Opportunity granted

A former master’s student who began to work in her field just before she completed her degree complained to us that the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) had deemed her ineligible for an Ontario Student Opportunities Grant, due to unreported income. She conceded that she had inadvertently failed to disclose some of her earnings, but noted that OSAP’s decision appeared to be based largely on income she earned after graduation. Ombudsman staff spoke with OSAP officials, which led them to discover information in the student’s file that did not align with their decision. They conducted an additional assessment and determined that the woman was indeed eligible for the grant, and would receive $7,880. They also lifted a condition that would have barred her from OSAP funding for a further three years.

Read about how we helped other people in our Selected cases.