By Emma Hyde
New and returning students seeking financial aid from OSAP will find a change in the application process next September.
Students applying for OSAP for the first time will begin to file what are called “signature pages” or “consent forms” by scanning the forms, along with any additional documentation, and sending them directly to the OSAP Ministry rather than filing them through the school. Returning students going through the application process will no longer be required to fill out the signature pages, unless they are changing schools or marital status.
“There are changes coming to OSAP through method delivery,” said Linda Fielding, manager at Financial Aid. “I think these are awesome changes that will really help the students.”
The new system was a pilot project this year for out-of-country students.
The purpose of the change is to simplify the application process and move to a more web-based system.
Currently, the process requires students to go online and print out their signature forms. After filling them out and pairing them with other documentation, they would bring the forms to the Financial Aid service at their school.
The changes were initially brought up during a meeting regarding Financial Aid in the fall. There was discussion regarding the possibility of more changes to come, according to Fielding. The changes are being made in an attempt to keep up with the way other provinces are managing their own Financial Aid.