Financial Aid Investing In Your Future ______________

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Financial Aid Investing In Your
Future______________
Welcome to the HYPE! Summer Transition
Program July 2-4, 2008
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Purpose of Presentation

• To assist students with disabilities
  transitioning from high school to university
• To inform students of funding options for
  post-secondary education
• Questions and answers will be addressed at the
  end of the presentation

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Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships

• Gilmour Hall, Room 120
• [phone] ext. 24319
• e-mail awards_at_mcmaster.ca or osap_at_mcmaster.ca
• web http//sfas.mcmaster.ca

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Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships

• Administers government and University financial
  aid programs including OSAP, bursaries, work
  programs scholarships
• Offers drop-in counselling regarding financial
  aid and budgeting
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• (9am 1145am 1pm 4pm)
• Responds to student inquiries by phone, in
  person, and through email

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Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships

• Presentation is designed to explain the key areas
  of support provided by
• The Ministry of Training, Colleges and
  Universities (MTCU) - Ontario Student Assistance
  Program (OSAP)
• McMaster University - entrance scholarships,
  bursaries, work programs and our role in OSAP
  processing
• Your community, associations and employers -
  external scholarships and bursaries

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OSAP

• What is OSAP?
• Ontario Student Assistance Program
• Includes integrated Federal and Provincial
  student assistance in the form of loans and
  non-repayable grants
• Intended to ASSIST students to meet the costs of
  post-secondary education
• How do students apply?
• Online at http//osap.gov.on.ca No application
  fee when you apply online and you receive an
  estimate of funding available to you upon
  submission of the application
• Downloadable PDF application form available at
  http//osap.gov.on.ca 10 processing fee applies
  to paper applications

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OSAP

• Deadlines?
• It is recommended that you apply by July 15th to
  meet McMasters online Payment Agreement (PA)
• It is the STUDENTS responsibility to confirm and
  meet all deadlines
• Who is eligible to apply?
• Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and
  Protected Persons in Canada who meet Ontario
  residency requirements
• Students attending full-time in 2008-2009 (60 of
  a full-course load) Students with a permanent
  disability may reduce course load to a minimum of
  40
• We recommend all eligible students apply!

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OSAP Students with a Permanent Disability

• What documentation is required to prove my
  disability status?
• Acceptable proof of disability documentation
  includes
• medical documentation from an appropriate health
  care professional
  or
• a learning disability assessment signed by a
  qualified assessor
• Students may obtain a proof of disability form
  signed by the disability coordinator in Centre
  for Student Development (CSD) to confirm that the
  required documentation is on file in the
  disability services office. The signed proof of
  disability form must be submitted to the Office
  of Student Financial Aid Scholarships

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OSAP

• How much might students expect to receive?
• OSAP considers allowable program costs basic
  living costs, parental income, and student assets
  and income
• Other factors that affect eligibility
• Number of dependents in family
• Number of dependents at a post-secondary
  institution
• 2008-09 maximum OSAP entitlement for a single
  student is 350/week of study (11,550 for a 33
  week fall/winter session)
• Try the new OSAP Access Window funding
  estimator available on-line at http//accesswindow
  .osap.gov.on.ca

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OSAP

• Processing errors documentation required to
  support application
• Responsibility of the STUDENT!
• Forward signature pages and supporting
  documentation to Office of Student Financial Aid
  Scholarships
• Funding not released until all supporting
  documentation is received and processed by the
  Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships

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OSAP

• Entitlement (amount of funding)
• Students may view their entitlement online at
  http//osap.gov.on.ca approximately 2 weeks after
  submitting their application
• Loan Pick-up for McMaster Students
• IN PERSON with identification noted below check
  website
• http//sfas.mcmaster.ca for release dates, times
  and location.
• IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED.
• 1. SIN CARD (a legible photocopy is acceptable)
  or proof of Social Insurance Number
• (e.g. an official Government of Canada document
  that indicates your Social Insurance Number
  such as a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of
  Assessment, a Canada Pension Plan Statement of
  Contributions, or a Confirmation of Social
  Insurance Number from Service Canada)
• AND
• 2. One piece of valid photo ID issued in Canada
  by the federal, a provincial or a territorial
  government (a legible photocopy is acceptable).
• (e.g. valid driver's licence, Canadian
  passport, Canadian Citizenship card, Permanent
  Resident card, provincial health card with photo
  or BYID-formerly age of majority card)
• AND
• 3. MCMASTER STUDENT ID CARD with a valid sticker
  

