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Tuition Bursary for Youth in Extended Society Care

Note: The Tuition Bursary for Youth in Extended Society Care has been revised effective fall 2023 onward. Recipients of the award in the 2022-2023 academic year will be carried forward as legacy recipients for their initial program under which they received the bursary.

Toronto Metropolitan University offers a tuition bursary for students who grew up in extended society care (previously known as Crown Wards) in Canada, and are currently enrolled in an OSAP approved program at the institution. The tuition bursary will cover 50% of a student's tuition and ancillary costs. In alignment with OSAP policy, the bursary is available for the prescribed length of their degree, plus one additional year. This is known as the Period of Study Plus One Policy. For example, if you are in a four-year program, you can be considered for this bursary for a maximum of five years.

Students with a permanent disability are exempt from the Period of Study Plus One Policy. Students on accommodation eligible for a tuition rebate upon graduation will have their rebate adjusted accordingly in consideration of this funding.

All undergraduate, graduate, and Juris Doctor Law programs at the institution are OSAP approved. For more information about which continuing education programs are OSAP approved, please refer to the Chang School Certificates section on Information by Student Group.

Important Information for Recipients

  • If you are 25 years of age or older: We need to manually process your application. You must notify our team of your full name and TMU Student Number via email at funding@torontomu.ca
  • For OSAP students: If you are the successful recipient of the tuition bursary, please do not report it on your OSAP application. Our Student Financial Assistance team reports all awards, scholarships, and bursaries administered by the University onto your OSAP application.
  • For out-of-province students: If you are the successful recipient of the tuition bursary, it is your responsibility to notify your province’s government aid program.
  • Receiving this tuition bursary may impact (for example, reduce) your student government aid (OSAP or out-of-province funding).

The tuition bursary is valued at 50% of the student's tuition and ancillary fees for the full academic year. It is renewable for each semester that the eligibility requirements are fulfilled. The tuition bursary does not consider any fees related to residence.

Only successful recipients of the tuition bursary will be notified via institutional email. The tuition bursary will be applied directly to the successful recipient's student account (MyServiceHub). As the tuition bursary is specific for tuition and ancillary fees, successful recipients are unable to request a refund for this bursary.

If you grew up in extended society care in Ontario, or another Canadian jurisdiction, you may be eligible for a tuition bursary. To qualify for the Tuition Bursary for Youth in Extended Society Care, students must fulfill all of the following requirements:

  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.
  • Be a current or former youth in extended society care.
  • Be in an OSAP approved program, with all courses fulfilling the degree requirements. Courses that do not count towards degree requirements will not be considered.
  • Be officially registered as a current or incoming student of the University.
  • Have clear academic standing.
  • The individual has not been adopted and/or has not returned to their family.
  • Students can be considered for this bursary for the prescribed length of their program, plus one additional year. For example, if you are in a four-year program, you can be considered for the bursary for five-years.

  1. Apply for OSAP via the OSAP portal (external link, opens in new window) . Be sure to apply and submit all required documents (outlined on the OSAP portal) before all OSAP important dates and deadlines.
  2. Self-identify as a youth in extended society care. Be sure to respond yes to this question; it is part of the OSAP application process.
  3. Complete the Verification of Status with Ontario’s Children Aid Society form. Once completed, upload it to your OSAP portal. As part of the self-identification process, this form should be available on the Required Documents page of your OSAP portal. If you are unable to locate the form, you can find it online at OSAP Forms (external link, opens in new window) . Documents submitted to the OSAP portal are reviewed within three to six weeks from the date of submission.

Once your OSAP application and required documents have been submitted, the Student Financial Assistance office will receive a report of students who qualify as youth in extended society care at the institution. The report typically becomes available at the beginning of each semester. Qualified students will be considered for the tuition bursary.

If you have previously applied for OSAP, and did not self-identify as a youth in extended society care at the time of your application, you may still change your response. Please follow the steps below to update your application in your OSAP portal.

If you are 25 years of age or older, we need to manually process your application. You must notify our team of your full name and TMU Student Number via email at funding@torontomu.ca.

  1. Log into your OSAP portal (external link, opens in new window) .

  2. View your profile by clicking on OSAP account, then selecting View or change profile.

    OSAP account drop-down menu

  3. Scroll down to the Additional Information section of the View Information page.

  4. Click the Change additional button to access the Change Additional Information page.

  5. Check the Change required box for the following question: "Were you ever in the permanent care of a Children's Aid Society or Child and Family Services Agency?"

  6. Click the Submit button. A pop-up message will display with OK and Cancel buttons; click OK to continue.

  7. You will be returned to the view information page, where a change requested link will display next to the question. Select this link to access the profile changes requested page for details on what documentation is required.

  8. Complete and upload the Verification of Status with Ontario’s Children’s Aid Society (CAS) form to your OSAP application. This form should be available on your OSAP portal’s Required Documents page as part of the self-identification process. If you are unable to locate the form, you can find it online at OSAP Forms (external link, opens in new window) .

