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The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) is a student financial aid program which started in the 2023-24 academic year. It is a key component of Ontario’s , announced in March 2022, which includes a number of measures to recruit more doctors, nurses, and personal support workers to the province’s health system and included    an investment of $142 million to launch the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.

The grant will support postsecondary students enrolled in targeted priority programs in underserved communities by providing upfront non-repayable funding for tuition, books, and other direct educational costs, in exchange for committing to serve in these communities after graduation.
 

The grant will cover the full costs of tuition, compulsory fees, books, and other direct educational costs (e.g. supplies, equipment) of specific programs identified by the ministry.
 

The exact funding for eligible students will vary depending on the program and institution. However, the grant funding will cover all direct educational costs of the identified program, including tuition and books.
 

Applications for the grant will open in the spring of each eligible year.
 

In the 2026-27 academic year, the grant will continue to support specific human health resources programs, including:

• Nursing programs in Northern, Eastern and Southwestern Ontario;
• Medical laboratory technologist programs in Northern and Southwestern Ontario; and
• Paramedic programs in Northern Ontario.

For a full  list of eligible programs, . 
 

As the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant is a key component of Ontario’s A Plan to Stay Open, which includes measures to enhance the province’s health system, human health resources programs were identified as the top priority for the first year of the grant.

Working closely with other ministries, including the Ministry of Health, the specific human health resources programs of study for the 2023-24 academic year were determined as the programs and regions of the province that have the greatest need to target in the first year.

In future years, other programs and communities may be included, as the ministry will go through a program selection process each year based on regional needs and government priorities.
 

To be eligible for the grant, you must:

• successfully apply to and enrol in   the first, second,    third , or fourth year of an   
• be an Ontario resident be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
• commit to working in the same region where you studied after you graduate
• not be receiving funding from any of the following government programs:

Students who started their studies in the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 academic years and are proceeding through 2026-27, as well as first-year students who are starting in the 2026-27 academic year, will be eligible to apply for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant.
 

Learn and Stay is an Ontario grant and will have its own eligibility requirements. However, in certain circumstances (e.g., if students withdraw from their studies or do not meet the service requirement after graduation), the grant will be converted to an Ontario Student Loan and will be administered as part of the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan.
 

Learn and Stay is an entitlement program and there will be no cap on the number of students who can apply each year.

OLSG is open to eligible students who enrol in the first year of an   eligible program for September 2026. Students who started their studies in  2023–2024,    2024–2025, and 2025-26 academic years are eligible for the grant    in subsequent years.

Note:  If you received funding in your first year or second year, you must    apply for the grant each following year to continue receiving it. If you do not apply for the grant in subsequent years, you must confirm your enrolment in an eligible program to prevent your grant from being converted to a repayable loan. To do this you should complete the form   .
 

Scholarships awarded by institutions will not have an impact on either the student’s eligibility or their amount of the Learn and Stay Grant.
 

Yes, the grant will be available to students who choose to enroll in spring/summer courses, provided they maintain full-time status during spring/summer (60% of a full-time course load or 40% for students with disabilities).
 

You must 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.   

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.
 

The service requirement will be prorated to reflect the course load that students took. For example, 60 per cent of a full course load in a year would result in a minimum service requirement of 108 days (i.e.    60 percent of 180 days).
 

The ministry is working with the Ministry of Health to determine the conditions for graduates to fulfil their service requirement. These details will be identified in the service agreement that students will need to sign with their application to the grant. 
 

Students have up to six months following their graduation to find an acceptable role that fulfils their service commitment. If they are unable to fulfil their service commitment, their grant will be converted to an Ontario Student Loan, which will need to be paid back to the ministry.
 

Upon completion of their studies, students will have six months to secure employment in the region in which they studied. Details on the service requirements, including service location, will be provided in the service agreement that students would need to sign before they receive grant funding.

The ministry may build some flexibility in the service agreement to allow students to work in another region covered by the grant if it is determined that the other region has sufficient labour market need. The service agreement will provide further details on this process.
 

Students who apply for the grant can also apply for OSAP if they need more support with costs not covered by the grant, such as living expenses.
 

While Learn and Stay Grant is separate from OSAP and will be promoted distinctly to avoid confusion, it will be housed on OSAP platforms, avoiding the need to create new infrastructure. This includes using the existing OSAP service provider to manage the disbursement of the grant, service commitment compliance, and grant to loan conversion; administering client profiles and accounts using OSAP systems; and using established OSAP rules where possible.

The Learn and Stay Grant application will provide applicants with the option to apply for OSAP, if they need support with the costs that are not covered by Learn and Stay, such as living expenses and childcare.

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

In designing the Learn and Stay Grant, the ministry plans to use established OSAP rules as much as possible. We expect the Confirmation of Enrollment to mirror the process used with full-time OSAP. 
 

If students change their mind after starting their program with Learn and Stay funding, they have the option to apply for full-time OSAP to be considered for funding for any remaining years of their studies. However, grant funding they received from Learn and Stay will be converted to a loan, which they will be required to pay back to the ministry.
 

The Learn and Stay Grant has no impact on OSAP for micro-credentials. Recipients of the Learn and Stay Grant can still apply for OSAP for micro-credentials funding if they are enrolled in an eligible micro-credential program.
 

The ministry has worked closely with other ministries and partners to select these programs based on evidence that indicates a need for them. The ministry will continue to monitor enrollment trends to inform future direction.
 

Refer to the . Funding for 2026-27 has been confirmed with institutions, but may not yet reflect this update on the ministry site.

OLSG applications open in the spring, and once open can be found on the Ontario website or please connect with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½.
 

OLSG has been confirmed it will continue for the 2026-27 academic year. However, programs and institutions eligible for the grant might change in future years, depending on identified labour market needs, which will be determined on a yearly basis.