Ontario Nurses Can Now Get Up To $10K A Year For School & Here's What You Need To Know

The Ontario government could give you money to help with tuition if you're a nurse or personal support worker looking to further your career in long-term care, but there are some strings attached.

On October 27, the Ontario government announced that it's investing $100 million to bring on 2,000 nurses to long-term care facilities in three to four years. The provincial government said it will achieve this by helping with the training of thousands of PSWs and nurses who want to further their careers in this sector.

This massive investment is part of a government plan to train, educate and help recruit thousands of new health care staff so that long-term care homes and facilities can give an average of four hours of direct care a day for each and every resident.

With the BEGIN Initiative: Bringing Educational Grant in Nursing, the government will help with tuition for PSWs and registered practical nurses by giving eligible PSWs up to $6,000 a year and nurses up to $10,000 a year in financial support. Any candidate who needs extra help with covering the costs of course materials, tutoring, childcare, or travel may also be eligible for $5,000.

All applicants for these programs will be expected to work in the long-term care sector for the same period of time they receive these funding supports.

Through the Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario's Colleges, the government will boost access to nursing programs at public colleges by adding more opportunities to enroll in bridging programs for the 2022-2023 academic year, introducing both in-person and online learning programs so students can maintain their flexible schedules, and providing internationally trained nurses up to $6,000 a year so they can gain the required credentials to work in Ontario.

Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced that it would be giving free tuition to those who enroll in PSW training programs, as well as a $3 pay bump to PSWs' hourly wages.