UTAPS
UTAPS stands for the University of Toronto Advanced Planning for Students program. It is the University of Toronto’s largest need-based support program and covers the financial gap between a student’s actual education costs and the costs recognized by their provincial/territorial government student financial aid program. In other words, UTAPS covers unmet financial need.
Through UTAPS, U of T provides non-repayable grants to students to help cover this financial need gap, or unmet need.
UTAPS is Now Open for Applications
All students who would like to be considered for UTAPS for the 2025-26 school year must complete and submit an application through the Need Navigator, along with any supporting documentation required as stated on the student’s application by the deadline. These dates will be updated in Spring 2025, for the upcoming academic year.
UTAPS Eligibility
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a protected person (recognized convention refugee).
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- Students who do not meet the citizenship requirement above, and are registered under the Indian Act (Canada) may be eligible for UTAPS, so long as they provide the required income and government student aid information on their application for UTAPS.
- Have applied and been assessed for government student financial assistance, for the same academic terms that you’ve applied for UTAPS, from your Canadian home province or territory (e.g. Ontario Student Assistance Program – OSAP, StudentAid BC, etc.); or, for Indigenous students who do not apply for government financial assistance, be receiving educational funding for Indigenous students (i.e., Indigenous sponsorship funding through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy, and Inuit Post-Secondary Education Strategy); and
- Have your enrolment confirmed by U of T to your home province/territory SFA program, before the applicable UTAPS deadline.
- Have remaining financial need (or unmet need), that is not covered by these programs.
- Be enrolled in a UTAPS-approved program.
- Be registered in a full-time course load per OSAP requirements during the Fall and/or Winter terms.
- Visit OSAP for full-time course load requirements.
Note: For the summer term, UTAPS is only available to UTSC students who are registered in a full-time course load (per OSAP requirements) for the entire May to August summer session.
- International students;
- Part-time students, as per OSAP requirements during the Fall and/or Winter terms;
- Students enrolled in co-op, internship, or Professional Experience Year (PEY) work term(s) – even if they are also enrolled in a full-time OSAP course load during this term(s);
- Students who are restricted from receiving funding from their home jurisdiction’s government financial aid program;
- Students who misreport or misrepresent information to UTAPS, OSAP, or their home jurisdiction’s government financial aid program;
- Single students who are less than six years out of high school and opt-out of providing parental information;
- Students in professional graduate programs – please see Students in Professional Graduate Programs for more information.
While students in professional graduate programs are not eligible for UTAPS funding, they will need to complete a financial need application through the Need Navigator to be assessed for need-based awards that may be available through their department. See Students in Professional Programs for more information.
The following are UTAPS-approved undergraduate, doctoral-stream masters, and doctoral programs.
Note: If you do not see your program of study in this list, contact your faculty, college, or campus Registrar’s Office.
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering
- All undergraduate programs
- Master of Applied Science (MASc)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Faculty of Arts and Science – St. George
- All undergraduate programs including:
- Academic Bridging (Full-time Option)
- Computer Science
- Humanities
- Life Sciences
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- Rotman Commerce
- Social Sciences
- All doctoral-stream masters and doctoral programs
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
- Bachelor of Arts in Visual Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies
- Master of Forestry
- All Doctoral programs (Ph.D.)
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
- All Doctoral programs (Ph.D. and Ed.D.)
- Other Master of Arts Programs (excluding MA Child Study & Education)
Faculty of Information Studies (iSchool)
- Bachelor of Information
- Bachelor of Arts – Interactive Digital Media (joint with UTM)
- Ph.D. in Information Studies
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (BKIN)
- Master of Science in Exercise Sciences
- Ph.D. in Exercise Sciences
Faculty of Law
- Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
Temerty Faculty of Medicine
- BSc in Medical Radiation Sciences
- Bachelor of Science – Physician Assistant
- All course-based masters, doctoral-stream masters, and doctoral programs
Faculty of Music
- Bachelor of Music
- All Ph.D. programs
Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN)
- Collaborative Master of Nursing/Ph.D. programs
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
- Master of Science in Biostatistics
- Ph.D.: Biostatistics
- Ph.D.: Epidemiology
- Ph.D.: Occupational and Environmental Health
- Ph.D.: Social and Behavioural Health Sciences
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
- Ph.D. in Social Work
University of Toronto – Mississauga
- All undergraduate programs
- Doctoral-stream masters programs – contact your program area for further information
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
University of Toronto – Scarborough
- All undergraduate programs
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Visit OSAP for a list of programs offered by the University of Toronto that are not approved for UTAPS, as they are not approved for OSAP.
