Bursaries and Grants for Post-Secondary Students in Ontario with Red Blood Cell Disorders

This article explores bursaries and grants available through the Governments of Ontario and Canada for people with Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, and other Red Blood Cell Disorders. These are supports available at time of publication. Please be aware that they can change at any time. You may qualify for additional grants, bursaries, and scholarships.

What Government Bursaries and Grants available?

Bursary or Grant	How much can I get?
Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities	Up to $2,000 per year
Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities	Up to $2,800 per year.
Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities	Up to $20,000 per year

How do I qualify?

• You self-identify as having a permanent disability

• You have financial need (for example, you are eligible for the Ontario Student Assistance Program)
  
  

How do I apply?

1. Download the OSAP Disability Verification Form (2023/2024 form available here)
   
   

2. Complete student information and consent pages
   
   

3. Submit this form to your care team for help with completion. Your Transition Navigator or Social Worker can help!
   
   TIP: If you are a UHN RBCD patient, you can request this through myUHN!
   
   

4. Submit the completed OSAP Disability Verification Form:
   
   A) If you going to a public college or university in Ontario, log into the OSAP website and use “Print or upload documents” feature to upload the form
   
   B) If you are going to a private college or university in Ontario, send the form to your school’s financial aid office
   
   C) If you are going to a school outside of Ontario, send the form to the ministry at: Student Financial Assistance Branch, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, PO Box 4500, 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6G
   
   

5. Your school’s Financial Aid or Accessibility Offices and/or the Ministry of Colleges and Universities will guide you on the next steps
   
   

Who do I contact for more information?

• Your school’s Financial Aid Office,

• Your school’s Accessibility Office, or

• The Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Student Financial Assistance Branch
  
  

I have additional needs. What other supports are available?

The Government of Ontario supports students who are under-represented in post-secondary education. These include:

• Indigenous students

• Students who are current and former individuals in Extended Society Care

• First Generation Students

• Students who are Deaf or hard of hearing

• Students who are receiving Ontario Disability Support Program or Ontario Works

If any of the above apply, check out the Government of Ontario’s page on available supports

@jeshoots

Learn More

• Check out the blog post, Navigating Post-Secondary Education: Getting Registered with Accessibility Offices!

• Read the blog post, Reflections from an Accessibility Counsellor living with Thalassemia

• Browse the blog post, Post-Secondary Accessibility Services for Students with Red Blood Cell Disorders
  

About the Author

Sinthu Srikanthan is a social worker in the Red Blood Cell Disorders Clinic at UHN. She is passionate about Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive practice.

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