Understanding the OSSD
This page explains Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements for reference. COLA’s proposed initial program is limited to individual Grade 9–11 courses. COLA is not currently authorized to grant credits and will not issue an OSSD during its initial year.
What an OSSD is
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is the credential awarded by Ontario secondary schools upon meeting the Ministry of Education's graduation requirements: 30 credits, a literacy requirement, community involvement hours, and (for eligible cohorts) online-learning and financial-literacy graduation requirements.
Other Ontario secondary credentials
A diploma or certificate is issued by the principal of the school holding the student’s OSR when the applicable requirements are met. During COLA’s initial year, that responsibility will remain with the student’s Ontario home or records-holding school; COLA will not issue diplomas or certificates.
Compulsory-credit requirements (general reference)
Optional-credit requirements
Optional-credit requirements depend on the student's Grade 9 entry cohort: generally 12 optional credits for students who entered in 2023 or earlier, and 13 for students who entered in 2024 or later. These credits allow students to pursue interests and postsecondary prerequisites.
Online-learning graduation requirement
Students working toward the OSSD in eligible cohorts are generally required to earn a portion of their diploma credits through online learning, with an opt-out available for students and families who prefer not to. Every COLA course, once authorized, would be delivered fully online.
Financial-literacy graduation requirement
Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, students who entered Grade 9 in 2025–26 or later must complete the financial-literacy graduation requirement through Grade 10 Career Studies. Students must achieve at least 70% on the Ministry modules; the result counts for 5% of the GLC2O final mark. Cohort-specific exemptions and alternate completion procedures follow current Ministry policy.
Literacy requirement procedures
Students normally meet the provincial literacy requirement through the OSSLT, and eligible students may meet it through the OSSLC. During COLA’s initial year, the student’s home or records-holding school will remain responsible for administering, accommodating, documenting, and recording the literacy requirement. COLA will provide relevant course and achievement information to that school when required.
Community involvement procedures
Students working toward the OSSD must complete 40 hours of eligible community involvement. During COLA’s initial year, the student’s home or records-holding school will remain responsible for approving activities, providing required forms, verifying completion, and recording accumulated hours.
Course-selection guidance
Guidance support will help students choose courses that satisfy compulsory requirements, prerequisites, and postsecondary pathway needs, based on their specific entry-cohort requirements.
Prerequisites
Each course page lists its required prerequisite, if any. Admissions verifies completed prerequisites against submitted transcripts before enrollment is confirmed.
Transfer credits & equivalent credits
COLA will review prior report cards or transcripts to verify prerequisites and course suitability. The student’s home or records-holding school remains responsible for formal transfer-credit equivalency and remaining diploma requirements during the initial year.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
During the initial year, COLA will not act as a student’s records-holding school or grant credits through PLAR. The Ontario home or records-holding school remains responsible for PLAR challenge, equivalency, mature-student assessment, and overall diploma planning. A prerequisite review or waiver for admission to a specific COLA course is separate from PLAR and does not itself grant a credit.
Compulsory-credit substitutions
A principal may approve up to three substitutions for compulsory credits to respond to a student’s needs, interests, or special circumstances, within Ministry limitations. The decision is made in consultation with the student and parent or guardian where applicable, documented in the OSR, and recorded on the OST. A substitution does not reduce the total number of credits required.
Ontario Student Transcript (OST)
The OST is the official, cumulative record of a student’s credits and grades. During the initial year, COLA will send the required final report card and credit information to the student’s Ontario home or records-holding school, which remains responsible for updating and issuing the OST.
Full disclosure
Ontario's full-disclosure policy records Grade 11 and 12 course attempts, repeats, and withdrawals on the official transcript, subject to the Ministry's withdrawal-reporting deadline. This applies to COLA courses once authorized.
Ontario Student Record (OSR)
The OSR is the official record of a student's educational progress through Ontario schools. Ontario requires the principal responsible for a student to establish and maintain the OSR according to the applicable student-record rules.
Initial-year model: Students enrol with COLA part-time for individual Grade 9–11 credits while an existing or designated Ontario home school retains the OSR. Before admission is finalized, COLA will require confirmation of the records-holding arrangement and consent to communicate with that school.
COLA’s reporting responsibility: Once authorized, COLA will issue the required mid-course and final report cards and send final marks, credits earned, and applicable Grade 11 withdrawal information to the records-holding school. COLA will maintain its required course and administrative records but will not establish the OSR, issue the OST, administer overall diploma requirements, or issue an OSSD during the initial year.