The following courses/programs may be approved for OSAP purposes, yet are not approved for UTAPS:
- All conjoint Toronto School of Theology programs.
- Pre-requisite courses for admission into a graduate program taken as part of a make-up/qualifying year.
Students in professional graduate programs are not eligible for UTAPS funding. See Students in Professional Graduate Programs for more information.
How Does the University of Toronto Determine Financial Need for UTAPS?
To determine financial need for UTAPS, the University uses a formula that compares a student’s education and living costs with expected contributions and resources from the student’s home jurisdiction financial aid program.
The Formula
The formula is: UTAPS allowable education and living costs (MINUS) Resources from expected contributions and financial aid program (EQUALS) Financial need a student may have for UTAPS consideration.
What Qualifies as Financial Need?
- This is when an eligible student’s resources are less than their costs.
- They could qualify for UTAPS grants.
What is Not Considered to be Financial Need?
- This is when an eligible student’s resources are more than their costs.
- They would not qualify for UTAPS grants.
Application Deadlines
If you would like to be considered for UTAPS for the 2025-26 Fall-Winter terms, you must complete and submit your application through the Need Navigator, along with any applicable supporting documentation, by the deadline dates below.
Ontario Students
Ontario domestic funding is classified as funding from OSAP.
We recommend applying by September 16, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early October 2025.
The latest date you can apply is October 6, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by late October 2025.
We recommend applying by January 19, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early February 2026.
The latest date you can apply is February 19, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
We recommend applying by September 16, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your first payment will be issued by early October 2025.
The next two application deadline dates are October 6, 2025, for payment by the end of October 2025; and, January 19, 2026, for payment by early February 2026.
The latest date you can apply is February 19, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
Out-of-Province Students
Out-of-province funding is classified as funding from provinces/territories other than Ontario. Ex. StudentAid BC, Alberta Student Aid, etc.
The latest date you can apply is November 3, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early December 2025.
The latest date you can apply is February 5, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
We recommend applying by November 3, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your first payment will be issued by early December 2025.
The latest date you can apply is February 5, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
Indigenous Sponsorship Students
Indigenous sponsorship is classified as funding from First Nations band, or Inuit or Métis organization ONLY (i.e., you are not receiving provincial/territorial student aid). If you are receiving OSAP, or Out-of-Province funding, in addition to Indigenous Sponsorship, please see the appropriate section above.
The latest date you can apply is November 3, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early December 2025.
The latest date you can apply is February 5, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
We recommend applying by November 3, 2025. If you qualify for UTAPS, your first payment will be issued by early December 2025.
The latest date you can apply is February 5, 2026. If you qualify for UTAPS, your payment will be issued by early March 2026.
Notes
- Students only need to submit an application once per academic year.
- Additional application deadline dates are provided to students in case they miss the first deadline date within the applicable term (e.g., if an OSAP recipient missed the September 16th deadline, they could apply for UTAPS by October 6th and still be considered for UTAPS).
Applying for UTAPS
How Do I Apply for UTAPS?
Step One: Check your eligibility
See the Eligibility section to ensure you are eligible for UTAPS grants.
If you are not eligible for UTAPS: you can still apply, as you may still be considered for grants through your division/college/faculty if you complete the application.
Step Two: Ensure you are within the deadline for application
See Application Deadlines to ensure you apply within the UTAPS deadlines.
Step Three: Complete and submit an application
Are you ready to begin your application? Go to the Need Navigator, and complete all required information.
