Two post-secondary nursing programs now eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

The Ontario government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to protect the province’s health-care system by expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) to include two additional nursing programs in eastern Ontario.

“Our government is investing in the future of health care by supporting the next generation of nurses, paramedics and lab technicians through a $14 million commitment. The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant removes financial barriers for students while helping ensure more highly skilled health-care professionals are trained, remain, and work in the communities that need them most. This investment will strengthen access to care and bring it closer to home for families across Haliburton – Kawartha Lakes – Brock” said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock.

Building on the success of OLSG with an additional $14 million investment, 1,500 students participating in nursing programs at Trent University and Sir Sandford Fleming College will be able to have their tuition, books and other education costs fully covered this fall if they commit to working in eastern Ontario after graduation. This further bolsters Ontario’s highly skilled health-care workforce, helping more people conveniently connect to care, close to home.

“Our government is taking historic steps in building our homegrown health-care workforce that train, stay, and build their careers in the communities that need them most,” said Nolan Quinn, minister of colleges, universities, research excellence and security in a press release. “By expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant to Peterborough and the surrounding communities, we are removing financial barriers for students and supporting the future nurses that will connect more people to care in eastern Ontario.”

“At Ross Memorial Hospital, we see firsthand the importance of building a strong local healthcare workforce. The Ontario Learn and Stay grant, in partnership with Trent University and Fleming College, will help support students to train, stay, and ultimately care for patients right here in Kawartha Lakes, as we continue delivering on the promise of a better health care experience” said Veronica Nelson, president and CEO of the Ross Memorial Hospital.

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant covers tuition, books and other direct educational costs for students in nursing, paramedics and lab technologist programs in high need areas of the province who commit to working in the region where they studied after graduation. To date, the Ontario government has provided more than $175 million through OLSG to support nearly 13,000 learners, including nearly $54 million to train more than 4,000 future health-care workers in the eastern region.

Applications for fall 2026 are now open, students can learn more about the grant application, as well as information about other eligible programs and regions, at ontario.ca/learnandstay.

“By expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant to the Peterborough area, our government is building on the success of this program to train the next generation of our health-care workforce,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With 1,500 more nursing students eligible for free tuition, this means more frontline health-care workers providing world-class care in the communities that need them most.”

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant is a critical part of the Ontario government’s plan to protect the province’s health-care system and highly skilled workforce to ensure people and their families have access to high-quality health care, close to home.