OSAP Appeals

Adjust Living Allowance for Single Students

• Independent Single Student Pays Room and Board to Parents
• Dependent Single Student Lives Away From Home in Pre-study Period to Obtain Full-time Employment
• “Away From Home” Living Allowance During the Study Period (Single Dependent Students)
• Family Breakdown in the Pre-study Period
• Overcrowded Parental Home
• Problems in Parental Home Environment

 

Independent Single Student Pays Room and Board to Parents

The calculation of the pre-study period income contribution for independent single students living at home is based on the student’s net income after the deduction of the student’s living costs assuming an at-home living allowance rate.  If the student pays room and board to his/her parents, the student’s pre-study period income contribution can be calculated with a higher living allowance than the at-home rate.  The amount used is the at home living allowance plus the actual amount of the room and board payments up to the maximum away from home living allowance (e.g., $250.70 per week; $1,078 per month).

In addition, single independent students are assessed with an at home living allowance if they are living with their parents during the study period.  If a student pays room and board to his/her parents during the study period, a student can be considered for a higher living allowance than the at home rate. The amount used is the at home living allowance plus room and board payments up to the maximum away from home living allowance (e.g., $250.70 per week; $1,078 per month).

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Living Allowance” Form
• Letter from the student indicating that he/she lives at home and must pay room and board or rent to his or her parents;
• a letter from the parents confirming that the student resides(ed) with them during the pre-study period and/or study period and that they collect(ed) room and board from him/her; and,
• proof of room and board payments for the pre-study period and/or study period (e.g., cancelled cheque or receipt(s)). Note: receipts are not acceptable unless substantiated by cancelled cheques and/or bank statements showing that financial transactions actually occurred. 

Dependent Single Student Lives Away From Home in Pre-study Period to Obtain Full-time Employment

If a dependent single student did not reside with his/her parents in the pre-study period in order to obtain full-time employment, the student’s pre-study period income contribution can be calculated using the away-from-home living allowance (e.g., $250.70 per week; $1,078 per month).

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Living Allowance” Form;  
• a letter from the student indicating that he/she did not live at home during the pre-study period in order to find full-time employment in a community other than the community where his/her parents reside; and
• documentation from the employer confirming the location of employment and that the student was employed full-time throughout the pre-study period.

"Away From Home" Living Allowance During the Study Period (Single Dependent Students)

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. The student would be assessed with an “at home” living allowance.

A single dependent student can be assessed with an “away from home” living allowance through a review provided that the following criteria are met:

• The student resides away from home during the study period; and
• The student’s new residence is closer to the institution than the family home; and
• The parents’ residence is more than one hour from the institution by public transit (regardless of the distance); or
• There is no public transit from the parents’ residence to the institution.

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Living Allowance” Form;  
• a letter from the student explaining the situation;
• proof that the student is living away from home during the study period and incurring living expenses (i.e., rental agreement, land line telephone bill, utilities bill, etc.)

Family Breakdown in the Pre-study Period

A dependent student involved in a family breakdown that occurred during the student’s pre-study period should have their pre-study period income contribution calculated using the “away from home” living allowance.

Documentation required:

• No additional documentation is required from the student. Documentation must be on file showing that FAA has already determined that a family breakdown has occurred.

Overcrowded Parental Home

If a single dependent student’s parental home is overcrowded, requiring the student to live away from the parental home, a review can be considered to provide the student with a higher living allowance based on the away from home living allowance ($250.70 per week; $1,078 per month;).

An overcrowded home situation is one in which the student:

• does not have a bedroom (e.g., must sleep in the living room);
• shares a bedroom with more than one sibling;
• is required to share a bedroom with a sibling who is much younger.

The situation must be for the duration of the current pre-study and/or study period and not the result of a temporary situation (e.g., an unemployed sibling returns to the parental home while seeking employment or a relative moving in or visiting for a short period of time).

Documentation required:

• completed “Request for Review – Adjust Living Allowance” Form;
• a letter from the student and parents explaining the situation;
• proof that the student is living away from home during the pre-study and/or study period and incurring living expenses (i.e., rental agreement, utilities, land line telephone bill, etc)

Problems in Parental Home Environment

If a single dependent student cannot live in the parental home due to psychological or physical health reasons, a review can be considered to provide the student with a higher living allowance based on the away from home living allowance ($250.70 per week; $1,078 per month).

The home environment must be of an exceptionally disruptive nature in that it is impacting the student’s psychological and/or physical health and affecting his/her ability to concentrate on studies.

The home environment must be one in which the student has one or more family members who have a:

• drug or alcohol dependency;
• physical or developmental disability;
• long-term illness of a dependent family member.

Note: this review differs from “Family Breakdown/Step Parent Reviews because in this situation, the student is not estranged from his or her parents, but rather is unable to live at home. Only the student’s living allowance is changed, and the parental income is still considered in the assessment.

Documentation required:

• a letter from the student or at least one of the parents explaining the situation;
• written documentation from a professional third party (e.g. family physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, police officer or social worker) who was directly involved with the situation and verifying the need for the student to be away from the home environment;
• proof that the student is living away from home during the pre-study and/or study period and incurring living expenses (i.e., rental agreement, utilities, land line telephone bill, etc)