While the prospect of taking out a student loan that you must inevitably pay back can weigh heavily in the back of your mind, government grants can provide financial assistance which you don’t need to worry about paying back. To help give you an understanding of the kinds of grants students can receive, we have put it into basics so that you can focus on the exciting stuff.

Can I get a grant?

Whether you are able to receive a government grant depends on which province or territory you are from as each one has its own student loan and grant service, coordinated with the Government of Canada. While you will have to contact your province’s student financial aid body directly for this information, we have given you a few examples of the help available in order to give you a head start.

Canada Student Grants

The Canada Student Grant for Students from Low-Income Families is available to students whose parents don’t earn enough to support them through their studies abroad.

This grant provides USD 250 a month for the duration of your studies which, for some, can be truly invaluable. However, it is not available to students from Northwest Territories, Nunavut or Quebec, as these provinces and territories have their own student financial aid available. More information on this grant can be found here.

There is also a Canada Student Grant for Middle-Income Families available, which provides USD 100 a month for the duration of your studies. This, too is not available to the aforementioned provinces and territories, but you can find out more information here.

These are not the only Canada Student Grants available, with one for students with disabilities available, as well as one for students with dependants. For a full run-down of these and to find out how to apply, you can follow this link.

Ontario

While Ontario students can apply to Canada Student Grants, there are other options available. If you are from Ontario and are planning on studying abroad, you may be eligible for a grant awarded by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

However, in order to qualify, the school you want to attend needs to be approved for student loan purposes. You can find more information on this and find out if your desired institution is approved here.

If it is not on the list, don’t worry – this is not definitive. You can ask the government to consider approving the school for OSAP. This process takes about 10-12 weeks to complete once you have made the application, so it is best to get in early to avoid any unnecessary stress. Find out how to do this here.

If you and your institution do qualify, the Student Financial Assistance Branch of the Ontario Ministry or Training, Colleges and Universities will act as your financial aid office. This is who you will deal with directly with regard to your grant, as well as throughout the application process. The contact details for this can be found here.

Alberta

As in Ontario, students from Alberta can apply for Canada Student Loans but can also go through Student Aid Alberta. Again, your desired institution must have been approved, but you can request a reconsideration. More information on this can be found here.

Northwest Territories

If you are from the Northwest Territories, you can apply for various grants from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), through the Student Financial Assistance (SFA) program. These do not cover the entire cost of your studies but will aim to supplement the cost.

Depending on whether you are eligible, you can apply for a Basic Grant, which helps to fund tuition and fees as well as books and travel costs, a Supplementary Grant, essentially a monthly living allowance, or a NWT Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities. For full details, you can visit the ECE website.

While we have only given you an idea of the kind of help available in certain provinces and territories, contact details for all province and territory financial aid offices can be found here. For more information on what you can get, why don’t you give them a call?

If you need more advice on funding your studies, check out our guide to understanding financial aid.

You can also start looking for a course and university using our course matcher tool.