OSAP Appeals

Additional Local Travel

Additional local travel costs may be considered exceptional expenses in the situations outlined below:

1. For students using a vehicle to commute to and from their postsecondary institution, costs incurred for car insurance and maintenance cannot be included for review purposes.
2. A student can only claim travel expenses for the days that he/she has classes at the postsecondary institution.
3. The student’s actual travel costs must exceed the local travel allowance in the OSAP assessment, which is $73 per month ($16.98 per week)

 

OSAP Reviews

• Travel to Obtain/Maintain Employment During the Pre-study Period
• A single Dependent or Independent Student Lives with Parents and Commutes to School
• A Sole Support Parent or Married Student Commutes to School
• Parents of Student with Disability Driving Student to School

 

Travel to Obtain/Maintain Employment During the Pre-study Period

If a sole-support parent or single student is required to travel to obtain/maintain employment during the pre-study period and these travel costs exceed $73 per month ($16.98 per week), actual local transportation costs can be claimed by the student.  

The maximum considered under this review is $520/month ($120.93/week). The maximum used in this review is the equivalent of the shelter component of the away from home living allowance for single students. This amount is used for all student categories and cannot be considered under a request for reconsideration under any circumstances.

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Local Travel Form; letter from the student indicating the total cost of local transportation incurred during the pre-study period; 
• a detailed description of the travel (e.g., home and employer marked on a map of the area); and,
• documentation from the student’s employer that shows the student was employed and states the number of weeks of employment.

 

A Single Dependent or Independent Student Lives with Parents and Commutes to School

A single dependent student is expected to reside with his/her parents if the parents’ principal residence is in the same community as the postsecondary institution and the residence is less than 40 kilometers from the postsecondary institution or less than one hour from the postsecondary institution by public transit.

Provided that the following criteria are met a review for additional local travel can be considered.

• a student resides with his/her parents during the study period; and
• the student commutes to the postsecondary institution; and
• the parents’ residence is more than 40 kilometers from the institution; or
• the parents’ residence is more than one hour from the institution by public transit; or
• there is no public transit from the parents’ residence to the institution.
• Student’s actual expenses are more than $73/month, which is the standard assessment allowance for local travel.

The student can claim additional local transportation costs up to a maximum of $520 per month ($120.93 per week).

This review can also apply to a single independent student who lives at home and commutes to the postsecondary institution rather than maintaining a separate residence.

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Local Travel” Form;
• letter from the student indicating the total weekly cost of local transportation incurred during the study period;
• a detailed description of the travel (e.g., home and institution marked on a map of the area); and
• a copy of the student’s course schedule to indicate days and times in school.

 

A Sole Support Parent or Married Student Commutes to School

During the study period, if a sole-support parent or married student maintains a residence in his/her home community to ensure continuity for his/her children and spouse, if any, and commutes to a postsecondary institution that is more than 40 kilometers from the student’s home, or more than one hour by public transit, or there is no public transit, a sole-support parent or married student can claim additional local transportation costs up to a maximum of $520 per month ($120.93 per week).

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Local Travel” Form; 
• a letter from the student indicating the total weekly cost of local transportation incurred during the study period;
• a detailed description of the travel (e.g., home and institution marked on a map of the area); and
• a copy of the student’s course schedule to indicate days and times in school 

 

Parents of Student with Disability Driving Student to School

If the parents of a student with a permanent disability drive a student to school because the student is unable to use public transportation for reasons related to his or her disability, the parent can be considered for exceptional expenses up to a maximum of $520 per month ($120.93 per week). Note: acceptable reasons for not using public transit would include, but not be limited to mobility-related reasons. 

Documentation required:

• a letter from the parent indicating the total weekly cost of transportation incurred by the parent during the study period;
• a detailed description of the travel (e.g., home and institution marked on a map of the area); and
• a copy of the student’s course schedule to indicate days and times in school.
• The school must have medical documentation on file supporting the student’s permanent disability and providing rationale for why the disability would prevent the students’ from using public transit.