Laying Out Your Scholarship and Financial Aid Options

If you're having trouble investing in your future, here's what you should consider.

Paying for school can be stressful and it can be difficult keeping track of all your options. To find out how to invest in your future, here’s what you should consider:

OSAP

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a program put in place by the government to help students get an education when they may not have the funds to pay out of pocket.

OSAP has two types of funding: loans and grants. When you apply for OSAP, you’re automatically considered for both, but if you don’t want to take a loan, you can decline it after your application is approved. Did we mention you don’t have to start repaying your OSAP until after you graduate? Find out how much funding you may be eligible for with the online OSAP Aid Estimator.

Bursaries and scholarships

A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. Scholarships, prizes, and awards are given in recognition of academic excellence and often cover a partial or full amount of your school term. Regardless of whether you qualify for OSAP or not, applying for bursaries and scholarships should be your next move.

Write a few essays, enter a few sweepstakes, take a few surveys, and get your name out there. Check out ScholarshipsCanada.com to see hundreds of the latest available bursaries and scholarships in Canada.

You can also apply for Algonquin College bursaries and scholarships through the ACSIS student portal. The bursary application opens in August, December, and April but make sure to apply every semester. Don’t forget to apply or nominate someone you know too!

Financial aid

If you’ve got questions, they’ve got answers; allow us to introduce you to our Financial Aid Officers. Students are assigned to a Financial Aid Officer based on their program. Once your case has been assigned, you’ll be able to talk to a real person about your financial concerns and they’ll lay out all your options. Learn more about what they do here.

It’ll be ok

Don’t let money hold you back from making your dreams come true. There are tons of ways to fund your education and Algonquin College is here to support you in any way we can. Your future is a bright one — you’ve got this!