Never a loan

An Indigenous woman who had received Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) grant funding contacted us when she learned the funds had been converted into a loan. She told us she suspected that OSAP had incorrectly assessed the income of her First Nations mother, which should have been assessed as tax-exempt on-reserve income.

RESULT: We escalated the case to staff at the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, who confirmed that the mother’s income had indeed been incorrectly assessed. OSAP updated its records and sent the relevant information to the National Student Loans Service Centre to reverse the $6,267 loans back to a grant. The woman was thrilled and thanked us for our help.