Please note that if you are unable to complete the form, you may save your progress and return to it later.
I Applied for UTAPS – What Happens Next?
You will be notified through your utoronto.ca email within four to five weeks of the applicable deadline if you are eligible for UTAPS grants, depending on when you submitted your application through the Need Navigator.
If you qualify for UTAPS, you will see the award will appear on your ACORN account, under ‘My Awards’.
UTAPS grants are applied first to pay any outstanding balance owing for the academic year on your ACORN account. UTAPS payments in the months of September to November will be applied to outstanding Fall fees; payments in the months of December to March will be applied to outstanding Fall and Winter fees. Any remaining credit balance for the applicable term(s) will be deposited into your bank account. For quicker payment, ensure the following information is setup on your ACORN account:
Banking information
Instructions on setting up direct deposit on ACORN, can be viewed in this video, or by following the instructions in the Direct Deposit section.
Canadian mailing address
Make sure your address is valid (correct and valid from/until dates must be current). To update your mailing address on ACORN, follow the instructions in the Add/Change Address section.
Ensure your home province/territory’s student financial aid application is not on hold. Applications may be put on hold for issues such as academic restrictions, income verification issues, overpayments, etc.
- For non-OSAP recipients, contact your province/territory financial aid program.
- For OSAP recipients, submit an inquiry through the Service Portal.
UTSC Summer UTAPS
University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) students registered full-time from May to August, may be eligible for UTAPS for the summer term. If you are an OSAP recipient in the Summer term, you are automatically considered for UTSC Summer UTAPS and are not required to complete this application.
Am I Eligible for UTSC Summer UTAPS?
- Be enrolled in a UTSC undergraduate program.
- Be studying full-time from May-August (i.e. the whole summer.)
- Visit Summer OSAP for full-time course load requirements.
- Not be enrolled in a co-op work term.
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a protected person (recognized convention refugee.)
- Students who do not meet the citizenship requirement above, and are registered under the Indian Act (Canada) may be eligible for UTAPS, so long as they provide the required income and government student aid information on their application for UTAPS.
- Have applied and been assessed for government student financial assistance from your home province or territory (e.g. Ontario Student Assistance Program – OSAP, StudentAid BC, etc.); or, for Indigenous students who do not apply for government financial assistance, be receiving educational funding for Indigenous students (e.g., Indigenous Sponsorship funding provided through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy, etc.); and
- Have your enrolment confirmed by U of T to your home province/territory government financial assistance program.
- Have remaining financial need (or unmet need), that is not covered by these programs.
How to Apply
Step One: Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements
Read through the eligibility requirements listed above, and ensure you meet these before moving forward.
Step Two: Verify your ACORN details
Review and confirm the accuracy of your mailing address and direct deposit information in ACORN. Ensure the dates of this information remain valid and have not expired.
Step Three: Complete and submit the application by the deadline
OSAP Students:
If you are an OSAP student who meets the eligibility criteria above, you are automatically considered for UTSC Summer UTAPS and are not required to complete this application.
All Other Students:
The UTSC Summer UTAPS Application and the required documentation must be submitted to the Out-of-Province Request Portal by Monday, June 16, 2025.
Follow These Steps:
- Login to the Out-of-Province Request Portal.
- Navigate to ‘Start New Request.’ Fill in your details: select Province/Region, Form Request Type as “UTSC Summer UTAPS Application,” select Academic Year.
- Continue to complete the Step 1: Cover Letter to the best of your ability. Continue to complete Step 2: Documentation.
- Upload your completed this UTSC Summer UTAPS Application.
- Upload a copy of your 2025 Summer Government Student Aid Loan/Grants Assistance Summary from your Canadian province/territory funding program or a copy of your funding letter from your First Nations band, or Inuit or Métis Nation organization.
- Continue to complete Step 3: Submit.
- Complete the Privacy Statement and Submit your Application for review.
The University Registrar’s Office Financial Aid team will notify you of the outcome of your financial need assessment by the end of July.