General Discussions

Good morning - question about how other schools handle a situation.

We have a student who requested our office sit down and help them fully complete their OSAP application because they are blind and do not have a working computer (they are starting an on-line program at the school in January).

Our office's stance on this has always been no we couldn't sit down and fully complete an application since we find it would be a conflict (answering and submitting the application, processing and then releasing the funds - there is no 3rd party distance from applying/processing/receiving funding). In this student's case since she is blind, we would have needed to ask her each of the OSAP applications question, listened for her answer and then keyed in the information (there would have been no 'checks' if what we typed was correct). Even if we had the staff manpower to help we don't feel it is correct.

added to the above, since the student doesn't have a working laptop, our office would have been required to use our 'own' work laptop.

We directed the student to inquire to our Accessible Learning Centre for their support (I chatted with the manager who gave the student the information how to get an accessible formal of the OSAP application) and also directed them to CNIB to see if they had supports for help.

My question today is two fold:

• does our reasoning about 'conflict of interest' stand?

• does your school have other options for students who require help completing forms etc?

If you would prefer to email me privately i can be reached at pwoodburn@wlu.ca

Thanks