WHAT IS THE ONTARIO FIRST GENERATION BURSARY?
The Ontario First Generation Bursary (“First Generation Bursary”) was first established in the 2005-2006 academic year. It is an award provided to Ontario students with financial need who are the first in their family to attend postsecondary education.
HOW MUCH FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS?
The First Generation Bursary has a total annual allocation of $3.0 million, which is allocated among participating institutions. Each institution receives a base amount, and the remaining funding is distributed among institutions based on each institution’s share of enrolment. Enrolment share is calculated using a weighted average of Full-Time eligible enrolment (undergraduate only), co-op apprenticeship and regular apprenticeship programs.
What is the value of this bursary?
The value of a typical bursary ranges from $1,000 to $3,500, though institutions have discretion to set the value of individual bursaries. There is no cap on the total value of each award.
Institutions may choose to augment the provincial funds with other institutional resources to maximize the number of bursaries issued.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR THIS BURSARY?
To be eligible for the First Generation Bursary, a student must be an individual whose parents have not attended postsecondary studies. Siblings may have attended postsecondary studies. Institutions have discretion in situations where one or both of the parents enrolled in, but did not complete a postsecondary program.
First Generation does not mean that the individual must be a new or first generation Canadian, or that new or first generation Canadians automatically qualify for the bursary. Typically, a student whose parents have a postsecondary degree, diploma, or certificate from another country would not be considered a First Generation student for the purposes of this bursary; however, discretion may be exercised in these cases. For example, in situations where the parents have been unable to use their educational qualifications in Canada.
Indigenous students who meet the definition of a First Generation student, as well as current and former Crown wards, may also be considered for the First Generation Bursary.
WHAT IS THE ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA FOR THIS BURSARY?
To be eligible for this bursary, students must:
- meet the qualifications outlined below (also see Section B.4);
- demonstrate financial need (as identified by the financial aid office at the postsecondary institution they are attending, or through their Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) application);
- be attending an approved institution; and
- meet the Canadian citizenship and Ontario residency requirements as outlined below.
Students may not be considered for the bursary if they do not meet these criteria. A student does not have to be enrolled in a program that has been approved for OSAP purposes – students in apprenticeship programs, academic upgrading and part-time programs may be considered for the bursary, if they meet all other eligibility criteria.
In addition, students must meet the following residency criteria:
Canadian Citizenship:
The student must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) prior to receiving the bursary. Students may choose to provide proof of status in Canada by means of Aboriginal status (i.e., status card or Métis registry, where applicable).
Ontario Resident:
To be considered an Ontario resident, a student must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- As of the first day of the student’s current study period, Ontario is the last province in which the student resided for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time postsecondary student; or
- If the student is married or in a common-law relationship as of the first day of the student’s current study period, Ontario is the last province in which the student’s spouse resided for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time postsecondary student; or
- If the student is a single dependent student as of the first day of the student’s current study period, Ontario is the last province in which the student’s parent(s), step-parent(s), legal guardian(s) or official sponsor(s) resided for at least 12 consecutive months. Where parents/step-parents are separated or divorced, this requirement refers to the residency of the parent(s) with whom the student normally resides, or who financially supports the student.
For the purposes of Ontario residency, students are identified in a common-law relationship if the individual has been living with a person in a relationship outside marriage for not less than three years, or the student and a person are living together in a relationship outside of marriage and are raising a child of whom both are the biological or adoptive parents.
For the purposes of Ontario residency, a student is identified as a single dependent student if he or she is single and does not meet any of the following criteria to be considered independent:
- out of high school for 4 or more years as of the start of the student’s study period; or
- not a full-time student at a high school or postsecondary institution (i.e., has been in the labour force on a full-time basis) for at least 12 consecutive months on 2 or more occasions; or
- both parents are deceased; or
- current or former Crown ward who has not been adopted;
- was subject to a protection (formal) customary care agreement or protection custody order at age 18; or
- the student was previously identified as married or sole-support parent but no longer meets those criteria (e.g., student is widowed, divorced, or separated with no children).
How to Apply
Application is available on MyCampus under DC Financial Aid Tab. Please note this is a two part application and requires an online submission and a hard copy declaration form which can be found on MyCampus under DC Financial Aid tab > Forms.
How You Get Your Aid
Your school will determine how this bursary is issued (e.g. by cheque, reducing outstanding fees, etc.). Contact your school for details on how they issue this bursary.
How to Check the Status of Your Application
Contact your school’s financial aid office with any questions that you have on the status of your Indigenous Student Bursary application.