Two postsecondary nursing programs in the Peterborough area are 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.
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. “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.”
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 over $175 million through OLSG to support nearly 13,000 learners, including nearly $54 million to train over 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.
Quick Facts
- As of March 2026, 260 OLSG recipients in nursing programs in eastern Ontario have either begun or completed their local service commitments and are already making an impact in local communities.
- The expansion will support communities in the Lakelands Public Health Unit, including Peterborough, the Kawarthas, Haliburton and Northumberland.
- Through the Ontario 2025 budget, the government invested $261.7 million into the Ontario Learn and Stay program to continue supporting nurses, paramedics, and lab techs who commit to working in high need regions of the province.
- As part of the government’s historic $6.4B long-term funding model, the government is investing $1.7B to fund 70,000 seats in key, labour-market driven sectors including health care.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
