Student Financial Assistance Measures

General Information

1. What kinds of student financial assistance measures are available?
   
   
2. I received bursaries from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation for the 2008-09 school year. Will I still be approved for the same amount of grant assistance this year?
   
   
3. How do these measures help medical, law and other students?
   
   

Students with Permanent Disabilities

1. What financial assistance measures are available for students with permanent disabilities?
   
   
2. What are the eligibility requirements to qualify for the Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities, as well as the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities?
   
   
3. How do students with permanent disabilities apply for these grants?
   
   

Part-time Students

1. What financial assistance measures am I eligible for as a part-time student?
   
   

Graduate Students

1. Can graduate students benefit from Canada Student Grants?
   
   

General Information

Q1. What kinds of student financial assistance measures are available?

A. Student financial assistance measures will help Canadian students and families manage the cost of post-secondary education.

Programs include:

• Canada Student Loans and Grants.
• A Repayment Assistance Plan to help borrowers who have difficulty paying back loans.
• Support for students with permanent disabilities.
• Support for part-time students and students with dependants.

Q2. I received bursaries from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation for the 2008-09 school year. Will I still be approved for the same amount of grant assistance this year?

A. The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation (CMSF) officially sunset in January 2010. Eligible recipients of the CMSF Millennium bursary will receive a non-repayable transition grant for up to three additional years of undergraduate study. This transition grant is funded by the Government of Canada.

Q3. How do these measures help medical, law and other students?

A. Students who attend school for longer periods typically have higher student loan debt and their payments can cause financial hardships. For example, mandatory work experience periods – such as medical residency or legal articling – can be difficult times for students in repayment, because they may have to make substantial loan payments while earning a lower income.

Through the Repayment Assistance Plan, all eligible borrowers – including medical residents, articling lawyers and others – will have affordable payments that are based on family income and family size. For example, a single borrower making less than $20,000 annually will not need to make payments.

Students with Permanent Disabilities

Q1. What financial assistance measures are available for students with permanent disabilities?

A. Students with permanent disabilities may be eligible for one or more of the following measures for students with permanent disabilities:

• Grants under the Canada Student Grants Program. In order to be eligible, a student must qualify for a Canada Student Loan and meet the specific eligibility requirements of a grant.
• The federal student loan Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability (RAP-PD) is available to borrowers with a permanent disability who are having difficulty paying their student debt. RAP-PD makes it easier for borrowers with a permanent disability to manage their student debt by paying back what they can reasonably afford.
• Permanent Disability Benefit is available to borrowers with a severe permanent disability. If you have a severe permanent disability, you may be eligible to have your loans immediately forgiven.
• The Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities, which provides $2,000 per year to help cover the costs of accommodation, tuition and books.
• The Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities, which provides up to $8,000 per year to cover exceptional education-related costs such as tutors, note-takers, interpreters, braillers or technical aids.
• Up to 520 weeks of financial assistance from the Canada Student Loans Program with a reduced course load.

Q2. What are the eligibility requirements to qualify for the Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities, as well as the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities?

A. Students who are eligible for the Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities must:

• apply and qualify for a Canada Student Loan;
• be enrolled in a full-time or part-time program at a designated post-secondary institution;
• meet the criteria for students with permanent disabilities; and
• include one of the following with their loan application as proof of their disability: a medical certificate, a psycho-educational assessment, or documentation proving receipt of federal or provincial disability assistance.

Students will be eligible for the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities if they:

• meet the above criteria,
• provide written confirmation (from a person qualified to determine such need) that they are in need of exceptional education-related services or equipment, and
• show in writing the exact cost of the equipment and services.

Students who will have been assessed as having a permanent disability during the Canada Student Loan application stage will not have to re-submit documentation to demonstrate their permanent disability for the purpose of the Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability.

Q3. How do students with permanent disabilities apply for these grants?

A. When completing your application for student financial assistance, you must indicate that you have a permanent disability and provide appropriate supporting documentation to your provincial or territorial student financial aid office. A separate application is required for the Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities.

Part-time Students

Q1. What financial assistance measures am I eligible for as a part-time student?

A. As a part-time student you will be able to receive a maximum of $10,000 in Canada Student Loans.

You may be eligible for the Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Studies, the Canada Student Grant for Part-time Students with Dependants, as well as the Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities.

Part-time students from low-income families may qualify for up to $1,200 per year in grants, money that does not need to be paid back.

For part-time students with dependants:

• If you have one or two children under 12 years of age, you may be eligible for $40 per week of study.
• If you have three or more children under 12 years of age, you may be eligible for $60 per week of study.

The funding provided under these grants should not exceed a student’s assessed need. For example, if a student demonstrates $800 of assessed need, the student should then receive a maximum grant of $800. Part-time students are not eligible for the grant for students from low- or middle-income families.

Part-time students do not have to begin repaying their loan until six months after they graduate or stop going to school. No payments will be required during this period, but interest will accumulate.

Part-time students experiencing difficulty paying back their student loan can apply for the Repayment Assistance Plan.

Graduate Students

Q1. Can graduate students benefit from Canada Student Grants?

A. Yes. Graduate students are eligible for the following grants:

• Canada Student Grant for Persons with Dependants: Under this grant, students from low-income families with children may receive $200 in grant assistance per month of study for each child under 12 years of age.
• Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependants: Under this grant, part time students with up to two children under 12 years of age may be eligible for $40 per week of study, and part time students with three or more chidren may be eligible for $60 per week of study.
• Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Studies: Under this grant, part-time students may be eligible for up to $1,200 per school year.
• Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities: Under this grant, students with permanent disabilities may receive $2,000 per academic year to help cover the costs of accommodation, tuition, and books.
• Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities: Under this grant, students with permanent disabilities who have exceptional education-related costs such as tutors, note-takers, interpreters, braillers or technical aids may receive up to $8,000 per academic year.