Student Awards & Financial Aid Office University of Windsor

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1 Student Awards & Financial Aid Office University of Windsor BURSARY/GRANT AND LOAN OVERAWARDS AND ELIGIBILITY When a student has negotiated loans that are at minimum $500 greater than his/her OSAP entitlement in two or more academic years, he or she is ineligible for further funding until the repayable overpayment(s) is paid in full, or repayment of the overaward is waived for one or more years due to financial hardship. Beginning in , the minimum amount of all repayable and non repayable loan overawards was increased from $250 to $500. The change has been applied retroactively in the OSAP system back only to This means that loan overawards issued from and subsequent years will be included on a Statement of Loan Overpayment only if the amount is $500 or more. Loan overawards between $250 and $499 that were issued prior to will still be reflected as repayable on a Statement of Loan Overpayment and in a student s file. 1. Loan Overawards Between $250 and $500 If one or more of the repayable loan overawards on a student s file from to is between $250 and $499, the overaward may be waived for the purposes of determining OSAP eligibility. [email protected] to request a review of the loan overpayment amount. 2. Repayment in Full The student is required to repay all outstanding loan overawards in full (with the exception of the loan overpayment relating to the first overaward) to the financial institution and/or the NSLSC currently holding the student loan(s). OSAP entitlements are updated for a number of reasons once the academic year has ended. The amount of loan overpayment may increase or decrease as information changes. The amount of loan overpayment owing by the student will reflect current information on file. Therefore, if a prior payment(s) is less than the current balance owing, the student is ineligible until the loan overpayment has been addressed in full. The student must provide a copy of the receipt from the financial institution and/or NSLSC showing the date and amount of payment to the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office. Note: The NSLSC now provides the capacity for students to print their own receipt by going to the NSLSC on line services through the CanLearn site at nslsc.cibletudescanlearn.ca/eng/default.aspx. 1

2 3. Hardship Review for Loan Overaward from Prior Year A student may request to have their prior year s loan overpayment(s) waived in the current year so that the student can apply for funding if the loan overpayment was due to exceptional circumstances (see details below) and if repayment of the overpayment would involve financial hardship. Note: Students who have one or more loan overawards generated through the student income verification process (both payable and non payable) may be considered for a hardship review, except where the student has an IVS restriction (Code 67). Consistent with a standard hardship review, students are required to demonstrate that the loan overpayment was due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control (see details below) and repayment of the overpayment would involve financial hardship. Typically, repayment of a loan overpayment can be waived for only one year due to hardship. If a student is requesting a hardship review to begin a subsequent program, the request will be forwarded to the review to the ministry. In conducting a hardship review, consideration will be given to the following factors: the student s ability to repay the loan overpayment; and whether circumstances outside the student s control contributed to the overawards. For example: student s course load was reduced in year for medical reasons; student withdrew from one or more courses due to a sick child; student was involved in a family crisis that led to the withdrawal or reduction in course load; the student s parent(s) underreported parental income and after income verification student was put in an overpayment situation; as a result of income verification, it was determined that the student s spouse under reported their income on the student s OSAP application. as a result of income verification, it was determined that the student under reported his or her income on their OSAP application form and the student forgot or failed to report a change in income due to an exceptional circumstance beyond their control during the study period, such as an illness, accident, trauma, or recurring/flare up of disability related symptoms or an illness or crisis in the family. The student is required to provide the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office with a letter of explanation and any relevant supporting documentation to support their case. 2

3 4. Hardship Review for New Program Where a student is requesting a hardship review to begin a new program (e.g., a program starting after the date the restriction was placed on the student s file), the student s request will be sent to the Ministry for review only if: the loan overpayment was due to exceptional circumstances beyond the student s control (see examples above); repayment of the overpayment would involve financial hardship; and there is a clear educational link between the previous program and the new program. Examples may include: Student completes an undergraduate degree program and is accepted into a teacher education program; Student completes undergraduate degree program and is accepted into graduate studies; Student completes a one or two year program and is accepted into second program where the initial program is considered a prerequisite for the new program or provides advanced level of training (e.g., Computer Systems Technician prepares a student for entry into an Information Security Management Graduate Certificate program); Student is accepted into a specialty or major that requires advanced standing (e.g., Bachelor of Social Work where entry is third year). If a student is requesting to start a new program without completing a previous program, the student would be required to provide additional justification for switching programs. Student must provide a letter of explanation (Note: the student s letter must include his/her most recent program taken at the postsecondary level; based on the last OSAP application or CIFS); and Relevant supporting documentation which would support the explanation provided by the student (e.g., medical documentation). 5. Removing Loan Overawards When Loans Paid in Full When a student has repaid all previous loans in full, loan overawards may be removed from the student s file. Note: If the student only had one overpayment, this review cannot be considered. Proof that the loans have been paid in full, either from the National Student Loan Service Centre or from the financial institution, if the student had bank held loans. 3

4 Proof that the loan (provincial/federal or both) have been paid in full while in collection either from the Ontario PCA or CMU for provincial loans and/or CRA/ESDC for CSLP. A Conditional letter (i.e., payment subject to audit) is not acceptable. 8. Hardship Review for In Year Loan Overpayments A student who has withdrawn from full time studies due to circumstances beyond his or her control and is able to return to full time studies later in the academic year may request to be assessed for the purposes of OSAP funding as though the withdrawal had never occurred. Successful reviews will ensure that an overpayment resulting from the withdrawal does not prevent the student from receiving additional OSAP funding when they return to full time studies. These reviews are expected to be uncommon and will be considered on the merits of the individual case. Withdrawals beyond the student s control would typically result from a serious medical condition, medical emergency, or extended period(s) of hospitalization; and as a result, the student: was not able to attend or carry out the activities required to fulfil the course requirements in that semester; could not reasonably have been expected to complete the semester. Other circumstances may be considered on a case by case basis. For example, medical conditions or medical emergencies relating to a student s child or other family member may be considered if documentation is provided showing that the student was required to withdraw from students to provide full time care for the individual or due to the death of a close family member. Student must provide a letter of explanation and medical documentation to the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office that confirms the medical condition, medical emergency, or periods of hospitalization; Additional documentation may be required depending on individual circumstances (e.g., medical documentation showing that the student is now able to return to studies). 4

5 OSAP Appeal Submission Cover Sheet LOAN OVERPAYMENTS Please forward to: Student Awards & Financial Aid Office 401 Sunset Ave. Windsor, ON N9B 3P4 Office Use: Date Received: Date Reviewed: Approved Not Approved LAST NAME: FIRST NAME: U OF W STUDENT ID: APPEAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST: Appeal Coversheet A letter from you outlining your request for appealing your OSAP assessment and under what grounds you are appealing; Supporting documentation to support your request for appeal. Be sure that your letter(s) are SIGNED, DATED and that your name and student ID# appears on all of your supporting documentation. Financial Aid Office Notes: The University of Windsor is committed to the protection of privacy and confidentiality of all its constituents. The information collected in this process is collected under the authority of the University of Windsor Act, 1962 and is collected for the purposes of administering the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) on behalf of the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities and any other need based financial assistance or awards based on academic merit as administered by the University of Windsor. If you have any questions about the collection of information or the uses to which it will be put, please go to of Disclosure or direct your inquiry to the Director, Student Awards &Financial Aid, 401 Sunset Ave. Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, [email protected]. 401 Sunset Ave. Windsor ON N9B 3P3 Phone: (519) Ext Fax: (519) [email protected] Updated: 05/2015/md L:\Forms & Signs\Appeal Outlines\Appeal Outlines_1516\Loan Overpayments.docx 5