Introduction

Debt Limit

For Both Loans and Bursaries

Additional Information

Application for the Recognition of a Program

INTRODUCTION

You would like to study full-time at a postsecondary institution outside Québec but do not have the financial means to do so?

Read on! You may qualify for financial assistance from the Québec government under the Loans and Bursaries Program, which is administered by Aide financière aux études (AFE). However, you must be enrolled full-time in a recognized postsecondary institution.

In addition, please keep in mind that when you study outside Québec, the rules for calculating financial assistance awards may differ from those that apply when you study in Québec.

FOR LOANS ONLY

Even if your program is also offered in Québec, you may still qualify for a loan if the educational institution you plan to attend and the program of study for which you wish to register are recognized by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports. If they are not, then you must file an application for recognition.

1.1 Recognition of Educational Institutions

To be recognized for the purposes of loans only, postsecondary institutions must meet one of the following criteria.

Educational Institutions Outside Québec but in Canada

The postsecondary institution must:

• belong to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)

• be affiliated with a member institution of the AUCC, or

• be subsidized or recognized by the province in which it is located

Educational Institutions Outside Canada

The postsecondary institution must be recognized by the government of the country in which it is located.

To determine whether an educational institution is recognized by the government of the country in which it is located, one of the points considered by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport is the accreditation granted by a recognized, regional or national organization responsible for accrediting educational institutions in the country, province or state concerned. Where no accrediting organization exists, the Ministère will take into account the status bestowed upon the institution by international organizations.

The Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport sets the criteria for recognizing accrediting organizations. These criteria may differ from one country to the next, depending on whether or not there is an organization officially in charge of recognizing educational institutions.

1.2. Recognition of Programs

To be recognized for the purposes of loans only, an out-of-province college or university program must meet the same criteria as those which apply to postsecondary programs offered at the same level in Québec.

Exceptions

No financial assistance is awarded for studies pursued outside Québec in a distance education, second language or aircraft piloting program.

Similarly, no financial assistance is awarded for studies pursued outside Québec in the following programs, for which admission quotas have been set by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport or by the government of Québec:

• Medicine (except if you live in Québec and are enrolled in the medicine program offered at the University of Ottawa)

• Natural Environment Technology

• Police Technology

However, the Minister may, exceptionally, recognize a program for which admission quotas have been set if it considers that the program fills an imperative collective need in Québec. The educational institution offering the program must be located close to the Québec border and have been previously recognized for the purposes of loans and bursaries.

2. FOR BOTH LOANS AND BURSARIES

You may qualify for both a loan and a bursary if the educational institution you plan to attend and the program for which you wish to register meet the above-mentioned criteria for loans only and if they are recognized under one of the following three categories.

Note: A combined university program at an institution outside Québec which includes a program recognized as an undergraduate program in Québec will be considered as an undergraduate program.

The level (college versus university, undergraduate versus graduate) of programs offered outside Québec is determined by comparing them with postsecondary programs offered in Québec. The assessment of the level of a program is valid only for the purposes of awarding financial assistance under the Québec Loans and Bursaries Program and cannot be used as proof of the length of a program or of the awarding of a degree.

3. APPLICATION FOR THE RECOGNITION OF A PROGRAM

AFE is responsible for recognizing educational institutions and programs, and for determining tuition fees for the first category of recognition (Canadian public postsecondary institutions located outside Québec).

In the other cases, the student must apply to have the institution and program recognized. He or she must enclose the following documents with the application:

• a letter stating the reasons he or she wished to register in the program, taking care to include his or her name and personal address

• an official description of the program (from the directory or calendar) providing all of the following information:

• the name of the program

• the admission requirements

• the duration of the program (in years or study periods)

• the number of credits, if any, as well as the rules for awarding credits and for evaluating knowledge and skills

• the goals of the program and the learning methods and activities featured

• the list and outline of courses

• the title and type of degree awarded at the end of the program and the requirements for obtaining it
  
  

• an official detailed statement of educational expenses per study period for that program (compulsory tuition and registration fees and compulsory related expenses)

• the name, address and telephone number of the person in charge of student financial assistance at the educational institution

Note: If the official description of a program is in a language other than English or French, the student is responsible for having it translated into English or French. The accuracy of the translation must be certified in a sworn declaration by the translator.

4. DEBT LIMIT

No financial assistance of any kind—loans or bursaries—will be awarded to students who have reached the debt limit for their level of education or type of degree or program.

5. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications for Recognition

Students are strongly advised to submit applications for recognition as soon as possible in order to receive their financial assistance without delay.

Applications for recognition must be sent separately from applications for financial assistance to the following address:

Demande de reconnaissance
Aide financière aux études
Ministère de l'Éducation,
du Sport et du Loisir
1035, rue De La Chevrotière
Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5

Applications for Financial Assistance

You must file your application for financial assistance no later than 60 days after your last month of recognized studies.

You must attach a note to the first page of your Application for Financial Assistance form indicating that you have filed an application to have the educational institution or program recognized for the purposes of the Loans and Bursaries Program. It is important that you mail your application for financial assistance in the envelope provided for that purpose.

If the educational institution and the program have already been recognized for the purposes of the Loans and Bursaries Program, simply enter the codes of the institution and program in Section 3 of the Application for Financial Assistance form.

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

To find out whether an educational institution or a program is recognized for the purposes of awarding financial assistance, contact the financial assistance office at any postsecondary institution in Québec or call AFE's reception and inquiries desk, the Service de l'accueil et des renseignements, at (418) 643-3750 or 1-877-643-3750 (toll-free in Canada and the United States).