U of G’s Guarantee to an Accessible University Education

The University of Guelph is guided by its fundamental principle that all qualified individuals should be able to attend university regardless of their financial status.

The University has partnered with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to support access to post-secondary education for domestic students, through the Student Access Guarantee. The principles of the guarantee include the following:

  • a partnership with government aid programs and students
  • giving students in financial need access to the resources they require for their tuition, books and mandatory fees

Students who are experiencing financial challenges should apply for financial assistance by completing the University of Guelph's Financial Need Assessment form. We are proud of the innovative financial aid programs offered here; they are specifically designed to ensure an accessible education for students. These programs include scholarships, bursaries, travel grants, Work Study and Undergraduate Research Assistantships. We encourage students to seek out these programs and apply. All students who wish to apply to U of G financial aid programs are expected to have a complete and error-free Canadian government assistance application on file from their home province or territory (e.g., OSAP, StudentAidBC, etc.). Students must also be in good standing with their Canadian provincial/territorial student aid program and have no government funding restrictions.

Consult this list of important dates and review the instructions for paying your tuition and fees. When you select your courses, you are considered registered and financially responsible for your student financial account. Please review the student statement of financial responsibility.

 

Applying for Government Assistance

All domestic undergraduate students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada) are encouraged to submit an application to their province’s or territory’s student assistance program.

For Ontario students, you can apply for government assistance through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). We recommend that you fully complete your OSAP application at least 6-8 weeks prior to the start of the upcoming study period. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to apply for OSAP. Applying for OSAP as early as possible will ensure that you are aware of your financial responsibilities in advance of your first semester. The OSAP Aid Estimator tool on the OSAP website will give you an idea of your available funding for the academic year.

From the OSAP website, you will be able to monitor the progress and status of your application. You should check your OSAP account regularly to confirm that your required documents have been submitted correctly and that your funding will arrive in time for the start of the semester.

Do not report U of G scholarships or bursaries placed on your student account when completing the OSAP application. The University will do this for you so that we can minimize the impact of our awards to your OSAP funding. Please be aware that the amount of OSAP funding may change when awards are reported; if you find yourself in this situation and want a better understanding of your new OSAP assessment, make sure you reach out and contact our office.

 

Out-of-province students: Read more about out-of-province government assistance programs.

Students from the United States: Read more about U.S. student loan options.

International students: Read more about financial aid programs for international students.