If I get a job during the semester am I supposed to tell OSAP about it? Because when I filled out my application over the summer I didn't plan on working during the school year. I will only be working about 10-16 hours a week, maybe a little more. Will it affect how much money I get next year if I don't inform them?

Yeah, if you're making more than $50 bucks a week your osap is reduced. And if you don't tell them, when they check your income later they probably will only give you very little for next year.

How do they check your income?

OSAP is need-based.

If you are working your need isn't as high, according to them.

Originally Posted by Katia

How do they check your income?

I believe when you apply you give them permission to access your income tax information.

OSAP is so corrupted, lol.

Starting with their need to know your parents financial situation, as if all student rely on their parents, or even talk to their parents? Secondly, their idea that a car is a source of income, and if you own one, you don't get any OSAP. What about people with children, or people who don't live places accessible by bus, a car is pretty vital, and it's just dumb that they expect students to sell their cars. Finally, their idea that if we work during the school year, we get very little OSAP money. People have bills, rent, phone, food, clothing, utilities.

For example, last year OSAP gave me $10k. After tuition, I got just over $5k in my account. How is $5k going to support me for 8 months? LOL, their ideas and expectations are so corrupted. Of course i'd need to get a job. $5k will cover my rent, and that's all. I still need books, food, transportation costs, monthly bills like phone, utilities, etc.

It amazes me how OSAP expects us to survive without working. Not everyone gets hand-outs from mom & dad.

OSAP is a money-making venture on behalf of the government. I fail to see how no one else recognizes this.

lol Lorend is so right.

OSAP is a legal scam, to say the least.

Someone please explain to me how OSAP can justify giving you next to nothing next year, if you had a part-time job during school last year.

Prime example:

Last year my friend got $10k from OSAP, for the 8 month year. Half went into her account for rent, books, food, etc. Rent was $500/month = $4000.

That means, she's left with $1000 food, books, bills, etc.

Her books cost $1400. Now she's negative $400.

OBVIOUSLY SHE HAS TO GET A PART-TIME JOB to eat and pay some bills during the school year. Makes about $500/month part-time to cover food, phone bills, utilities like internet, etc, clothing here and there.

Next OSAP application year rolls around & oh guess what, you get nothing because you had a part-time job last year and you should have $4000 saved up since you made $500/month working. When clearly that $500/month went to pay the bills and buy food that OSAP didn't cover.

LOL how stupid is that? please, someone justify that.

Corruption.

Originally Posted by Harlequin

If I get a job during the semester am I supposed to tell OSAP about it? Because when I filled out my application over the summer I didn't plan on working during the school year. I will only be working about 10-16 hours a week, maybe a little more. Will it affect how much money I get next year if I don't inform them?

everyone's getting ahead of themselves in this OSAP bashing (not to say that I'm for how they disproportionally affect your entitlement when you work during the school year)

OSAP assumes you make roughly $4600 during your summer period, and so any income less than that will not affect your OSAP entitlement. This $50/week thing is for during the school year (september-april).

and $50/week during the school year is supposed to mean we can't get OSAP next year?

$50/week = $200/month. That doesn't even cover food & a phone bill. Nevermind my books, supplies, GO train rides home, etc.

Where does OSAP get off denying people funding because they made $200/month.

OSAP = CORRUPTION, I can't say that enough.

it doesn't mean you don't get OSAP next year. OSAP assumes financial responsibility to a a ridiculous extent in a way. If you tell OSAP in advance of recieving your money, they'll remove the equivalent of $50/week from your total entitlement. If you don't tell them (either intentionally or cause it was last minute), than OSAP assumes you used that $50/week, and thus had excess money in which you ideally saved. If the effect is unreal and you seriously don't have money to eat, you're always able to go have a sit down meeting with a financial advisor in SFAS to whom you may appeal your case and prove that you needed the job last year, etc...

Of course you can appeal. Although I'm getting a loan without too much hassle, I'm not going to complain. I only have 1k to freely spend the 8 months on food and stuff. I'm sure others can make due as well.

From what I know though, people have had their osap entitlement greatly reduced only from the $50 bucks a week thing too.

Originally Posted by Greco

lol Lorend is so right.

OSAP is a legal scam, to say the least.

Someone please explain to me how OSAP can justify giving you next to nothing next year, if you had a part-time job during school last year.

Prime example:

Last year my friend got $10k from OSAP, for the 8 month year. Half went into her account for rent, books, food, etc. Rent was $500/month = $4000.

That means, she's left with $1000 food, books, bills, etc.

Her books cost $1400. Now she's negative $400.

OBVIOUSLY SHE HAS TO GET A PART-TIME JOB to eat and pay some bills during the school year. Makes about $500/month part-time to cover food, phone bills, utilities like internet, etc, clothing here and there.

Next OSAP application year rolls around & oh guess what, you get nothing because you had a part-time job last year and you should have $4000 saved up since you made $500/month working. When clearly that $500/month went to pay the bills and buy food that OSAP didn't cover.

LOL how stupid is that? please, someone justify that.

Corruption.

While that sucks for your friend, I'm pretty sure that isn't what corruption means...

OSAP is also not claiming to offer anything more than assistance, and $10K a year of assistance is a very sweet deal as is. There are a lot of people who couldn't qualify for OSAP who would gladly take that. I lived on roughly that amount for first year without problems.

All i'm saying is OSAP shouldn't have a lot of the policies they have. I mean, we have to pay this back WITH interest anyways, it's not like it's free money. When you go get a student loan from the bank or any loan they don't ask you to sell your car, ask how much your parents make, or tell you if you have a job you can't get a loan. Regardless it's us who are paying back the loan, all that shouldn't matter. OSAP thinks any income is supposed to be saved, to pay for school, as if people don't have bills and other responsibilities, lol. Right.

Anyways, nothing we can do about it.

So I worked for about two months from August to October, getting about 11 bucks an hour for... 12 hours a week. My OSAP was reduced in January, but not by much at all and it was still worth it to work. If you're working more money, and longer however, it might not be as worth it. If you work during the summer too, same deal.