First-time OSAP applicants can self-identify as a youth in extended society care in your OSAP portal by following the steps outlined below.

If you are 25 years of age or older, we need to manually process your application. You must notify our team of your full name and TMU Student Number via email at funding@torontomu.ca.

  1. Register as a new user account on the OSAP portal (external link, opens in new window) .

  2. Follow the instructions outlined to complete your online profile application.

  3. On the Additional Information page, select Yes for the following question: "Were you ever in the permanent care of a Children's Aid Society or Child and Family Services Agency?"

  4. Once you select yes, a series of statements will populate. Select the statement that applies to you, and click submit when you are done.

  5. Complete and upload the Verification of Status with Ontario’s Children’s Aid Society (CAS) form to your OSAP application. This form should be available on your OSAP portal’s Required Documents page as part of the self-identification process. If you are unable to locate the form, you can find it online at OSAP Forms (external link, opens in new window) .

  1. Gather proof of your extended society care status for verification. The proof must be provided by your home province/jurisdiction. Please ensure this proof confirms the status that you were made a youth in extended society care by court order, and that you have not been adopted or returned to your family.
  2. Once you have gathered your proof, please submit all documentation with the subject line, "OOP Tuition Bursary for Students in Care" to funding@torontomu.ca.

Out-of-province students must submit the application and provide documentation to funding@torontomu.ca to be considered for the tuition bursary.

Successful recipients of the tuition bursary receive the award based on their enrolment at the time of disbursement. Some course enrolment changes after receiving the tuition bursary may result in a credit balance on the student account. The credit will be recouped by the institution if it is a direct result of dropped courses that were paid for by the tuition bursary.

Information submitted in bursary applications will be verified. The misrepresentation of information will result in the disqualification of your application, and your bursary will be reversed. Should the bursary be reversed due to misrepresentation of information, the student is expected to pay their outstanding fees.

Values Subject to Change 

The availability and monetary value of bursaries are subject to change. The University reserves the right to change the amount disbursed for a given bursary in light of new information which was not available at the time of disbursement (e.g. change in course load, withdrawal from a program, new disbursement of a scholarship/award or government financial assistance, etc.).

Tuition bursary recipients are responsible for notifying the Student Awards and Scholarships Office (SASO) and Student Financial Assistance (SFA) of any changes to their particular situation.

Given the situational nature of tuition bursary assistance, SASO and SFA reserves the right to reassess or adjust any funding granted, should the conditions under which the funds were granted change. Students will be contacted via their University email should their tuition bursary amount be adjusted.

Request for Reconsideration and Discretion of the University

Every attempt has been made to be clear in the communication of the terms and conditions outlined in this document. In the event of any interpretive disputes, the University reserves the right to render a final determination on eligibility for tuition bursary funding. Interpretation of information provided in tuition bursary applications is solely at the discretion of the University.

Clarifying amendments to the terms and conditions for this tuition bursary may be made by the University without notice.

The availability and monetary value of all scholarships are subject to change. The University reserves the right to change the listed award, scholarship or bursary information and/or value without notice.

If you are, or were, an Ontario child in extended society care who wants to go to college or university, you can be reimbursed for the cost of applying to college or university programs. For more information, including contact details, visit the Ontario Post-Secondary Application Fee Reimbursement Program. (external link, opens in new window) 

This reimbursement program is administered by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU), as part of the OSAP program. This program is not affiliated with TMU.

We recognize that financial challenges sometimes come with other personal struggles. Below are a number of resources to support you and your well-being:

  • Career Boost: The institution’s award-winning student employment program, Career Boost, offers paid jobs to eligible students.
  • Financial Literacy (FinLit) (opens in new window) : An online guide that provides a general overview of financial literacy, including reading materials, videos and personal finance workshops available at the University.
  • The Good Food Centre (external link, opens in new window) : They offer hunger relief to help you through a difficult period.
  • Development and Counselling: Counsellors can meet with you one-on-one to discuss a wide variety of personal concerns or crisis situations.
  • Study Skills and Transition Support: Could your study skills use some work? Learn new strategies and tools including specialized support for writing, math and English.
  • Academic Accommodation Support: Accommodations are available for temporary or permanent disabilities including assistive technology, academic arrangements, financial assistance and more.
  • Student Wellbeing: If you’re looking for help making healthy lifestyle changes, check out the many programs, resources and services to help you thrive.
  • Subsidized Electricity: If you are from a low-income household, you may be eligible for additional financial assistance through one or more publicly-funded programs, such as the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), and the Energy Affordability Program (EAP).
  • Social Assistance (external link) : Programs such as Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, Caregiver Support, emergency assistance, and more can help provide you with financial assistance.
  • Canada Learning Bond: The Canada Learning Bond is money that the government adds to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for children from low-income families.