[Chad]

Want $150 to help pay for textbooks?

Of course you do! And it's possible with the new Textbook and Technology Grant from the government. All full-time domestic students are elligable to receive the grant (this includes out of province students taking classes in Ontario).

Joey Coleman, Macleans, broke the news last week. Check out the details in his article online.

"The $150 grant comes with no strings attached and no requirement for students to provide any documentation to receive the money", says Joey. "In order to receive the grant, students must be receiving student loans from the Ontario government or apply online for the grant".

I suggest you apply asap! The deadline for those who started in September is October 2nd!

[Reno V]

Awesome.

[phlipside101]

thank you so much for posting this, i had no idea about it! after reading this, i applied.. thanks

[fullsmash26]

Chad, thanks for spreading the word.

Everyone, make sure to tell your friends and get them to apply. Do not allow the government to get away with hiding this grant. It's not our fault the government is having a hard time balancing the books and we shouldn't be the ones paying for them to be able to.

[adamg6]

it says that if we applied for osap already, we dont need to apply for this grant, but where on osap's website can i double check that im going to be receiving this grant?

[bauhaual]

You check the same way that you would check the status of your regular OSAP, now instead of clicking on OSAP, you click on the TTG box, then click on 'Check Status'. However it says to check back at the END of September for an update to the status.

[webzn]

Thanks for the tip! Has anyone been rejected for it from here? Or is it pretty much guaranteed?

[Chris L]

It says we have to wait until late September.

[Chad]

You don't need to show financial need to apply. Also if you don't have an OSAP account just click the NEW STUDENT link and fill out the information to get an account, then click the TTF box to apply for the grant.


FAQS From the website:

TTG Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the purpose of the Textbook and Technology Grant Program?
A: This is a new grant to help full-time students at Ontario universities and community colleges with their textbook and technology costs.
Q: Will both used and new textbook purchases be eligible? Will students have to keep receipts?
A: There are no restrictions on where students purchase their textbooks, or whether they purchase new or used textbooks. Students are not required to produce receipts to qualify for this grant.
Q: What if my course load in first term is too low to qualify, but it goes up later in the year?
A: We will continue to check with your postsecondary institution throughout the period of the program for which you applied. If your course load goes up later in the year and you meet the program’s full-time attendance requirement, a grant will be issued to you.
Q: What address will my TTG cheque be sent to?
A: Your cheque will be sent to the mailing address you identified in your application. If that address has changed, it is important that you update it using the OSAP Address Change functionality, to ensure that your cheque is mailed to your current address.
Q: What if I forgot to update my address and my cheque gets lost?
A: Contact the TTG Help Line at 1-877-884-4310 for assistance if your cheque has not arrived by a reasonable time after you are notified that it has been mailed. Generally it should only take about a week for a cheque to get to you after it has been mailed. Your Web Status Updates will tell you what Payment Date your cheque is mailed on.
Q: I forgot my OSAP password and my OSAP access number. How can I access my Web Status Updates for the Textbook and Technology Grant?
A: See the section entitled How to Apply, on the main TTG information page, for links to information on how to get your OSAP password reset.
Q: How quickly will I get my cheque?
A: The Government will generally mail you a cheque within two weeks or less of the date the Ministry gets confirmation from your institution that you are a full-time student attending an approved program. There may be some variations in how quickly postsecondary institutions are able to provide this confirmation to the Ministry.
Q: Do I have to prove that I am in financial need to receive this grant?
A: The eligibility criteria to receive this grant do not require that you demonstrate financial need. If you apply using the TTG online application, you are not asked to fill out any information about your income, or about your parents’ or spouse’s financial resources.
Q: Can I get this grant for postsecondary studies outside of Ontario?
A: No, this grant is only for full-time students at provincially-assisted Ontario universities and community colleges.
Q: I recently moved here from Alberta to study at an Ontario university. Can I still apply for this grant?
A: You can apply for this grant using the TTG on-line application even if you are from another Canadian province, provided that you meet all of the eligibility criteria identified for the grant.
Q: Can I get another grant if I attend a second program later this academic year?
A: You cannot receive more than one Textbook and Technology Grant per OSAP academic year. The 2008-09 OSAP academic year began August 1, 2008 and ends July 31, 2009. Once you receive a grant for a program with a Study Period start date within this time period, you have received your 2008-09 grant.

SOURCE

[fullsmash26]

This is completely free money... you can do anything with it.

$150 buys a lot of beer.

[Chad]

But you're not going to use it on beer

You're going to use it on textbooks and technology

[paulswi]

Thanks for the update.

[Duarch]

LOL omgggggg I was just buying textbooks online (cheaper than buying new at titles) and my total came to about 140... YAYYYYYYYYYY free textbooks!

[MohitB]

THANKS CHAD!! Every extra dollar helps!

[Chad]

No problem. Thanks to Joey for pointing it out for us