About the grant

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant provides funding for students studying in priority postsecondary programs in underserved and growing communities in Northern, Southwestern and Eastern Ontario. This program:

  • requires you to work in the region where you studied
  • responds to labour market needs, including in health care
  • helps underserved and growing communities get the workers they need for in-demand professions

The grant will cover the cost of:

  • tuition
  • compulsory fees
  • books
  • other direct educational costs (for example, supplies, equipment)

Find out which programs, postsecondary institutions and regions are eligible for students starting in the 2024–2025 academic year. 

You can also apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to help pay for other expenses, such as living costs.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, you must:

Apply

The academic year for OSAP and the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year.

Students starting in the 2024–2025 academic year

You must register for an OSAP account if the 2024–2025 academic year is your first time applying for OSAP or the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.

You can apply up to 60 days before the end of your study period if you are enrolled in an eligible program at an approved institution.

Students enrolled in previous academic years

Students who began studies in a previous academic year (starting 2023–2024) are eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant in subsequent years.

Note: If you received funding in your first academic year, you must continue applying to the program for every following academic year you wish to receive the grant.

Log in to your OSAP account with your existing credentials to apply for additional funding for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Note: Applications for the 2023–2024 academic year are open until July 31, 2024.

See eligible regions and programs for previous academic year 2023–2024.

Access to your online application and site maintenance:

Scheduled maintenance to the grant application site is usually on Sunday mornings. If the application is unavailable on a Sunday morning, please try again later.

Paper applications

You can download a paper application form for academic year 2023–2024.

Send or take a completed paper application to your school’s financial aid office instead of applying online.
Paper applications for the academic year 2024–2025 will be available Summer 2024.

Check your application status

If you apply online, you can check the status of your application as soon as you submit it.

You'll find out:

  • if your application has been processed
  • if you have to provide any documents
  • if you or your school have to provide any information
  • how much money you'll receive
  • when your money will be available

Where you can work after you graduate

You must agree to fulfill a service commitment after you graduate to receive this grant.

As part of the agreement, you must work in the same service region where you studied for at least 180 days (6 months) for every full year of study funded by the grant. Find out which region you must work in.

For example, if you received funding for 4 years of studies at a postsecondary school in the north region, you must work for an eligible employer in any of the public health units within that same region for 24 months (2 years) after your graduation. Your service agreement will have information about which public health units are eligible based on where you study.

The duration of your service commitment may be adjusted based on the amount of Ontario Learn and Stay Grant funding you receive.

Your funding will be converted to a repayable loan if you do not meet required conditions, including completing the service commitment.

You will get the full Service Commitment Agreement when you apply for the grant.

Ontario Learn and Stay Grant regions

2024–2025 academic year

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant regions are groups of public health units. footnote 1

You can choose to study and work in any of the following regions:

Find the regions and public health units on the regional map below.

The numbers on the map tell you which public health unit that area is.

North region

  • Thunder Bay (6)
  • Sudbury (12)
  • North Bay-Parry Sound (21)
  • Northwestern (24)
  • Timiskaming (26)
  • Porcupine (33)
  • Algoma (34)

East region

  • Kingston Frontenac Lennox and
    Addington (16)
  • Eastern Ontario (20)
  • Ottawa (22)
  • Leeds Grenville and Lanark (23)
  • Renfrew County (27)
  • Hastings Prince Edward Counties (30)

Southwest region

  • Huron Perth/Oxford Elgin St. Thomas (2)
  • Southwestern (4)
  • Lambton (8)
  • Middlesex-London (11)
  • Chatham-Kent (15)
  • Windsor-Essex County (17)
  • Grey-Bruce (19)
  • Haldimand-Norfolk (25)

Regional map

Image
Ontario Learn and Stay Grant  Regions based on Ontario Public Health Unit boundaries The map shows Ontario Learn and Stay regions for the 2023 to 2024 academic year. These regions are North, East and Southwest and are based on Ontario Public Health Unit boundaries.
Regions based on Ontario Public Health Unit boundaries.

Download map (PDF 270 kb)

Eligible programs, institutions and regions

The following programs, institutions and regional campus locations at the diploma, undergraduate, masters and postgraduate levels will be eligible for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Note: Institution-specific program offerings and campus locations are subject to change based on institutional discretion.

See programs for the 2023–2024 academic year if that was the year you enrolled.

Diploma programs

Eligible programs include:

 

Practical Nursing

InstitutionCampus location(s)Ontario Learn and Stay
Grant region
Algonquin CollegePerth, Pembroke, Perley Ottawa (regular)East
Anishinabek Education Institute
(partnered with St. Clair College)
Munsee-DelawareSouthwest
Anishinabek Education Institute
(partnered with Canadore College)
Nipissing First NationNorth
Cambrian CollegeSudburyNorth
Canadore CollegeNorth Bay, Parry SoundNorth
Collège BoréalSudbury, Timmins, Hearst, Kapuskasing, NipissingNorth
Collège BoréalWindsorSouthwest
Confederation CollegeThunder BayNorth
First Nations Technical Institute
(partnered with Canadore College)
Tyendinaga Mohawk TerritoryNorth
Fanshawe CollegeLondon, Woodstock, SimcoeSouthwest
Georgian CollegeOwen SoundSouthwest
La Cité CollégialeOttawa, HawkesburyEast
Kenjgewin Teg
(partnered with Fleming College)
M’ChigeengNorth
Lambton CollegeSarniaSouthwest
Loyalist CollegeBellevilleEast
Northern CollegeHaileybury, Kirkland Lake,Moosonee, TimminsNorth
Oshki-Pimache-O-Win:
The Wenjack Education Institute
(partnered with Confederation College)
Thunder BayNorth
Sault CollegeSault Ste. MarieNorth
St. Clair CollegeWindsor, ChathamSouthwest
St. Lawrence CollegeBrockville, Cornwall, KingstonEast

