Receiving Your OSAP Funds

1. In order to receive your OSAP first instalment (60 per cent of your total OSAP entitlement), your OSAP application must be complete and you must have submitted your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) to a designated Canada Post Retail Outlet (not to York).

2. Check the status of your application on the OSAP website.

3. York University receives an electronic file from the government of all the OSAP applications that are completed – this occurs daily.

4. Starting on the first day of classes, York University will commence confirming the registration status of all applicants who have completed their OSAP applications. At that time the information on your OSAP application will be compared with the current information on your York student record. Please allow an average of 10 business days for York to confirm your registration status.

   If your OSAP application and your student record shows:	York will do the following:	The next step will be:
   All program, course load and study level information on your OSAP application matches the information on your student record.	York will confirm your registration and enrolment at York with the government.	The government will release your funds according to their payment schedule*.
   Not all program information reported on your OSAP application matches the information on your current student record, but you are still considered "full-time" for OSAP purposes.	York will send the corrected program, study level and course load information to the government and confirm your registration.	Changes to your information may result in a re-assessment of your OSAP entitlement. The government will release your re-assessed funds according to their payment schedule*.
   Your course load has dropped below the minimum required for full-time OSAP purposes.	We will hold off confirming your registration status, and will check your file daily for up to ten days to see if you have added more courses. If your course load increases to full-time status we will send the corrected information to the government. If, after ten days, your course load remains below the minimum required for OSAP purposes, we will inform the government that you are not eligible for full-time OSAP.	If York sends a confirmation to the government reflecting your full-time status, the government will release your funds according to their schedule*. If you are not eligible for full-time OSAP please check the Part-time Loans and Grants web page.
   There is something on your record that prevents us from being able to confirm your registration electronically.	The Financial Aid office will review your information and update it directly on the OSAP website. In some cases, we may need to contact you directly for additional information.	Once the confirmation is completed, the government will release your funds according to their payment schedule*.

   * Payment Schedule

   The government will release funds within 10 business days of receiving a confirmation of enrolment from York.

   If you agreed to have funds directed to York on your OSAP application, part or all of your instalment will be applied directly to your student account. For more information about how the redirection is calculated, please visit the Directing OSAP Funds to York web page. The amount and date of the redirected payment(s) to York will be available on the OSAP website after a payment has been made. You can view this information by selecting "Check Status". Any remaining balance will be sent to you via cheque or direct deposit as indicated on your OSAP account.

   If you did not agree to direct funds to York, funds will be released directly to you. It is your responsibility to make payment arrangements to York within the posted deadlines in order to avoid late charges or financial blocks on your account.

   Deferment of Fees

   If you have applied for OSAP by June 30 no late charges will be applied to your account until October 10.

Starting mid-September, students whose registration was confirmed electronically, will be able to view the data sent to the government. Until then if you have concerns about your OSAP entitlement, please make an appointment to see a Student Client Services representative.

To check what types of OSAP funds have been released to you, look on the OSAP website under "Funding Summary". Information will be provided there once your application is completed.

If you are expecting a second OSAP instalment (40% of your total OSAP entitlement), York will check and electronically confirm your registration status at the end of December. Once confirmed, the funds will be released by the Ministry after classes begin in January.

Around late November the government will notify you, via email, to go online to confirm or update the income information you provided on your OSAP application. This step is important so that your OSAP entitlement is calculated correctly.

As you are probably aware, the government performs an income verification with Revenue Canada at a later date (usually in June/July) to confirm that income on your OSAP application is consistent with the income you reported on your income tax forms. If you reported incorrect income to OSAP, you may be reassessed, and ultimately, may affect your future OSAP eligibility.

Students who apply for OSAP for only one term (fall or winter) receive their full OSAP entitlement in one instalment.