Ontario is expanding a free tuition program to more health-care professions in order to entice future graduates to stay in the province and provide care to underserved communities in return.
The province’s Learn and Stay grant, announced last March, will now also cover tuition and other costs for paramedic and medical laboratory technologist programs, said Premier Doug Ford in a press conference in London, Ont., on Jan. 20.
“We are bolstering our workforce, building a pipeline of health care talent for growing and underserved communities,” the premier said. “Students can apply for full upfront funding at select colleges and universities—if they commit to staying in their region, working for up to two years after graduating.”
Grant applications for the 2023-24 academic year will open this spring. The program which started with 1,500 nursing students last year, will expand to accommodate 2,500 postsecondary students who enrol in the mentioned professions, said Ford’s office in a news release.
The grant will be offered through nursing programs in northern, eastern and southwestern Ontario; paramedic programs in northern Ontario; and medical laboratory technologist programs in northern and southwestern Ontario.
“We’re working hand in hand with our colleges, universities and healthcare partners,” Ford said. “We’re making it easier, faster, and more convenient for you to connect to care.”