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OSAP

• Other items to bring to the OSAP pick-up
• A void cheque containing your personal banking
  information (bank , transit and bank account
  )
• Surname and given name on the students proof of
  SIN must be the same surname and given name
  provided on the OSAP application. All
  identification presented MUST be in these same
  names
• You will be required to verify income and program
  of study when picking up your first loan
  certificate and signing your OSAP Confirmation
  of Enrolment

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OSAP

• Accessibility Issues Related to OSAP Pick-up?
• The McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC
  314/315) is accessible by elevator
• If there are accessibility issues relating to
  your disability, please contact the Office of
  Student Financial Aid Scholarships prior to the
  OSAP release to discuss an alternate arrangement
  for picking up your OSAP

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OSAP

• OSAP Appeals
• There is a limited number of OSAP appeals
  available
• If you are not entitled to OSAP or have a low
  entitlement, you may meet with a counsellor in
  the Office of Student Financial Aid
  Scholarships to discuss your options for appeal

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McMaster Entrance Awards

• Automatically granted to Level 1 students
  entering University directly from a Canadian high
  school who have a final admission average to
  program of 80.00 or higher NO SEPARATE
  APPLICATION REQUIRED
• Awards are renewable at the same value for a
  students 2nd year at University based on
  full-time status each year and achievement of an
  80.00 average (9.5 Sessional Average) in first
  year of University (see terms and conditions in
  the Undergraduate Calendar)
• Paid directly to your student account by the
  start of August available for use on the Payment
  Agreement (PA)

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Bursary for Students with Disabilities

• What is BSWD?
• A government bursary program intended to help
  students with permanent disabilities meet the
  exceptional education costs that are related to
  their disability and their attendance at
  post-secondary studies
• Cannot be used for tuition, books, living costs
  or other costs that are already included in the
  OSAP assessment
• Must be used specifically for disability-related
  educational needs
• How do students access BSWD funding?
• Students must FIRST apply and qualify for funding
  through one of the government programs (e.g.
  OSAP or part-time government assistance
  programs)
• Applications must be reviewed and submitted by
  the Centre for Student Development (CSD)
• CSD coordinator will identify the students
  exceptional education-related needs and recommend
  items or services that may assist the student
  with their studies

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Bursary for Students with Disabilities

• Accountability
• The Ministry requires that every dollar of BSWD
  is accounted for with receipts verifying the
  purchase of the item or service that was approved
  by the students disability coordinator
• Students MUST submit receipts to the Office of
  Student Financial Aid Scholarships or the
  Centre for Student Development

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Canada Study Grants for Students with Disabilities

• What is the Canada Access Grant for Students with
  Disabilities (CAG-PD)?
• A federal up-front grant with a maximum value of
  2,000 per academic year
• Grant displaces the first 2000 of federal loan
  funding with non-repayable grant funding for
  eligible students
• How do students access Canada Access Grant for
  Students with Disabilities (CAG-PD) funding?
• Apply for OSAP (or part-time CSL) and self
  identify as a student with a permanent
  disability
• Provide the Office of Student Financial Aid
  Scholarships with acceptable proof of disability

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McMaster Bursary Program

• Bursaries are non-repayable
• Student must submit an online bursary application
  available through MUGSI beginning September 15,
  2008
• Application process deadline dates posted at
  http//sfas.mcmaster.ca
• Student must FIRST apply for OSAP (or
  out-of-province student aid)
• If student is eligible, bursary will be paid
  directly to your student account NOT available
  for use on the Payment Agreement (PA)

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External Scholarships Bursaries

• Many organizations, external to McMaster, provide
  scholarship and bursary funding to students in
  post-secondary studies
• Includes scholarships and bursaries available
  specifically for students with permanent
  disabilities
• Information on post-secondary scholarships
  specifically for students with permanent
  disabilities is available through the Centre for
  Student Development, Disability Services
• More information on external scholarship and
  bursary providers can be found on our website
• http//sfas.mcmaster.ca/search/

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McMaster Work Programs

• Average 10 hrs per week during the study period
  full-time employment available in the summer for
  on-campus jobs
• Based on financial need
• Applications available each academic year on
  MUGSI as follows Fall/Winter starting August
  1st Summer starting March 1st
• Jobs posted in OSCAR on the Career Services
  website at http//careers.mcmaster.ca

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Thanks For Your Participation!

• Questions Answers

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Contact Us

• McMaster University
• Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships
• 1280 Main Street West
• Gilmour Hall, Room 120
• Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8
• [phone] ext. 24319
• E-mail awards_at_mcmaster.ca or osap_at_mcmaster.ca
• Web http//sfas.mcmaster.ca