Updated May 30, 2022

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE APPLICATION

  • You need to submit a new JD Financial Aid application each academic year you are at the Law School, since student resources and expenses will change from year to year. 
    • You do not need to provide your parent/ guardian/partner financial information each year unless there are substantial changes in their financial situation that warrant it. 

  • A completed application will occur in two stages:
    1. Submit the online application form, with any currently available supporting documents which can be uploaded using the form by June 1 (incoming students) or August 3 (new transfers and returning upper year students).
    2. After the online form is submitted, as soon as any of the remaining supporting documents are available, rename them to our specified file name format (see below), then email them to the JD Financial Aid Office.

  • The online application is unable to be saved with partial information for a later completion. Therefore it is best to perform an initial trial to see all of the required information. Once ready, submit your actual data, and include any supporting documents that are available at the time of submission.
  • The form may be submitted ONCE only. 
  • If after submission of the online application, you wish to make changes to the submission, do not submit a new online application. Instead notify the JD Financial Aid Office of the changes and the reasons for the changes, as they occur.

#1)  Eligibility for the UofT JD Financial Aid Program

To be eligible for our aid program you must be, BOTH:
  1. A domestic student i.e. immigration status in Canada is either Citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person
    and 
  2. Eligible for, and expect to receive, government student loan funding from a Canadian province/territory for the school year 
  
Not Eligible?
Domestic JD students who do not satisfy (2.) may qualify for the line of credit (LOC) loans arranged specifically for our students, offered by Scotiabank and TD Bank. Please read the details on the exceptional lending amounts and preferential interest rate for these LOC loans.

#2)  Application Deadlines:  2022-2023 Aid Programs

YEAR 1 JD STUDENTS
  • UofT JD Aid application: June 1, 2022
  • Supporting documents, except for summer job final paystub & rental agreement: August 3, 2022
  • Summer job final paystub & rental agreement: September 6, 2022
     
UPPER YEAR JD STUDENTS
  • UofT JD Aid application: August 3, 2022
  • Supporting documents, except for summer job final paystub & rental agreement: August 3, 2022
  • Summer job final paystub & rental agreement: September 6, 2022

 CANADIAN GOVERNMENT STUDENT AID PROGRAMS
IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES
For the full list of key financial aid program dates and deadlines for the entire academic year please review the financial aid timeline

#3)  Late Applications 

Students Admitted after the JD Financial Aid Application Deadline

  • New JD students who wish to apply to our aid program must first seek guidance on how to apply late by emailing the JD Financial Aid Office. Revised application deadlines will be assigned as warranted.

 
Late submission of the JD Financial Aid Application

  • Students who miss their deadline to submit the online application will only be eligible for assistance in the form of interest-free loans (via a line of credit), but not bursary assistance. 

#4)  Timing of Application Decisions

Completed Aid Applications
  • Notification of the final aid assessment will be released on September 23, 2022 for students who meet all of their deadlines for the submission of the aid application and supporting documents.

Incomplete Aid Applications
  • Information that is not provided or documentation that is not submitted will delay the processing of the assessment. 

#5)  Information requested on the online JD Financial Aid Application form

The personal and financial information to be provided on the online application is organized into these sections:
  • Personal Information
  • Summer Income/Employment Information
  • Academic Year Income/Employment Information
  • Other Scholarships/Bursaries/Bonuses for 2022-2023
  • Personal Assets & Income, at the time of application submission
  • Family Income
  • Additional Expenses being claimed
  • Outstanding Pre-Law Government Student Loans
  • Government Student Financial Assistance for 2022-2023
  • Declaration & Consent
  • Important Information
  • Entrance Scholarships
  • Credit History

#6)  How to Apply & Make Changes


Two-stage application process

  1. Submit the online application form, with any ready Supporting Documents uploaded using the form
     
  2. After the online form is submitted, as soon as the remaining Supporting Documents become available, rename them to our specified file name format, then email them to the JD Financial Aid Office.
     
    See the later section on Supporting Documents for the file name format

 

Can I save the online form and return to complete it?

  • Unfortunately, you cannot. You may submit the online form ONCE only.

  • It is best to perform an initial trial to see all of the required information but do not submit it until ready to do so. Only submit your actual data, and include any supporting documents that are ready for submission.


Making changes after the online form is submitted

  • Should you wish to make changes post-submission, do not submit a new online application.
  • Instead, provide the changes and the reasons for the changes, as they occur.

