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  1. #1
    Smart Canuck
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    So , my 20yr old was just accepted into collage.. will need dorm as we live 2.5 hours aways.. so yea..

    child lives at home still...

    any hints.... or help.....
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    Definitely apply for OSAP. It can be a life saver (despite graduating with lots of debt), it does help in the time that they are in school. Personally, I am able to get about $15K/year being in university, so it wouldn't be as much given college is much cheaper. Basically, the less you make, the more your child would get for schooling.

    Also would suggest non-traditional residence (if it is an option for that at their school) since they are not having to deal with horrible campus food (as it is bad at pretty much any school), just have to teach them how to shop and cook enough...
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  3. #3
    Bean bun going offline Ciel's Avatar
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    If I find that article about five things that post-secondary students should know before they leave home for their first semester...I'll post it here as a university/college worker noticed things that she felt students did not seem prepared by their parents for living on their own. Oh, this might be a good time to find out if DD wants you/DH to have power of attorney for health reasons for her (or even financial matters like if there is a cellphone billing matter and she cannot spare time from school to deal with CSRs) in case she cannot speak on her own behalf. You have seen the articles of students struggling at school and their parents cannot get schools to reveal anything without legal consent for students 18 or older (privacy laws). Or if DD says no, at least you will know her position on the matters of consent.

    Would be a good idea for DD to follow the student association and college on their social media channels for job postings (15h/week student jobs in academic semesters for on-campus jobs; residence is usually run by a private operator on behalf of the college and there can be jobs at the front desk too). Has DD looked at first year awards/grants offered by her college and checked for application dates? Might there be grants/awards she can apply to in your community related to her program of study via a community foundation, service club (if you or DH are members), employer (if she is presently employed at say Tim Horton's or Sobey's) or non-profit entity?

    Have you both gone to an open house at the college? I know some colleges have upcoming spring open houses-great way to see the school/residence and learn about amenities (rules too like if DD can bring her own appliances or not or must rent from provider at residence)/services/costs of things and see what parking/transit is available. Usually there is a free light meal and a draw or two to make the time interesting for visitors (and get freebies). Also a chance for you both to see how close the nearest stores/bank location (maybe campus has an ATM or branch on site) are to campus. Find the student paper-there might be a shuttle bus on a set night to a nearby grocery store for students! Or orientation week trip to a big box store for one night to have frosh acquainted with a retailer and maybe there's dinner included in the trip price.

    Depending on her program, DD might have to get certain immunizations and first aid certifications completed before semester one (usually the case for health and social work programs) or need a laptop (if library/learning commons does not have a lot of computers and hours for work) with certain specs (or maybe there is a laptop loan program at the college-usually a 2-3h limit like at Mohawk College via the TechBar). The student card is likely also a print card/e-money card for use on campus as well as ID for exams and student services and with appropriate sticker-transit pass. What is the replacement fee if the card gets lost?

    Also on Student Association website-what services (food bank, emergency cash, or other program) are available to full-time students (see what basic dental, health and transit coverage is provided-might DD be covered under your own or DH's insurance? Then she has a basis to apply to opt-out of that coverage and if she is driving a car, she can opt out of the transit too but there are deadlines for the opt-out claims (save you money too). Is there a discount program in the local community that recognizes the student card for deals (everytime or on certain days) i.e. Tuesdays 10% off at Food Basics or Loblaws or Sobeys (YMMV depending on community) with student ID.

    Practical stuff-conflict resolution with roommates (who might be a partier or not willing to clean up common areas (kitchenette/bathroom or is a food fridge-raider), know the garbage day/blue box collection rules if DD decides to reside off-campus for her street plus any parking rules (landlords or municipal if parking on street) and landlord/tenant rules provided landlord is not living in the residence and sharing kitchen or another common area. You might get an eyeful of what some landlords think is ok in rooms for rent (like painted over wooden sills so windows are shut, no-no under ON fire code but the student grad landlord (London ON when I went with a friend) seemed oblivious to it and he and gf were living in a makeshift unit in basement; or one small bathroom for a house with like 5 or 6 rooms to rent (do room doors lock? are rooms set up for Internet? You don't want DD to have a desktop in living room and someone swiping her Rocket stick or whatever gadget goes in at back for Internet use )and tiny kitchen/living room or whatever-you want DD to have reasonable safety in her rental if she goes that route). You might want to discuss what-if DD is asked to do landlord tasks like driveway shovelling or lawncare -would you want her to have a contract about payment or rental breaks if she acts as an agent towards other tenants in rental? Good ideas to ponder.
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    I remember trying to pay off my school loan at the end of term and was surprised (as with several of my classmates) that several thousand dollars of it was missing. The bank said OSAP had a loan forgiveness program but I'm not sure if it's based on merit, field of study, need, or whatever. I think $4,000 disappeared from mine and my friend said she was also "forgiven" around the same amount. I think it's the beginning of building a credit history as well, which eventually lowered our mortgage rates in later years when we were house hunting.

