Ontario Will Cover The Tuition For 2,500 Future Healthcare Workers & Here's Who Is Eligible

The Ontario government announced in London this morning that they will cover the tuition of 2,500 future healthcare workers to bring "care to people, closer to home."

The government stated in a press release on Friday. that they are expanding the "Learn and Stay grant" to connect "underserved and growing communities with health care workers."

"Expanding Ontario's Learn and Stay grant to include nurses, paramedics and med-techs in more underserved and growing communities is another innovative solution that's connecting people to care, closer to home," Premier Doug Ford said.

To be eligible, students must:

• Apply and enroll in an eligible program in a "priority community."
• Be an Ontario resident and be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person.
• Commit to working in the region where they studied and graduated from.

Some students may be eligible to either get their tuition fully reimbursed or receive upfront funding for things like tuition, books and other direct educational expenses. But, students who receive this grant will have to, in return, work and care for people in the regions where they studied, for a term after graduating.

The 2023-2024 grant applications will open this spring and will help 2,500 postsecondary students who are enrolled in the following programs and regions:

• "Nursing programs in northern, eastern and southwestern Ontario
• Medical laboratory technologist/medical laboratory sciences programs in northern and southwestern Ontario
• Paramedic programs in northern Ontario."