TORONTO - Some grants available to post-secondary students in Ontario will become restricted to those in need starting with the 2009-2010 academic year.
The $150 textbook and technology grant and the distance grant, worth $500 depending on distance travelled, were introduced just last year.
The grants were open to all students, but Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy says they will become limited to students who qualify for the Ontario Students Assistance Plan.
In addition, a planned increase in the textbook grant to $225 in September 2009 and $300 for 2010 will not proceed.
Milloy says "the world has changed significantly" because of the economic slump since the grants were introduced and predicts the moves could save up to $100 million a year.
Students who do not qualify for OSAP are eligible for the grants if their academic program begins before Aug. 1, 2009.
