Updated August 21, 2024

The Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto and LSAC are committed in assisting financially needy applicants with their expenses when applying for their legal education.

Demonstration of Financial Need
The onus is on the candidate to demonstrate financial need based on the FAMILY finances, rather than the candidate's individual finances. Therefore, it is not sufficient to provide only the fee waiver forms, as supporting financial documents must also be provided. Waiver forms submitted without the requisite supporting documents cannot be processed. 

  

(1) Waiver of LSAT test registration fee for Canadians

An approved LSAC fee waiver will entitle you to either one or two free LSAT sittings for a period of up to two years from the date of approval of your fee waiver. 

Please refer to the LSAC fee waiver website for the current and complete list of entitlements. Note that the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) provided by LSAC is not to be used for applying to UofT Law.
 

Eligibility  

At the time of submission of the waiver application, your official immigration status in Canada must be one of:

  • Canadian Citizen
  • Permanent Resident
  • Protected Person
  • Convention Refugee

Applying for the LSAT Fee Waiver

All LSAT fee waiver applications are handled by the LSAC entirely.  The fee waiver application form and required supporting documents must be submitted to the LSAC directly.

  • LSAT fee waivers are not retroactive, and must be obtained prior to registering for a desired LSAT test date. The LSAC advises that completed waiver applications be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the registration deadline for a desired test date.
     
  • Falsification of information supplied on the application can result in charges of LSAT misconduct and irregularities against the applicant.
     
  • From the LSAC website, please ensure that you obtain the LSAT fee waiver application form for Canadians, for the appropriate admission cycle, that contains the submission instructions and required supporting documents.

For any questions about the LSAT fee wavier please contact LSAC by phone at 1.800.336.3982 or via the online LSAC candidate help form.

  

(2) Waiver of the UofT university fee for OLSAS applications

An approved fee waiver will exempt you from the payment of the OLSAS $115 University Fee for UofT, prior to the submission of your OLSAS application by the OLSAS deadline.

The granting of these fee waivers is discretionary and will be considered for candidates whose total FAMILY income from all sources satisfies the low-income levels established by the Canadian Student Loan Program. The basic criterion for granting a waiver is the absolute inability to pay for the service. The need criterion is considerably more stringent than for other financial aid processes. Only those with extreme need should apply. 

Eligibility  

  1. At the time of submission of the waiver application, your official immigration status in Canada must be one of:
      • Canadian Citizen
      • Permanent Resident
      • Protected Person
      • Convention Refugee
         
  2. Open to JD first-year and JD transfer applicants only
     
  3. Open to students from low-income families only. See Table 1 of the Federal Income Scales (Quebec only | rest of Canada) to determine if your FAMILY is low income.
      

Applying for the UofT OLSAS Fee Waiver

In order to process your request for a UofT OLSAS fee waiver, you are required to submit the completed, signed and dated application accompanied with all the relevant documentation. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Timing

  • UofT OLSAS fee waivers are not retroactive and must be obtained prior to submission of the OLSAS application.
  • The OLSAS fee waivers are only valid for ONE admissions cycle, which will be the current admission cycle.
  • Please allow at least two weeks for processing of an UofT OLSAS Fee Waiver application. 
  • The JD Admissions Office will notify via email regarding the outcome of the waiver application. 
  • Paper submissions of the waiver application and documentation are confidentially shredded after handling by the law school.

 

The 2024-2025 UofT OLSAS Fee Waiver Application Form & Required Supporting Documents [perform A, B, C]

[A]   Proof of official immigration status in Canada, e.g. Canadian passport, Permanent Resident Card, birth certificate etc.
 

[B]  ONE OF EITHER (1) or (2):

    1. Proof of approval for a LSAC fee waiver for the LSAT dated January 1st, 2022 or later.
      The appropriate document is the LSAC pdf letter that is emailed to candidates that includes the letter date, the candidate's LSAC number, address and name.

      OR

    2. Proof of low family income:
      • See Table 1 of the Federal Income Scales (Quebec only | rest of Canada) to determine if your FAMILY is low income.
         
      • A cover letter explaining the applicant and family financial situation. The letter must include your name, OLSAS account username, mailing address, email address, and phone number and the letter date.

      • Copies of documents supporting your current financial situation, including, but not limited to:
        • Most current Social Assistance payments, if any
        • Most recent bank statements showing transaction details
        • Most recent credit card statements showing transaction details
        • OSAP Notice of Assessment or Government Student Assistance from other Provinces (for both the Provincial and the Federal portions), for all the years attending a post secondary institution. The documents should include your name and account number. For example, for OSAP provide the Funding Summary from your online OSAP account, see sample.
        • Additional documentation may be requested in order to fully process your fee waiver application. 
           

[C]   COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE APPLICATION & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 

  1. Please read then complete the 2024-2025 UofT OLSAS Fee Waiver Application Form (fillable PDF document)
      
  2. Save a copy of the completed, signed and dated waiver application form for your records.
     
  3. Submit the completed, signed and dated waiver application form with supporting documents (provide the supporting documents in PDF format only) to JD Admissions by email to admissions.law@utoronto.ca

  4. Please await the review of the waiver application submission for our notification of the decision to either approve or decline a fee waiver.

HELP

For any questions, clarifications or for submission please email admissions.law@utoronto.ca