The purpose of the Support for Learners financial support program is to support children, youth and students in their continued learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-21 school year.

The Support for Learners program will provide eligible applicants with a one-time payment of:

  • $200 for each child/youth up to grade 12
  • $250 for each child/youth up to age 21 with special needs
A parent or guardian can apply for their child/youth. Only one parent or guardian may apply for each child/youth. The parent or guardian should have custody of the child/youth. This could include a parent or guardian with shared custody. It is up to the child's parents or guardians to determine who will apply. The Ministry is not involved in these decisions.

For secondary students over the age of 18, the student can apply on their own, or one of their parents or guardians can submit an application. Only one application will be accepted per child/youth or student. Duplicate applications will not be accepted. The Ministry is not involved in decisions of who should apply to the Support for Learners program.

You must fill out and submit one application per child/youth or student to receive funding. Each application will be verified, processed and paid separately. This means that if you have more than one child/youth you may not receive payments at the same time.

Payments will be delayed or denied if the information you provide is incomplete or inaccurate. We may contact you to verify the information you are providing through this application.

The easiest way to receive your payment is through e-transfer. All you need is access to Internet banking and a valid email address.

You also have the option to receive payment through direct deposit. For this option, please have your banking information ready before beginning this application (bank name, branch number and account number).

When you successfully submit your application, you will immediately see the confirmation number for your application. Please record this number and the name of the child it is for. You will receive an email in 1 to 5 business days containing this number confirming that we have received your application. Please be sure to check your junk mail for the confirmation email and to also record your application’s confirmation number.

The deadline to apply is February 8, 2021. For more information please visit Ontario.ca/SupportForLearners. For assistance or questions regarding this application, please contact the Support for Learners helpline at 1-888-444-3770. TTY (for the hearing impaired): 1-800-268-7095.

Child or Student information

Help for Child or Student Information
Date of birth:
   
Note: If your virtual school is not in the list, please select the school board and school that the student would be attending if they were attending school in person (i.e. home school).
Help finding your school
 
Definition of Special Needs

Parent or Guardian Information

 
Note: Secondary school students who are 18 or over and applying for themselves should enter their own information (not their parent or guardian’s) in the section below.

Banking Information

Get your payment

You can choose either e-transfer or direct deposit to receive your payment.

It will take approximately two weeks to receive your payment by e-transfer or direct deposit. Two weeks is an approximate timeline for payment – this means that some applications will take longer to verify and process. All applications received will be processed.

E-transfer is the easiest payment option

To receive your payment by e-transfer, please select the box below.

When your application has been processed, you will receive two emails. One email will contain password information and the other will contain the Interac logo with money transfer. Please be sure to check your junk mail folder.

Important: The password instructions are not applicable if you have the “auto deposit” feature setup with your bank. If you have “auto deposit” set up, your Support for Learners payment will automatically get deposited into the account that’s associated with the email address provided.
 

Direct deposit

This payment will be made through direct deposit. You must provide your banking information to receive this payment.
Help for direct deposit

If e-transfer or direct deposit are not available to you

If you do not have a bank account and cannot accept payment by e-transfer, you may submit a request for a cheque. Cheques will be mailed to the address provided above. It may take several weeks/months to receive the cheque.
   
Attestation
  I attest that the information I have provided in this application is accurate and true. I understand that, if information appears incorrect, I may be provided an opportunity to correct it. I also understand that if Support for Learners money is paid out to me and the information is later determined to be incorrect or is determined that I was not eligible for the payment, I will be required to repay that money.
The Ministry of Education collects your personal information on this form pursuant to paragraph 3 of subsection 8.1(1) of the Education Act. Your personal information will be used for the purpose of administering and evaluating the Support for Learners program.

Your personal information may be disclosed to the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services for the purposes of administering the program, including verifying the information to ensure eligibility for the program. Your personal information may also be disclosed to the Ministry of Finance and other Ontario government ministries for the purposes of administering the program.

By applying to the Support for Learners program, you also consent to the Ministry of Education indirectly collecting personal information about you for the purpose of administering the program. By submitting this application, you are also confirming that the information you have provided is accurate and true, and that you are not making a fraudulent claim. To that end, the Ministry of Education may conduct audits from time to time on the information provided under this program to prevent or detect fraudulent claims.

If you (in the case of a secondary school applicant aged 18+) or your child is enrolled in public school, information that you provide in this form will be verified against other government records to ensure eligibility for the Support for Learners program.

“Administering” the program includes planning and delivering the Support for Learners program, as well as evaluating, monitoring, and preventing or detecting fraud or unauthorized receipt of payments in the use of the program, and recovering unauthorized payments.

If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information as collected on this form, you may contact the Support for Learners helpline at 888-444-3770.
Terms and Conditions
1. Purpose of payments
The purpose of the Support for Learners financial support program is to support children, youth and students in their continued learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-21 school year.

2. Eligibility
By applying to the Support for Learners program, you confirm that the eligibility information provided in this application is accurate and true. Payments will be delayed or denied if the information you provide is incomplete or inaccurate.

3. Corroborating documentation may be requested
From time to time, the Ministry of Education may contact you to request corroborating documentation to confirm your eligibility. The Ministry of Education reserves the right to deny payments in the absence of such corroborating documentation.

4. Opportunity to Remedy
If the information you have submitted is initially determined to be incorrect or cannot otherwise be validated, you may be provided an opportunity to reapply.

5. Support payment fraud
If Support for Learners money is paid out to you and it is determined that you were ineligible for the payment, you will be required to repay that money promptly. The Ministry of Education reserves the right to take any other corrective action it deems necessary in such circumstances, including initiating a civil action to reclaim funds and referring suspected fraudulent claims to the police for investigation.

6. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Province of Ontario, its employees and agents from any and all losses, claims, damages, actions, causes of action, complaints, costs or expenses made against or incurred by the Ministry of Education in respect of any misuse of Support for Learners funds or any other wrongdoing in respect of this funding.

7. Non-assignment
By applying to the Support for Learners program, you further agree not to assign this agreement to anyone.

8. Forum
This agreement is governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario. By clicking on the Submit button below, you agree to the above-noted terms and conditions of this funding. Clicking on the Submit button constitutes your electronic signature to this agreement.

As a safeguard against automated spam, please type in the numbers that appear in the image below to submit your application.
Accessibility
We are committed to providing accessible customer service. If required, we can arrange for an accessible format that meets your needs. Contact us at 1-888-444-3770.

Help
For assistance or questions regarding this application, please contact the Support for Learners helpline at 1-888-444-3770.
TTY (for the hearing impaired): 1-800-268-7095.


Review and submit

Please review the information you provided above to ensure it is correct. Note that payments will be delayed or denied if the information you provide is incomplete or inaccurate.

Once you have confirmed the above information is correct, please review the terms and conditions and press submit to complete your application.

After you successfully submit your application, you will immediately see the confirmation number for your application. Please record this number and the name of the child it is for. You will receive an email in 1 to 5 business days containing this number confirming that we have received your application.

To apply for Support for Learners financial support for another child, you must complete and submit another application.

Submit