Talking to the financial aid office

“Hi, I'm a first-year student and I'm the first in my family to go to college or university. Can you help me check my aid?”

1. Is anything missing from my file?
2. Do you have bursaries or emergency help I can apply for?
3. My family's situation changed. Is a funding review possible (OSAP), or can I ask for an aid adjustment (FAFSA)?
4. What happens to my aid if I drop a course?
5. When will my aid arrive, and what do I do if it's late?
6. Who do I talk to if I have more questions?

If your situation changed, you can ask OSAP to look at your funding again. This is called a funding review.

You can ask for one if you face unexpected money problems, you're unable to make your expected contributions, you have unusual parental circumstances, you have declared bankruptcy, or you are struggling academically for reasons beyond your control.

Start with your financial aid office. They tell you whether a funding review is possible, which documents you need, and whether there is a review form.

Watch the timing. Your review request must reach your financial aid office no later than 40 days before the end of your study period. (Micro-credentials: no later than 5 days after it ends.) Your study period is set for you, so ask the office for your date.

A review doesn't promise more money. The office will tell you what's possible.Source:Ontario, request a funding review (opens in a new tab)

Ask about school money too. Ask your college or university about its own bursaries, scholarships and work-study, which you don't have to pay back. Most schools also offer emergency loans, for example while you wait for OSAP to arrive, so start with your financial aid office to see what's available.Source:Ontario, loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries (opens in a new tab)

Find your office. OSAP keeps a list of financial aid offices.Source:OSAP, list of financial aid offices (opens in a new tab)

Studying outside Ontario? Each province has its own steps. Start with our guide for your province:

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick

If your family's finances aren't reflected accurately on the FAFSA because of special financial circumstances, contact your school's financial aid office and ask for an aid adjustment.

The school reviews the request under its own policy (called "professional judgment"), and its decision is final and can't be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.

"Unusual circumstances" are a different process. That's for a dependent student who can't contact a parent, or for whom contact would be risky.Source:StudentAid.gov, what if my financial aid isn't enough? (opens in a new tab)

Federal aid rules are changing. Check StudentAid.gov for the latest.

Ask the office what they need before you go. The school may ask for documents, such as statements from you or a parent, statements from school staff, court or legal documents, or an interview with an aid administrator.Source:StudentAid.gov, what if my financial aid isn't enough? (opens in a new tab)

Also bring:

• your student ID and your aid letter or account screenshot;
• your list of questions;
• something to write with.