I got OSAP last year and it wasn't nearly enough to cover tuition and living expenses. Now I have almost $5000 left over in tuition from the 2013-2014 year. I thought I would be able to get a job over the summer to pay it off but it is impossible to get a job. Is there anyway to get OSAP again so I can pay that off and take courses next year?

Originally Posted by jrol

I got OSAP last year and it wasn't nearly enough to cover tuition and living expenses. Now I have almost $5000 left over in tuition from the 2013-2014 year. I thought I would be able to get a job over the summer to pay it off but it is impossible to get a job. Is there anyway to get OSAP again so I can pay that off and take courses next year?

Take out a loan/line of credit. Good luck

OSAP only gives enough for tuition if you declare yourself independent or have a family who is below the poverty line.

OSAP is not financial assistance for those who need it. It is welfare.

A loan may be your only alternative. Try calling osap first and seeing what can be done.

Sounds like you will need to take out a loan/line of credit which is what everyone is suggesting. I took one out in second year and have relied on it for the remainder of my education.

You probably should have been looking for a part-time job during the school year too, rather than waiting until the summer. Even something at a fast-food restaurant would help. Were you even able to see your grades or register for classes next year?

A line of credit is an option but it's not an ideal one - any sort of job would be better. It doesn't even have to be a fast-food restaurant. The bookstore usually does hiring in February, you could have looked into that - they hire a bajillion people for the September rush, and some are asked to stay on during the year. You could have applied to Work-Study as well, though that's no guarantee of a job - you still should apply to it for this coming year.

I have a line of credit because my tuition is >$16k/year, with living expenses on top of it, and I couldn't dream of earning that money even with working during the summer and part-time during the school year. Interest alone is over $70/month. It's not like OSAP where the interest is deferred, I'm just allowed to "borrow" the interest payments from my line of credit as well, which of course puts me more and more in debt. It's not a good situation to be in, and only one I'd recommend if you're also working - so that you can limit the amount you borrow, and also pay off at least the interest each month.

Calling OSAP isn't going to do anything; they calculate your expenses and costs assuming that you spend the summer working, and at this point it's a bit late to appeal last year's loan. You can talk to SFAS and see if there are any other options, though.

I started looking in February, applied to dozens of places and got two interviews. I haven't been able to see my grades or register. Which is BS, at least let me know my grades.

I can't get a line of credit. They won't give them to people who aren't working and I don't have anyone to co-sign.

So I'm basically screwed and done with university.

Have you tried applying for OSAP this year? I'm sure the whole situation isn't just black and white there's always a gray area. Don't give up on school all together. Try calling the school speaking to someone who deals with fees, explain your situation and see if there's any way you can have those payments differed for a few months or so, talk to the financial aid office, see if there's any way you can get osap this year. Try talking to everyone who can possibly help.

Loans and lines of credit aren't going to work if you're unemployed, and it is really hard for young people to find jobs these days.

Originally Posted by jrol

I started looking in February, applied to dozens of places and got two interviews. I haven't been able to see my grades or register. Which is BS, at least let me know my grades.

I can't get a line of credit. They won't give them to people who aren't working and I don't have anyone to co-sign.

So I'm basically screwed and done with university.

Been there. It's rough, but not impossible. Take a semester off, a year if you have to. It's easy to get a retail gig Sept-January, and you'll probably get lots of hours. Or try for a serving job somewhere where you'll get decent tips (hint: not around the Mac ghetto, lol). It's not wise to get deeper into debt before you've at least found a way out of this one. Good luck!

Originally Posted by jrol

I started looking in February, applied to dozens of places and got two interviews. I haven't been able to see my grades or register. Which is BS, at least let me know my grades.

I can't get a line of credit. They won't give them to people who aren't working and I don't have anyone to co-sign.

So I'm basically screwed and done with university.

Like I said before, talk to SFAS. They might be able to do something. I know there's an emergency fund for unexpected situations - though this is not something unexpected since you've known for about ten months, so I'm not sure it qualifies, but it can't hurt to ask. At this point, you're likely still being charged interest on that $5000, and it's not like withdrawing will make that debt go away. You still need to do something about that even if you do take time off to work, so you should talk to them before you make any decisions.

Edit: I just realized that your original question was about getting OSAP again for this coming year, and it hasn't really been answered. Basically, if you're not registered as a student, you aren't eligible for any more OSAP, and you'll enter your grace period and then you have to begin paying off the OSAP. And if you don't pay off the school, then you can't register - though SFAS might be able to help with this. Again, talk to them! Go in person/make an appt.

I'm in the same position as you currently, about the same amount of debt to the school too, actually. Except, the difference between you and I is that I've worked full-time throughout undergrad and am still in this situation. It happens, don't beat yourself up. You're likely going to have to take some time off to work in order to pay it down.