Fall/Winter 2025-2026: Submitting a One Term OSAP Application
You can now complete a 2025-26 OSAP application for full-time students on the OSAP website. We recommend that you complete your OSAP application by June 30, 2025 to ensure you get your funding before your classes begin. Follow these instructions to create and submit a full-time OSAP application for a single term (fall or winter).
Table of Contents
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply for OSAP, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person
- meet Ontario’s provincial residency requirements
- be enrolled in a degree, diploma, or certificate program
- be studying full-time or part-time at an OSAP approved institution
Percentage Course Load Guide
Undergraduate students must be taking 60% or more of a full course load to be considered for the full-time student assistance program (Full-time OSAP). This means a minimum course load of 1.5 credits per term. For students with a registered disability, a full-time course load is a minimum of 1.0 credits.
Graduate students must be designated as a full-time graduate student by the Office of Graduate Studies. If you’re a part-time student, you will need to apply for Part-Time OSAP.
The chart below can be used to determine your course load percentage based on the number of credits you’re taking:
| Undergraduate Course Credits per term | Course Load | OSAP funding available |
| 2.0 or more credits | 100% | Full-time |
| Work Term | 100% | Full-time |
| 1.5 credits | 60% | Full-time |
| 1.0 credits | 40% | Part-time, or full-time for students with a permanent disability |
| 0.5 credits | 20% | Part-time |
Note:
There is no such thing as an 80% course load during the fall/winter terms.
Application Instructions
Step 1 – Start a new full-time OSAP application
- Login to your OSAP account at ontario.ca/osap and start a new full-time OSAP application.
- When you are asked when your classes start:
- Select September 2025 for a fall term application, or
- Select January 2026 for a winter term application
- Include your student number. Not including your student number could cause a delay in processing your OSAP application.
- Click Next.
Step 2 – Select your program
- When you get to the Program Search screen, type “other” as the name of your program and click Next.
- You can leave the optional filters blank.
- On the next screen, type in the name of your degree program.
Step 3 – Study Period dates and submitting your application
On the next page, you will be asked to provide additional program details, including study period start and study period end dates. Use the table below to find you start and end dates.
| Study Term | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | September 3, 2025 | December 20, 2025 |
| Winter | January 5, 2026 | April 23, 2026 |
The School and Program section of the application is now complete.
- Complete the remaining sections of the OSAP application.
- When you are ready, submit the application.
Step 4 – Upload required documentation
You may need to upload documents to support your application. If so, they will be listed on the Print/Upload page of your online OSAP application. When you have them ready, scan them and return to the same page to upload them to your OSAP application. You should aim to get this done before fall classes get underway.
For all deadlines regarding your documentation, visit our dates and deadlines page.
Step 5 – Monitor your application
After you submit your application, monitor your Carleton email account for important messages from the Awards Office. And be sure to log in to your OSAP account regularly to check for unread messages in your OSAP Message Centre.