What changed

For study periods starting on or after August 1, 2026, the provincial part of OSAP is capped at 25% grant. Until 2025-26 it could be up to 85% grant for lower-income families. The federal part of the package, about 60% of a typical OSAP award, is unchanged: the Canada Student Grant is still a grant. Your overall OSAP amount is not expected to fall; what changes is how much of it you have to pay back.

From the Ontario budget framework of February 2026 and university financial-aid notices. Final 2026-27 OSAP amounts are published each spring; the estimator at ontario.ca/osap shows your own figure.

What it means in dollars

Take an Ontario college student from a family earning about $60,000 who used to get most of a $4,500 tuition bill covered by grants. Under the old split, a $6,000 provincial award could be $5,100 grant and $900 loan. Under the new split the same $6,000 is at most $1,500 grant and at least $4,500 loan. Over a two-year diploma that is roughly $7,000 more debt; over a four-year degree, $14,000 or more. The debt figures on this site (about $16,700 for a college graduate, $30,600 for a bachelor's) are from the class of 2020 and will understate what 2026 borrowers carry.

What to do about it

• Run the estimator now, before applying anywhere. Ten minutes at ontario.ca/osap. Then run it again with a two-year diploma instead of a four-year degree and look at the difference.
• Grants that are still grants: the Canada Student Grant (federal, up to $4,200 a year for full-time students from lower-income families), Ontario Learn and Stay (full tuition and books for nursing, paramedic and medical lab students who commit to work in a designated community), institution bursaries, and the apprenticeship route, where Ontario now pays your Level 1 classroom fees.
• Cut the years, not the ambition. A college diploma with a transfer agreement into a degree, or a trade ticket first, both land in the same place with less borrowed.
• Count living costs. Rent is bigger than tuition in most Ontario cities. Living at home for the first two years is worth more than any grant.

What is not changing

Eligibility rules, the six-month interest-free period after you finish, the Repayment Assistance Plan for low incomes, and the federal loan interest rate (zero on the federal portion since 2023). The federal Canada Student Grant is not affected by Ontario's change.

Quick answers

Is OSAP still giving grants in 2026?

Yes, but less. From August 1, 2026 the provincial portion is at most 25% grant and at least 75% loan, down from up to 85% grant. The federal Canada Student Grant is unchanged.

Will I get less OSAP money?

The total award is not expected to fall. More of it arrives as a loan you repay, rather than a grant you keep.

Does the OSAP change affect college students?

Yes, the same cap applies to public college and university students. Students at private career colleges now get loans only.

How do I find out my own OSAP amount?

Use the estimator at ontario.ca/osap. It takes about ten minutes and asks for family income, program and whether you live at home.

Are there still ways to study with no debt?

Apprenticeships (paid from month one, Level 1 classroom fees waived from 2026), Ontario Learn and Stay for nursing, paramedic and medical lab, the Canadian Armed Forces paid training route, and Quebec cégep for Quebec residents.

Figures are medians and typical costs from Job Bank, Statistics Canada, provincial wage surveys and institution fee pages, verified in 2026; the data page lists every source. Your own numbers will differ by employer, region and overtime.