Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

During the 2018 to 2019 school year I was homeless for one month due to a bed bug infestation and an abusive landlord. I had to find, and settle into a new home during the Fall semester of 2018. I was faced with paying rent that was 3x higher than what OSAP living allowances permitted. As a result, I had to work part time and look for jobs in order to afford my new apartment. This continued into Winter 2019 where I ended up being more focused on securing a summer job than on school because of fears of the new changes to OSAP as well as knowing I had used up my rainy day fund for the school year.

I saw an occupational therapist during this time but it was difficult to do regularly because I still had to prioritize figuring out my finances and so interviews and preparing for them consumed the time I was supposed to allot to my wellbeing. I was however, able to complete some core courses that were not electives, however PSYC352 and CISC223 which I was taking as elective units were unable to receive the attention it needed. Same with CISC251 which had had an extension and was supposed to be completed in Jan-April 2019.

I was hoping to complete these courses over the summer but working a full time job in addition to the burnout I was experiencing made it hardly possible to do.

I continue to be worried about my finances, espescially with the new OSAP changes. I was hoping to take this year off to recoup on them but instead I was faced with having to pay off my OSAP debt, once again causing me to focus on my finances rather than school. Due to the fact I have to work and focus on generating revenue to tackle my debt, I am unsure of when I would be able to actually focus on these courses.