The 2026 OSAP changes, without the myths
For programs starting on or after August 1, 2026, three separate things changed. They're often mashed together into a wrong "10% loan" story — here's what's verified.
1. Ontario public colleges & universities
Students may receive no more than 25% of the provincial OSAP portion as grants — the rest may be loans. Individual assessments vary; your own OSAP assessment is the only number that counts.
2. Ontario career colleges
The provincial OSAP portion is delivered entirely as loans. Federal grants are a separate question (see #3).
3. Federal grants at private for-profit schools
Most full-time students at private for-profit schools lose the federal Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students — unless a 2026-27 exemption or transition applies. Identified exempt fields include practical/registered/psychiatric nursing, dental hygiene, early childhood education and primary/advanced-care paramedic programs — but the exact institution, program and designation must be verified.
What it is NOT
- Not a universal "10% loan" or "10% no-interest loan".
- Not a replacement program — no such product is verified.
- Not a reason to skip applying: assessments are individual, and federal aid still applies in many cases.
Sources: Ontario news release and ontario.ca/OSAP (verified 2026-08-28).