    OSAP is definitely worth it. If your child is still in school, ask about scholarships and bursaries. Apply for anything even remotely relevant. I think I was given a few hundred dollars from a horticultural society because I went into an "environmental" field. Sometimes, there just aren't any applicants closer to what they're looking for. You can call the college now and also ask about bursaries, etc.
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    Contradiction in progress sweet sparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnb56789 View Post
    Also would suggest non-traditional residence (if it is an option for that at their school) since they are not having to deal with horrible campus food (as it is bad at pretty much any school), just have to teach them how to shop and cook enough...
    If the program is workload heavy, I liked the campus meal option. Sometimes, you've got to keep the grades up to stay eligible for those bursaries! Plus, not having to cook and clean and meal plan while studying, living student life, and adapting to being away from home is a bit much. Especially at the large schools.

    Most campuses have really improved on nutrition since I went. They're serving gourmet sandwiches, food with real flavour, wide variety, etc. Sometimes it comes at a higher cost, but it's also teaching good nutrition as well. I must admit, that lesson was lost on me.
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    Quote Originally Posted by sweet sparrow View Post
    If the program is workload heavy, I liked the campus meal option. Sometimes, you've got to keep the grades up to stay eligible for those bursaries! Plus, not having to cook and clean and meal plan while studying, living student life, and adapting to being away from home is a bit much. Especially at the large schools.

    Most campuses have really improved on nutrition since I went. They're serving gourmet sandwiches, food with real flavour, wide variety, etc. Sometimes it comes at a higher cost, but it's also teaching good nutrition as well. I must admit, that lesson was lost on me.
    That is a very true point, I was in accounting and the workload even in first year was brutal, I just wanted to do anything I could to save money and non-traditional was the best option. It was something like $4,000 more to be in a traditional residence. And from what I hear at my Uni (Brock), the food is definitely not worth it, it is overpriced and horrible in most cases. Like $4.00 for a little thing of carrots & celery, or $12 for some small chicken fingers, fries, and a drink. For some people, the traditional residence can be a much better option for sure, but at least in my case, non-traditional was the best choice.
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    No meal options... however.. this is my child.. and they know how to cook. from scratch... lol. and all my kids know how to shop. very well.
    medical .. still covered under husbands.. till 25 . thank goodness.
    no first aid ect. needed.

    already applying for bursarys ect... my kid is a frugal kid. lol.
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    Contradiction in progress sweet sparrow's Avatar
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    @johnb56789 : And you're a boy. As a girl from smalltown, nowhere, my parents didn't want me walking home alone at night past all the student bars or the older men hanging around the student bars. Night class lets out at 9 PM, or if I had to stay on campus to use the computers. Most universities have WalkSafe programs anywhere on campus, but they can't leave campus. It's also pretty common that every few years or so, there's another weirdo making assaults on females, at least at my school.

    Great. Now I'm becoming the paranoid parent and my girls aren't out of diapers.
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    Given my 18 year old daughter just started uni in Sept I have learned a few things. She received a new laptop($1450) plus 1,000 per semester federal disability tax grant because she has ADHD. She also received another 1,000 per semester grant federally based on us being middle income as defined by the govt. She also received 1650 per semester as a federal residence bursary-this was administered by UBC and also presumably based on our income. In addition, she received a provincial scholarship for $2500 based on her marks and provincial and federal student loans-this was all on top of us cashing in part of her RESP. We just did her taxes and her bursaries and scholarships were not taxable which was nice to find out. It seems to me that Ontario is quite generous with financial assistance, particularly if you are low to mid income. Good luck-filling in the forms is a bit of a pain but well worth it.
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    If your child is covered under both parents medical plans, (at University of Saskatchewan and U of R) you can opt out of student coverage!! That’s will save a couple of hundred $. Administration needs photocopies of parents health cards.
    Last edited by dagney; Tue, Mar 27th, 2018 at 05:46 PM. Reason: Mistake
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    Bean bun going offline Ciel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dagney View Post
    If your child is covered under both parents medical plans, (at University of Saskatchewan and U of R) you can opt out of student coverage!! That’s will save a couple of hundred $. Administration needs photocopies of parents health cards.
    Check under DD's student association/union fees for opt-out forms, application period and requirements.
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    Bean bun going offline Ciel's Avatar
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    Ontario government has taken away the interest-free period (it was for six months after graduation) for OSAP students.
    https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...vastating.html
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  13. #13
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    Thankful for starting RESP's when kids were born.

    I had OSAP but the day I was done school I borrowed the money from my family to pay it off and then paid them back since I heard nothing but horror stories from people about duplicate payment being taken etc. I didn't realize it still was around I thought they ditched it already and forced people to get personal loans.
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    Bean bun going offline Ciel's Avatar
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    The one thing I want clarification on: what date does the government take for students' graduation dates? Is it the day they get the course credit after final exam? Is it the official graduation ceremony date or the date that the post-secondary schools register a student as having completed all degree/diploma requirements (so dates before the graduation ceremony)? When does the Ontario government get informed who graduated? That information might help all affected OSAP students figure out if April 30 is their "grad date" or later and sort out their income prospects based on that date.
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