Financial Support

Below you can find several pathways to financial support as a legal student. Note that not all will be applicable to you.

Osgoode Bursary Program

Osgoode itself has a bursary program which awards upwards of $3 million a year, targeted at students who require financial support. You can find out more about this program, and how to apply, here.

OSAP Grants

Eligible residents of Ontario can apply for OSAP here.

If you have a diagnosable mental health disability, there are two grants you may apply for from OSAP:

  1. Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) is a general grant given to students with disabilities.
  2. Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities (CSG-PDSE) is for students with long-term mental health disabilities (or other types of long-term disabilities) to use for equipment or services. For students with mental health disabilities this can be used for therapy, for which you generally receive $2,000 per semester.

You can book an appointment with York Student Accessibility Services for more information and for help with the forms.

There are a variety of accommodations available for students with mental health disabilities, including:

  • extra time to write exams
  • writing exams in a private room
  • flexible assignment deadlines
  • access to lecture recordings from professors who normally do not allow recordings

Member Assistance Program – Law Society of Ontario

Law students have coverage through the LSO’s Member Assistance Program. You can access five free sessions of professional therapy. There is also a peer support program.

Legal Leaders for Diversity Trust Fund Scholarship

This is a scholarship given out annually by the Legal Leaders for Diversity group, which is a group of lawyers committed to encouraging diversity in the legal profession by providing scholarships to students with disabilities.

This past year the call for scholarships was emailed to us by Osgoode Financial Services around February.

Students with any type of disability (including a mental health disability) may apply.

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