NEW! Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

The Government of Ontario is launching a new Ontario Learn and Stay Grant in
spring 2023 for postsecondary students who enrol in priority programs in priority
communities and commit to work in those communities after they graduate.

Eligible students who apply for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant will receive full,
upfront funding for tuition, books and other direct educational costs. In exchange,
graduates will commit to live and work in the region where they studied, helping
to fill critical labour shortages in underserved communities.

By providing targeted financial incentives to encourage students to learn and
work in underserved communities, the new grant will strengthen local workforces
in communities that need them most, such as the health care workforce in
northern Ontario.

Building up health care capacity in areas where it’s needed the most is an
important part of Ontario’s A Plan to Stay Open. The government is working to
ensure that communities across the province have the medical staff needed to be
able to respond to any future shocks to our health care system.
The government continues to take action to build up the province’s health care
workforce to ensure patients can continue to access the health care they need
when they need it, no matter where they live.

To be eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, students must:

• be entering their first semester in September 2023-onwards
• successfully apply to and enrol in an eligible program in a priority community
• be an Ontario resident who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or
  protected person
• commit to work in the region where they studied when they graduate

To receive this grant, students need to fulfill a service commitment. This means
they are required to work in the region where they studied for a minimum of six
months for every year of study funded by this grant.

For example, if the program of study is four years long, and a student received
the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant for each year that they studied, they must work
in the region for 24 months (two years) after graduation. If a student only
received the grant for three out of the four years of study, then they would only be
required to work in the region for 18 months (one and a half years), and so on.
If students do not fulfill the service commitment, their funding will be converted to
a repayable loan, and treated the same as OSAP loans.

Students can work in any community within the region where they studied. For
example, if a student studied in Timmins, they can work in another community in
northern Ontario. However, they will not be permitted to work in a different region.

All students who are enrolled in one of the select programs are eligible to receive the grant.

Yes. Students will continue to be eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant for
all years of their health care program, regardless of whether the 2024-25 focus
(and beyond) changes. The grant will continue to provide funding to students as
they progress through their studies.

Building up health care capacity in areas where it’s needed the most is an
important part of Ontario’s Plan to Stay Open. The government is working to
ensure that communities across the province have the medical staff needed now
and in the future, to ensure that the people of Ontario can access the health care
they need when they need it, no matter where they live.

To receive the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, you are required fulfill a service commitment. For every year of study funded by this grant, you must work for a minimum of six months in the region you studied.

If you fail to fulfill your service commitment, the funding you received will be converted into a loan that must be repaid.

Recipients of the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant will have a six-month window to
secure employment in their field of study and in the region where they studied
following graduation.

OLSG by Institute

Geographic Boundaries