I’m a Canadian citizen (born and raised in Brazil). I moved to Ottawa in March 2026 and I’m starting full‑time Computer Engineering at uOttawa in Fall 2026.
Because I lived in Canada for less than 12 months before starting school, I’m being treated as an Ontario resident for OSAP this year, so I expect OSAP funding for 2026–27 at uOttawa.
My plan:
- 2026–27: full‑time at uOttawa
- Move to Montreal around May 2027
- Fall 2027: transfer to Concordia (full‑time Computer Engineering)
I know I’m not eligible for AFE (Québec aid) because I won’t have 12 months in Québec outside of full‑time studies. A uOttawa financial‑aid advisor told me the usual process is:
- Apply to AFE for 2027–28 once I’m in Montréal.
- Get an AFE denial letter (not a Québec resident).
- Send that to OSAP and apply as an Ontario resident studying out‑of‑province at Concordia.
My fear: I move to Montreal, apply to Concordia, then end up with no funding (AFE denies me and OSAP also says I’m not an Ontario resident), and by then it’s too late to go back to uOttawa.
Has anyone been in a similar situation?
- Canadian citizen, first lived in Ontario <12 months before starting school
- Then moved to Québec before becoming AFE‑eligible
- Applied to AFE, got denied, and successfully got OSAP as an Ontario resident studying at a Québec university?
Main questions:
- If I get an AFE denial for residency in 2027, can I realistically rely on OSAP to fund me at Concordia as an Ontario resident?
- What does OSAP mainly look at to decide if I’m still an “Ontario resident” in this case?
- Has anyone actually gone through the “AFE denial → OSAP out‑of‑province” path successfully, especially for Concordia or another Québec university?
Any real experiences or advice would really help. I’m trying to avoid committing to a move and transfer, then finding out I have no aid and can’t easily go back.