Canada Student Loans and Grants

The Canada Student Loans Program provides loans and grants to Canadians attending a University, College, Trade School, or Vocational School, if they need help financing their education.

Student Loans

The Canada Student Loans Program enables students with a demonstrated financial need to attend a post-secondary institution by providing them with loans to cover the costs of going to school. In doing so, the Government of Canada attempts to ensure Canadians have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills needed to participate in the economy and society.
Applying for a Canada Student Loan

Applying for a Government Student Loan (CanLearn)

Determine your eligibility for a Canada Student Loan--find out how to apply for a loan, and learn when you will receive the funds. Some pages within this section will ask you for your student profile in order to provide the information that is most relevant to your situation. You will need to select your province or territory of residence, whether you are (or will be) a full-time or part-time student, and what type of institution you are (or will be) attending.

Designated Educational Institutions

To help determine your eligibility for a loan, visit the desidngated list of educational institutions where students are eligible to receive Canada Student Loans.

Financial Planner

The Financial Planner provides you with three tools to help you finance and budget for your postsecondary education: The Education Cost Calculator, the Budget Estimator and the Online Budget Planner.

Need Assessment Tables for Full-Time Loans

These tables assist full-time students in determining whether or not they are eligible for a student loan.

Student Loan Estimator

The Student Loan Estimator is an interactive Web application that can be used by full-time students to estimate the amount of assistance they could potentially receive from both the Canada Student Loan Program and provincial funding authorities.

Repaying Your Canada Student Loan

Repaying your Government Student Loan (CanLearn)

Visit CanLearn’s “Repaying your Government Student Loan” section to find out when you have to begin paying back your loan, what your monthly payments will be and how to repay your student loan faster. Some pages within this section will ask you for your student profile in order to provide the information that is most relevant to your situation. You will need to select your province or territory of residence, whether you are (or were) a full-time or part-time student, and what type of institution you are (or were) attending.

Debt Reduction in Repayment

Determine how Debt Reduction in Repayment (DRR) may be able to assist you if you face exceptional long-term financial difficulty. DRR will reduce your outstanding student loan principal and lower your monthly loan payments.

Interest Relief

Interest Relief can help you meet your repayment obligations if you are temporarily unable to repay your government student loans due to unemployment or a low income.

Permanent Disability Benefit

If you have a permanent disability and you are experiencing exceptional financial hardship repaying your Canada Student Loan(s) due to your disability, you may qualify for the Permanent Disability Benefit (PDB) which allows for the reduction of your loans.

Revising the Terms of your Loan

Revision of Terms is a debt management measure designed to help you decrease your monthly payment amount should you be unable to repay your government student loans according to the terms in your Consolidation Agreement.

Grants

Grants are available from the Government of Canada to increase the participation of under-represented groups in post-secondary education as well as to encourage parents to start saving for their child(ren)’s post-secondary education early. Grants are also available for students in a variety of fields and who are at different levels in their education.
Canada Study and Access Grants

Grants for Students from Low Income Families and High-need Part-time Students

This grant is available to first-time students from low-income families at any designated post-secondary educational institution.

Grants for Students with Dependants

This grant is awarded to students who have dependants and who demonstrate financial need exceeding the established amounts in their combined federal and provincial loans.

Grants for Students with Disabilities

The Grant for Students with Disabilities provides funds for accommodation, tuition, books, and other education-related expenses related to a student’s disability.

Grants for Women pursuing Doctoral Studies

The Grant for Women pursuing Doctoral Studies is intended to help increase the participation of women in certain fields of study at the doctoral level.

Other Grants and Scholarships

Apprenticeship Incentive Grant

The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG) helps apprentices cover some of the expenses related to tuition, travel and tools to reduce the barriers faced by many Canadians who wish to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

Canada Education Savings Grants

The Canada Education Savings Grant is a grant offered by the Government of Canada to help parents save for their child's education.

Canada Graduate Scholarships

The Canada Graduate Scholarship is offered to graduate and doctoral students.

Canadian Millenium Scholarships

The Canadian Millennium Foundation provides a range of bursaries, awards and scholarships to improve access to Canadian undergraduate post-secondary education.

Scholarship Search

The CanLearn Scholarship Search is a service provided in collaboration with Studentawards.com: the leading FREE Canadian scholarship search service devoted to helping students find information on scholarships, bursaries, grants, and other forms of financial assistance.