 

Paramedic

InstitutionCampus location(s)Ontario Learn and Stay Grant region
Cambrian CollegeSudburyNorth
Collège BoréalSudburyNorth
Confederation CollegeThunder BayNorth
CTS Canadian Career College Inc.North BayNorth
CTS Canadian Career College Inc.Sault Ste. MarieNorth
CTS Canadian Career College Inc.SudburyNorth
Northern CollegeTimminsNorth

 

Medical Laboratory Technology/ Medical Laboratory Science

InstitutionCampus locationOntario Learn and Stay
Grant region
Cambrian CollegeSudburyNorth
St. Clair CollegeWindsorSouthwest

 

Undergraduate programs

Bachelor/Honours Bachelor or Bachelor/Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing

InstitutionCampus location(s)Ontario Learn and Stay
Grant region
Algonquin CollegeOttawa, Pembroke (collaborative with University of Ottawa)
(English or French)
East
Collège BoréalSudbury
 
North
Cambrian CollegeSudburyNorth
Canadore CollegeNorth BayNorth
Confederation CollegeThunder BayNorth
Fanshawe CollegeLondon (collaborative with Western University)Southwest
Georgian CollegeOwen SoundSouthwest
La Cité CollégialeOttawaEast
Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay (regular and compressed)North
Lambton CollegeSarniaSouthwest
Laurentian UniversitySudbury (English or French stand-alone programs and collaborative with Northern College in Timmins)North
Loyalist CollegeBellevilleEast
Nipissing UniversityNorth BayNorth
Northern CollegeTimmins (collaborative with Laurentian University)North
Queen's UniversityKingston (regular and accelerated standing track)East
Sault CollegeSault Ste. MarieNorth
Seven Generations Education Institute
(partnered with Lakehead University)
KenoraNorth
St. Clair CollegeWindsor/Chatham (collaborative 4-year program with University of Windsor)Southwest
St. Lawrence CollegeBrockville, Cornwall, KingstonEast
University of OttawaOttawa (stand-alone in Ottawa and collaborative with Algonquin College in Ottawa and Pembroke)
(French or English)
East
University of WindsorWindsor (collaborative 4-year program) and Chatham/Windsor (collaborative 4-year program with St. Clair College)Southwest
Western UniversityLondon (compressed program and collaborative with Fanshawe College)Southwest

 

Master’s programs for Nursing

ProgramInstitutionCampus location(s)Ontario Learn and Stay
Grant region
Master of Public Health: Nurse Practitioner Specialization
(regular and flex)
Lakehead UniversityThunder BayNorth
Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner Specialization
(regular and flex)
Lakehead UniversityThunder BayNorth
Master of Nursing: Advanced Practice
(regular and flex)
Lakehead UniversityThunder BayNorth
Master's in Nursing (MSc)
(English or French)
Laurentian UniversitySudburyNorth
Nurse Practitioner MSc Nursing
(English or French)
Laurentian UniversitySudburyNorth
Advanced Practice Nursing Stream: MSc Nursing
(English or French)
Laurentian UniversitySudburyNorth
Master of Nursing ScienceQueen's UniversityKingstonEast
Master of Nursing
(Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioner)
Queen's UniversityKingstonEast
Master of Science Nursing
(English or French)
University of OttawaOttawaEast
Master of Science Nursing and Specialization Feminist and Gender Studies
(English or French)
University of OttawaOttawaEast
Master of Science Nursing with Graduate Diploma Primary Health Care for Nurse Practitioners
(English or French)
University of OttawaOttawaEast
Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) – Thesis basedUniversity of WindsorWindsorSouthwest
Masters of Science in Nursing (MScN) – Course basedUniversity of WindsorWindsorSouthwest
Masters of Science in Nursing (MScN) – Primary Health Care Nurse PractitionerUniversity of WindsorWindsorSouthwest
MScN: Master of Science in NursingWestern UniversityLondonSouthwest
Master of Nursing – Primary Health Care Nurse PractitionerWestern UniversityLondonSouthwest

 

Postgraduate programs for Nursing

ProgramInstitutionCampus location(s)Ontario Learn and Stay
Grant region
Postgraduate: Nurse Practitioner DiplomaQueen's UniversityKingston East
Postgraduate: Graduate Diploma Primary Health Care for Nurse Practitioners
(English or French)
University of OttawaOttawaEast
Postgraduate: Graduate Diploma: Primary Health Care Nurse PractitionerUniversity of WindsorWindsorSouthwest
Postgraduate: Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner DiplomaWestern UniversityLondon Southwest