
Admission Requirements
- No high school diploma (Ontario Secondary School Diploma – OSSD) is required to take the PSW Program. As part of the PSW Certificate program at St. Louis, students can earn up to 7 elective secondary school credits and they will be added to your high school transcript. This can either lead toward high school diploma completion or improvement of overall average which is helpful when applying for post-secondary.
Age Requirements:
- For students to attend the PSW Program, students must be 18 years of age or older on the first day that classes begin.
ID Requirements:
- Proof of Status in Canada (any of the following):
- Permanent Resident Card
- Refugee Papers and Photo ID
- Status Card and Photo ID
- Canadian Birth Certificate and Photo ID
- Canadian Citizenship Card or Certificate and Photo ID
- Canadian Passport
- Photo ID (to accompany any documents listed above without a photo, we cannot accept a Health Card)
- High School Transcript, Graduation Credit Summary, or Canadian Language Benchmarks
- Proof of Current Mailing Address – we cannot accept a Driver’s License or Cellphone Bill, but we can accept any of the following:
- Utility Bill (Water, Gas, or Electricity)
- Property Tax Bill
- Home Phone/Internet/ Cable Bill
- Purchase/ Rental/ Lease Agreement
- Bank Document
- Report Card
Language Requirements
- Students who wish to earn secondary school credits and previously attended or are currently attending ESL/LINC classes must provide completion verification of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. If English is not your first language, please bring your CLB assessment documents from class or from the YMCA Language Assessment Centre to the PSW intake.
STEPS to complete additional admission requirements:
STEP 1: Completed Pre-Registration Form Required
- Complete PSW Pre-registration form. (Only students who complete this pre-registration form will be considered), Click on the ORANGE Register NOW button to complete this step.
STEP 2: Literacy Assessment
- All students who complete the pre-registration form will have the opportunity to write a literacy test in-person at St. Louis Kitchener Main Campus. Students will be contacted to schedule a date and time for the literacy test. If English is not your first language, please bring your CLB assessment documents to the literacy test.
STEP 3: Intake & Interview
- Successful students will then be invited to the PSW Intake session and interview with one of our staff.
- Attending a PSW Intake does not guarantee a spot in the program.
- Due to program space limitations, students who complete a successful interview may need to be placed on a waiting list.
- If you have not completed your OSSD, or completed your education outside of Ontario, please complete a Guidance Intake Form to arrange a meeting with Guidance. Guidance will let you know if these 7 elective credits means you have now completed all your Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements (including 40 hours of community activities).
STEP 4: Conditional Acceptance:
- Provide proof of status in Canada and photo identification (as listed above) is required prior to acceptance. Refugee Claimants and International Students require a study permit as a condition of acceptance, and all documentation provided prior to acceptance.
STEP 5: Upon acceptance into the program, the requirements below must be also provided in a timely manner:
- Must provide a clear Criminal Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector no later than 1 month prior to co-op placement OR prior to enrolment to attend the Living Classroom program locations. This means no charges, convictions, even withdrawals or discharges. Failure to provide a clear Criminal Records Check will prevent you from completing the program.
- High School Transcript, Graduation Credit Summary from the last high school or Adult and Continuing Education Centre you attended. If last school was out of country, you must make appointment with Guidance by completing the Guidance Intake Form.
- All classes will now include FREE and approved Standard First Aid & CPR-BLS, as part of the course curriculum. Students do not have to complete this additional pre-requisite training before beginning the St. Louis PSW Certificate Program.
- Mental and physical health and fitness levels necessary to attend all classes and complete clinical workplace hours (lifting is required)
- Medical Assessment document required
- Tuberculosis (TB) test –clear result required
- Up to date vaccinations including Covid-19, Measles/mumps/ rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B, Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap), Polio. Proof of vaccination is required for Living Classroom enrolment and ALL PSW Program placements.
- Proof of annual Flu Shot when available
Step 6: Fees
The St. Louis PSW Program offered in the 2024-2025 school year continue to be funded by the Ministry of Education with FREE TUITION for Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and Refugee Claimants accepted into the program. International Students must pay full tuition (approximately $13,000+).
Course materials fees are paid for by the Ontario Government for Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and Refugee Claimants accepted into the St. Louis PSW program. International Students must pay a $2000 materials fees in addition to full tuition.
** Full fee payment would be required of International Students before starting the PSW program.