Learn and Stay: The Ontario Grant for Studying in Health

The "Learn and Stay Grant" is a provincial grant from Ontario that funds in advance the studies of individuals who commit, in return, to work in regions with health workforce shortages. Here is how it works concretely: who can benefit, which programs and amounts are covered, and, for international students who are not eligible, what are the real funding options available in Canada.

What is the Learn and Stay program?

This is a provincial program of Ontario, not a federal program of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It funds in advance tuition, compulsory fees, books, and other direct study costs for individuals enrolled in health training programs deemed a priority due to workforce shortages in certain regions of the province.

Who is actually eligible?

The eligibility criteria explicitly exclude the vast majority of foreign students. To be eligible, you must be an Ontario resident and hold Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, or protected person status. A foreign student holding only a study permit is therefore not eligible — only a person who has already obtained permanent residence or protected person status before enrolling can potentially benefit.

Which study programs are covered?

Funding specifically targets the health sector, at three levels: at the diploma level, practical nursing, paramedical work, and medical laboratory technology; at the bachelor's level, nursing; and at the master's or post-graduate level, certain nursing specializations and advanced practice. More than sixty specific programs are eligible, distributed across the Northern, Eastern, and Southwestern regions of the province.

What is the amount, and what is required in return?

The official Ontario website does not provide a fixed amount applicable to all cases: funding covers tuition, compulsory fees, and books, the amount of which varies by program and institution. In return, the funded individual commits to work in the same administrative region after graduation, for at least 180 days, approximately six months, for each full year of funding received. For a person funded for four years of study, this represents about 24 months of work with an eligible employer in the region.

One point deserves special attention: if the required conditions are not met, particularly the work commitment in the region, the funding received is converted into a repayable loan. Therefore, it is not an unconditional grant, but funding tied to a real service commitment.

Why are foreign students excluded?

This type of program responds to a specific public policy objective: retaining skilled workers in regions where health services lack staff, by investing in individuals who already have a stable legal connection to Canada (citizenship, permanent residence, or protection). A foreign student still in the immigration process does not offer the same guarantee of staying permanently in the region after their studies, which explains the Ontario authorities' choice to reserve this funding for those who already have this status.

Real funding options for foreign students

Canada still offers real funding options for international students, even if they work differently from a generalized tuition subsidy. The official EduCanada portal, managed by the Government of Canada, lists several scholarship programs specifically for international candidates, each targeting specific regions or profiles.

• Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program, for students from Latin America and the Caribbean wishing to undertake a short-term study or research stay;

• Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED), for ASEAN countries, the Pacific Islands, and Mongolia;

• Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program, for Chinese academics conducting research projects;

• Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030, for professionals and academics from countries specified by the program;

• Organization of American States Academic Scholarship Program, reserved for nationals of OAS member states.

In addition, there are scholarships specific to certain institutions or fields: the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, for doctoral students conducting research at a Canadian university, as well as scholarships encouraging studies in French, such as those for English-speaking or foreign students wishing to pursue post-secondary studies in French as a second language, funded by the Government of Canada and administered by organizations dedicated to academic Francophonie.

What to remember

Learn and Stay is not a pathway to free studies for foreign students: it is an Ontario program for health workforce retention, reserved for citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons. International students seeking real funding should instead turn to the scholarship programs listed on the official EduCanada portal, to scholarships specific to each educational institution, or to Francophone organizations that support studies in French in Canada. Before undertaking any steps, it remains recommended to check the up-to-date eligibility criteria directly on the relevant official websites.