As someone on OSAP and someone who's had to convince the Financial Aid and Scholarships office that I needed their help desperately I suggest yes, try whatever means that you can.

Call or email the Financial Aid Office and ask them what your options are. There may be nothing that they can do but they can also give you other options. Like Lorend mentioned before there are other bursaries and scholarships that are available to you. I am technically an independent student by special circumstances, which means I don't need my parents financial information in order to apply for OSAP even though I don't qualify as 'independent' in the eyes of OSAP (ie: a mother, married, or out of school for 4 years or longer) so there are ways to bend the rules in some cases. I can't promise that they will be able to do something but if you can prove that your parents, despite their incomes, cannot afford to pay your fees then you might have a winning shot and that's always worth a try!

However!
If your parents simply refuse to give you funding... I doubt there would be anything that the financial aid office can do, but nonetheless a little information never hurts.

Unfortunately if you're not on OSAP you can't apply to most bursaries through Mac. I've tried every year and nada.

that really sucks..... the only other way is.. to work and make the money yourself.. :(

Ohhh indeed. I worked part-time 2.5 jobs from March til the end of April, I'm working full-time now until the Wednesday of Welcome Week, and then back to two part-time jobs until the end of October.

that's tough.. where do you work? i hope that at least its more enjoyable work so you have some fun while you are earning some money. must be hard to be at school and working the same time..

Compass (previously as a Customer Service Rep, now Internal Coordinator) and for the FYEO.

does anyone know if there is any scholarships/bursaries for out of province students? ahha just hoping...

Off-hand, no. But you can look on the SFAS website: http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/

And you may be able to get things from your specific province/territory because you are coming from elsewhere....so I'd check that out.

Hi if i do a gr 12 course in summer school this July and it is high enough to boost my avg for the next entrance award level, will it be included? Thanks

I'm not entirely positive, but I don't think so.

I believe you are offered the scholarship based on your final marks that confirm your admission, and not from any subsequent courses. Again, I suggest contacting Financial Services.

Have all of the entrance scholarship letters gone out yet? because I have an 84% average and I havent gotten anything. I'm going into social scienece

I'm not sure if letters are sent out, but the money should appear in your account when you go to confirm your payment agreement after picking courses on SOLAR. It will be a funding option and you can thus apply the scholarship money to your tuition costs.

Since you have an 84% average you get $750 annually for your first two years (thus $1500 in total)

http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/entrance.html

IF you keep the average that you need.

I was wondering....If I manage to make the 90% range in high school, ill get 2000$ first year. However, if I dont make the second highest tier (whatever the university equivalent of the 90% range) after first year, will I simply drop down to getting 1000$ second year, or would I get $0 because I got admitted being within the 90% range?

I believe you need to get a 10 average (so 80-84) to maintain the scholarship. Anything below that and you get nothing.