  • Email the changes, and for the message SUBJECT LINE please use this format:
    • Application Update, DateofEmail, YourFullName, YearofStudy
      e.g. Application Update, July 04, 2022, Jane Doe, 2L

  • Submit by email to the JD Financial Aid Office 
 

#7)  Supporting Documents

A complete aid application requires the submission of Supporting Documents.

SPECIFICATIONS & FILE NAME FORMAT
  • Submit by the established deadlines.
     
  • Submit electronically, with EACH document having a maximum file size of 25MB.
     
  • The acceptable file types are:
      • Document file: pdf, doc, docx
      • Image file: gif, jpg, jpeg, png

  • Before you submit, RENAME each file in this LOWERCASE format (noting when to use the hyphen and the underscore; the colour highlights shown below are for emphasis only):
      • firstname-surname_document-name
        e.g.   jane-doe_april2022-paystub
 
STUDENT DOCUMENTS
  • Canadian government student aid program for 2022-2023
      • screenshots of each page of the aid application, these can be combined into one pdf form
      • notice of assessment

  • Summer employment, either:
      • final paystub with pay information for the entire summer or 
      • if working for the same employer, April pay stub in addition to the end of summer paystub or 
      • if not employed for the summer or volunteering, a (dated) letter of explanation from the student

  • Please provide where warranted:
    • Housing: rental agreement for accommodations during the JD academic year, spanning September 2022 to April 2023.
    • Computer expenses: receipts
    • Moving expenses: receipts
    • Other applicable expenses, as detailed in the JD Financial Aid Policies & Procedures Booklet: receipts
    • Personal Assets: asset and liabilities information
    • Other scholarships/bursaries/articling bonus: corroborating documents

PARENT(S)/GUARDIAN(S)/PARTNER/SPOUSAL DOCUMENTS
  • Income Tax Return information

    • For first-time applicants for the JD Financial Aid Program, regardless of year of entry into the JD:
      submit your parental/partner/spousal tax return Notice of Assessment for each of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. These can be submitted when they become available (as long as all completed information is provided by the due dates listed above) 

    • For students who have received funding in a prior academic year from the JD Financial Aid program the parental/partner/spousal tax information already on file will be used.

#8)  Data Accuracy & Your Responsibilities

The funding provided by the Aid Program is reliant on assessment of the actual financial need of the individual student for the academic year. As such, it is the responsibility of each student to ensure that they report accurate and up-to-date information for assessment.

Therefore, as per page 5 of the 2022-2023 UofT Law JD Financial Aid Policies & Procedures Booklet, please note:
  • Students are expected to provide the Financial Aid Office with accurate information about their financial situation and promptly notify the Financial Aid Office in writing within 30 days of any changes in their financial situation. These include, but are not limited to: 
    • changes in marital status
    • receipt of additional scholarships and awards
    • employment during the academic year
    • or changes of more than $500 in the information provided in the original financial aid application
       
  • Students should carefully review the obligations as set out in the Declaration and Consent portion of the financial aid application.
     
  • All information submitted after the initial financial aid application will be used by the Faculty to re-calculate students' financial aid applications. Recalculation may result in students receiving additional funding or being required to pay back an over-payment to the law school. The Financial Aid Office will work with the student to capture the change. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to review students' government student financial assistance and OLSAS information to accurately assess students' financial situations. 

  • If a student does not report a change in their financial situation, the Financial Aid Office reserves the right to adjust or deny a student’s entitlement to financial assistance. Students who are required to repay their bursary overpayments may also be subject to academic sanctions as explained in the Faculty of Law Academic Handbook.

  • Students are also required to report any changes to their financial situation to their government student financial assistance program.

#9)  FAQ & Where to get Help

The University is happy to assist you with inquiries on financing your education.

FAQ
UofT Law has prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for review


CANADIAN GOVERNMENT STUDENT AID INQUIRIES
For help with UofT's role in processing of government student loans
 
Enrolment Services
Admissions & Awards Office
University of Toronto

172 St George St. (at Bloor St.)
Toronto ON   M5R 0A3

 

JD FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
For help with completing the aid application & general inquiries 

Student Services Hub
3rd floor, Jackman Law Building
Faculty of Law
University of Toronto

78 Queen's Park
Toronto ON  M5S 2C5

financialaid.law@utoronto.ca
Phone: 416-978-3716