Ontario Learn and Stay Grant for Nursing Students

Summary

Ontario students entering Carleton University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program in September 2025 will be able to apply for Ontario’s Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG). This grant provides funding to students studying in high-priority university and college programs in under-served regions of the province. The grant covers students’ direct education expenses for all funded terms. To receive the grant, students must commit to work in the identified public health units in the Ontario East region after graduation for a minimum of six months for every year of study funded by the grant. This works out to an eighteen-month commitment for Carleton nursing graduates who receive OLSG funding for all three years of their program. The 2025-26 grant application will open in spring 2025 (most likely in April), and students will need an Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) account to access the online application.

Grant Program Details

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) supports post-secondary students studying in high-priority programs at institutions located in under-served regions of the province. The grant provides eligible students with full, upfront funding for tuition, books, and other direct educational expenses. In exchange, students commit to work for a time after graduation in the region where they studied.

Benefits

Full tuition funding: The grant fully funds direct educational expenses for eligible students, reducing financial burdens and encouraging students to pursue priority programs in healthcare, such as Carleton’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN).
Regional development: By committing to work in the identified public health units in the Ontario East region, BScN graduates will contribute to strengthening local public healthcare and addressing regional labour market needs.
Community development: Students will have opportunities to engage with communities and contribute to their development, fostering a sense of belonging and social responsibility.

What’s covered?

Direct educational costs, including tuition and ancillary fees, textbooks, supplies and program-specific equipment (e.g. stethoscope, lab coat).

What’s not covered?

Living expenses, childcare costs and travel/commuting costs.

You can apply separately for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding to assist you in meeting these indirect educational costs while you are studying full time. Submitting a separate OSAP application also ensures you are considered for additional federal and provincial student grants and a government student loan.

Who’s eligible?

To qualify for the OLSG, you must:

Be an Ontario resident who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person.
Apply to and enrol in an eligible program at an approved institution, such as the BScN program at Carleton.
Commit to working for an eligible employer in the region where you studied after graduation.

For the purposes of this grant, you are a resident of Ontario if:

You have always lived in Ontario, or
Ontario is the province you last lived in for twelve months in a row, without being a full-time post-secondary student.

If you have lived in Canada for less than twelve months, and currently live in Ontario, you may also meet the OLSG’s provincial residency requirements. In that case, contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office for assistance in determining your eligibility for this grant program.

The service commitment

You must fulfill a service commitment after you graduate to receive the OLSG. You will be asked to review and sign a Service Commitment Agreement when you apply for the grant. If you receive the grant for all three years of Carleton’s BScN program, you commit to working in the region for eighteen months after you graduate.

Where you can work after you graduate

BScN graduates must fulfill their service commitment in the six identified public health units in the Ontario East region:

Ottawa Public Health (22)
Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health (16)
Eastern Ontario Health Unit (20)
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit (23)
Renfrew County and District Health Unit (27)
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit (30)

Public Health Units within the Ontario East region.

How to apply

To apply for the OLSG you must register for an OSAP account. You use this account to apply for both OLSG and OSAP funding. If you expect to need financial assistance with living costs while you are completing your full-time studies, you should complete applications for both. Look for the 2025-26 applications to open in April 2025.