Loans and Bursaries Program

The Loans and Bursaries Program enables individuals with insufficient financial resources to pursue full-time studies, including secondary education (vocational training), college or university programs.

Financial assistance is granted to full-time students, or students deemed to be full-time by the Aide financière aux études of the ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur . It is paid as a loan, and if the loan is insufficient to meet the student’s financial needs, a bursary may also be granted. Unlike the bursary, the loan must be repaid at the end of studies.

• a severe visual impairment;
• a severe hearing impairment;
• a motor impairment;
• an organic impairment.

Guarantee Certificate
To receive the financial assistance that has been approved for them, students must have a guarantee certificate. This document is provided at the beginning of studies by the educational institution’s financial assistance office. Students must submit the certificate to a financial institution in order to initiate the process of receiving financial assistance payments. This document is valid as long as a person is a student. However, if studies are interrupted or discontinued for more than six months, a new certificate must be obtained.

Change in circumstances
Students awarded financial assistance under the Loans and Bursaries Program are required to inform Aide financière aux études of any changes in their circumstances including those of parents, sponsor (see definitions) or spouse (see definitions) over the course of the award year that could affect the amount of financial assistance awarded to them.

Interruption or withdrawal from studies
A student who interrupts or withdraws from his or her full-time studies, or from studies that are deemed full-time studies, at the beginning of a month is considered to be a student for that month. However, if that month corresponds to the beginning of a study period, the student is no longer considered to be a student if his or her educational institution does not regard him or her as such.

If the student interrupts or withdraws from his or her studies during a study period, expenses may be recognized on the condition that the student resume his or her full-time studies the following study period. The amount of allowable living expenses will be adjusted as of the month following the interruption or withdrawal. However, such expenses cannot be recognized for more than four months. Other expenses continue to be recognized unless the educational institution reimburses part of the tuition fees. If this is the case, the reimbursement is taken into account.

Drop in income
If the income reported by the student’s parents, sponsor or spouse drops by 10% or more compared to the amount reported in the application, the drop is taken into account. This is also the case for changes in the number of dependent children of the student’s parents, sponsor or spouse.

Award year
The period between September 1 of one year and August 31 of the following year.

Spouse 
The person who is married to or in a civil union with the student, or the person of the opposite or the same sex who lives with the student in a de facto union and with a child of the person or of the student.

Study period 
Period of the school year during which a student attends an educational institution. A study period generally lasts four months, but the duration may vary according to the educational institution's school calendar. 

Sponsor
The person who agreed to provide for the basic needs of the student when he or she obtained status as a permanent resident or Canadian citizenship (naturalized citizen). This is not the legal guardian.

Since the clientele and the conditions vary according to the service, the information is provided under each service.

Loan
The amount of the loan is established on the basis of

• the student's income and, where applicable, the contribution from the student's parents, spouse (see Definitions) or sponsor (see Definitions);
• the expenses normally associated with further education.

Financial assistance payments are made in the bank account of the student at the beginning of the study period (see Definitions).

Loan and bursary
The bursary amount corresponds to the difference between the student's financial needs and the amount of the loan awarded.

The financial assistance is paid to the student’s bank account for each month during which he or she is studying. 

All financial assistance paid during the award year is in the form of a loan. At the end of the award year, the government pays, to the student's financial institution, the portion of the financial assistance awarded that corresponds to the bursary to which the student is entitled.

• Student Financial Assistance 2015-2016 (PDF, 3.11 MB)

• Loans Program for Part-Time Studies