General Discussions

Greetings, Friends! This morning I took a quick look at OSAP estimates for the coming year, and how they compare to previous year assessment models. Just thought I'd share in case folks were interested.

For this first figure, I’ve compared this year’s estimates to last year’s, with no change in tuition. For this example case, I’m modelling a first year student, coming straight from high school, and living away from home. The student comes from a family of 4, with one student in postsecondary, and with income evenly split between two parents. The student does not self identify as indigenous, has no permanent, persistent, or prolonged disability, is not a former youth in care, has no assets, scholarships, or income. The student is attending year one of a Bachelor of Fine Arts program at OCAD:

So it looks like students from families making less than about $80,000/year will see their grants drop by a little over $5,000/year, or a bit over $20,000 over a four year program, all things being equal. Total assistance remains about the same. 

I also took a look at a sole support parent scenario, modelling a single parent with two children under 12. The student has an income of $24,000/year, child care costs of $7,480/year, and no other resources.

For 2025-2026, the student would have received $25,800 in grants, and $12,100 in loans for $37,900 in total assistance. For 2026-2027, the student can expect to receive $13,400 in grants, and 24,800 in loans - $38,200 in total assistance. Total repayable debt increases by $12,700 per year, or $50,800 over a four year program. 

Obviously these are just estimates - I'll take another look once we get assessments. Hard to believe how much the program has changed over the past decade.

Anyways, just sharing because caring. Happy Thursday to all those who celebrate.

Anik