- Canada Student Loans and Grants
- Saving for Education
- Adult Learning and Literacy
- Post-Secondary Education
- Student Exchanges and Academic Mobility
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.
If you’re looking for information about loans, grants, or the program itself, click on a link below to find information particular to your needs:
- Student Loans
- Grants
- More Information About the Canada Student Loans Program
- Related Links
- New: Reports about the Canadian Millenium Scholarship Foundation
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.
*Important note for residents of Quebec, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories.
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. Click here to access the Maximum Income Guidelines for DRR.
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. Click here to access the Maximum Income Guidelines for Interest Relief.
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.
Tax Relief
Click on the link above to find out what forms of tax relief the Government of Canada offers students.
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.
**Important note for residents of Quebec, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories.
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. Click on the link above for more information.
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.
More Information about the Canada Student Loans Program
Learn more about the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) by visiting the links below:
The Canada Student Loans Program
Visit the Canada Student Loans Program link to find out more about its mission, how it is organized and an overview of the program.
Acts and Regulations
To review the acts and regulations regarding the Canada Student Loans Program, please visit the page above.
Publications
Visit the Canada Student Loan Program Publications page to access guides containing information on Canada Student loans and other financial assistance programs available to fund your post-secondary education.
Related Links
CanLearn
CanLearn is an online source for information on post-secondary education and learning resources in Canada. CanLearn provides information needed to apply for, maintain, and repay student loans in Canada.
Canada Revenue Agency
The Canada Revenue Agency’s Web site contains all the information student loan borrowers need in order to file their taxes.
On-Line Tools
CanLearn offers a list of interactive tools that will help you save, plan and pay for your post-secondary education.
National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC)
The National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) is a government agency that processes students’ federal loan repayments and offers assistance programs to students who experience difficulty repaying their student loan.
Provincial and Territorial Student Assistance Offices
Provincial and Territorial Student Assistance Offices provide application forms and information on student assistance programs. They confirm students' eligibility, process loan applications, assess students' financial need, and send loan documents to student loan borrowers.
Canada Student Loans Program - Certification Unit - This section allows those working in the area of private institution certification to access resources critical to their work.
