment.
- You will receive a notification in your McMaster email once your enrolment is confirmed.
- Your OSAP funding will be deposited to your McMaster student account 5-7 business days after your confirmation of enrolment is completed.
- Your enrolment in Mosaic must match the course load listed on your OSAP application for both terms for your enrolment to be processed.
Get your funding
OSAP usually comes in two instalments: one early in the fall term and one early in the winter term.
- Some instalments will include two deposits (one from the provincial government, one from the federal government).
- OSAP is automatically deposited to your McMaster student account to pay tuition and student fees.
- Things not covered by OSAP include interest & late payment charges, textbook and other Campus Store purchases.
- Grad students (non-MBA): If your program includes fall, winter and spring/summer courses, you will automatically be assessed for all three terms.
- Your full funding will still come in two instalments (early fall and early winter).
Pay your tuition/fees
OSAP funding will automatically be deposited to the University to pay any outstanding balance for tuition, supplementary fees and residence and meal plan costs.
- If your OSAP is greater than the balance you owe or your fees are already paid, the remainder of your OSAP will be deposited to your bank account
- If your OSAP does not cover the full cost of your tuition and fees, you are responsible to pay off the balance.
Note: The amount of OSAP funding sent to McMaster is based on the outstanding student account balance at the point and time of OSAP Confirmation of Enrolment. Any enrolment changes (e.g. adding courses) after that date may require an additional payment from your personal bank account. You are responsible for checking your outstanding student account balance to make all additional required payments by posted deadline dates.
If you need extra help with your OSAP application, check out our dedicated OSAP page and contact us via the live chat or in-person. You can also find answers to common questions in the following video. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Join Student Services for an online webinar that offers new students and their families, information and guidance on how to complete their OSAP application.
The webinar includes an introductory video followed by personalized support with a Student Services Professional in a confidential breakout session. Students get the chance to meet the Student Services team and ask clarifying questions regarding their OSAP application.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
via Zoom (link sent via email)
Have all personal documents ready to complete the application. Please ensure students, parents and/or spouse have submitted all 2023 income taxes prior to the webinar. The recommended deadline to submit the OSAP application is June 30.
Apply to OSAP now. Learn more about OSAP by visiting the OSAP/Government Aid page.
View our video tutorial above for the common practices on applying to OSAP.
To calculate your course load, you can use the Course Load Calculator.
For more information visit the OSAP/Government Aid page. Be sure to check out any important dates and deadlines regarding your OSAP application.
View our video tutorial above on how to complete and submit the OSAP Extension Form.
Please note: A fully completed form must be properly signed and dated. Provide your handwritten signature in black or blue ink or a certified electronic signature which includes both your first and last names. All sections of the form must be completed in full for all terms. The income grid in Section 2 must be completed with an amount in all fields (or zero, if not applicable) and living status for every term must also be completed. See an example of a completed form.
For more information visit the OSAP/Government Aid page. Be sure to check out any important dates and deadlines regarding your OSAP application.
It’s important to make sure your personal information is still correct in Mosaic, including your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
Your SIN is required by Canada Revenue Agency in order for us to properly issue you a T2202 tax slip or T4 slip. Log in to Mosaic and click on the “Tasks” tile to verify your info now.
You can enrol in McMaster’s winter term payment plan option on Mosaic. Enrollment opens the day after the undergraduate add/drop period at the beginning of each term. Payment plans close the day after fees are due on the 25th of the first month of the term.
How to enrol
- Log in to Mosaic > Student Centre > Finances > Other financial > Payment plans.
- Select the fall term payment plan to continue.
- Review the instalments.
- Go through the agreement and accept the terms and conditions.
- Receive your confirmation.
- You can go back and review your instalments through Student Centre > Finances > Account Inquiry.
If you have any questions, contact our website’s online chat. It’s available Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. One of our SSPs will be happy to assist!
Applications for deferrals will open in mid-July.
McMaster will normally only grant deferrals on offers of admission when there are special extenuating circumstances. Each case is evaluated on its own merit.
A request for deferral (to the subsequent Fall term) will be considered under the following circumstances:
- the student has accepted their undergraduate offer of admission to the university; and
- all conditions outlined in the Offer of Admission letter have been met; and
- the student is not intending to return to secondary school or attend another post-secondary institution during the deferral period.
How to submit a deferral request
Requests should be submitted by September 1 of the application year outlining the reasons for the request.
Applicants who are waiting for study permit approval can submit their deferral requests by September 9.
Physician Assistant students will not be able to submit a deferral request through Mosaic. Contact the PA program office for more information.
The School of Nursing (SON) will not be granting any deferrals for the 2024-2025 school year.
Please note: If you have previously submitted a hard copy letter deferral request, you must submit again using the online form.
- Log in to your Mosaic student portal.
- Click on the “Defer My Admission to McMaster” tile:
- Fill out the application along with details of your reason for the request (250 words or less).
- Once submitted, the Admissions and Faculty Offices will review it. The status of your request will be visible in Mosaic.
- Once a decision has been reached, you will receive an email indicating any next steps.
If your deferral request is approved, you will automatically be deregistered from classes and refunded any monies paid. You will not have an opportunity to enrol in classes again until next Fall semester.