Assistance Available for Full-Time Students

StudentAidNL assesses students for both the federal and provincial student financial assistance programs through one application; however, there are two independent assessments as the two programs have different eligibility criteria.

A student’s eligibility to receive assistance is determined by assessing their financial need using the following formula:

Allowable Costs – Available Resources = Assessed Need

StudentAidNL adds the allowable educational and living costs (while in school) and then subtracts any money determined to be available to the student (financial resources). The result is the student’s assessed need.

  • Students with a positive assessed need are eligible for financial assistance.
  • Students with a negative assessed need have sufficient resources to cover the costs of attending post-secondary studies.
  • Students with unmet need have financial need remaining after financial assistance is awarded.

As there are maximum levels of assistance available, in some situations, student financial assistance funding will not be enough to cover the full cost of a student’s program (unmet need exists). In these cases, the student will need to find additional sources of funding.

The student may be eligible for the following loans and grants depending on assessed need and the student’s circumstances.

 

Federal Funding

  • Canada Student Loans (CSL): Provides up to maximum of $300 per week of study.
  •  Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students (CSG-FT): Provides up to $4,200 per standard 8-month academic year to students from low- and middle-income families based on the student’s family size and income. To qualify, a student must enroll full-time in a post-secondary program that is at least 60 weeks in duration (graduate programs are not eligible).

The CSG-FT is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. The amount awarded is determined by a single progressive threshold (Income Threshold Table) whereby as the family income increases the grant decreases. If StudentAidNL calculates the student’s eligible CSG-FT at $1 – $99, StudentAidNL will round it up to $100.

  • Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependents (CSG-FTDEP): Provides up to a maximum of $280 per month of study for each dependent who is under the age of 12 (or a dependent with a permanent disability who is 12 or older) at the beginning of the study period. The student must submit proof of the dependent’s permanent disability if they are 12 or older in the form of a medical certificate or documentation confirming receipt of federal or provincial disability assistance. The maximum CSG-FTDEP is $4,800 per academic year.

The CSG-FTDEP is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet eligibility criteria. This includes post-secondary studies beyond the undergraduate level. The amount awarded is determined by a single progressive threshold (Income Threshold Table) whereby as the family income increases the grant decreases.

The CSG-D is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. This includes post-secondary studies beyond the undergraduate level.

  • Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG- DSE): Provides up to a maximum of $20,000 per academic year to assist with education-related service and equipment expenses associated with the student’s disability (i.e., costs for hiring tutors, note-takers or interpreters, braille-related expenses or technical aids).

The CSG-DSE is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. This includes post-secondary studies beyond the undergraduate level.

To apply for the CSG-DSE, the student and a qualified official at their school must complete the Application for Grant for Services and Equipment. For more information, please visit CSG-DSE.

Provincial Funding

  • Provincial Student Loan (PSL): Provides up to a maximum of $100 per week of study for in-province students. (For Memorial University Medical Students – up to $135 per week).
  • Provincial Student Grant (PSG): Provides up to a maximum of $100 per week of study. (For Memorial University Medical Students – up to $125 per week).

 Note: Students Studying Out of Province who are eligible for student financial assistance, generally receive provincial student loans only. To be eligible for provincial student grants, a student must have extenuating circumstances for choosing to attend the program outside of the Province. Students with extenuating circumstances should submit the Provincial Grant Eligibility (Out-of-Province Students Only) to determine their eligibility for the provincial student grant (eligibility does not necessarily mean the student will receive the grant). Confirmation of Provincial Student Grant eligibility is only required once per program of study.

Students enrolled in graduate studies (i.e., Masters or Doctoral level) as confirmed by their Program Cost Form completed by their Educational Institution are automatically assessed for provincial loans and grants and are not required to submit this form.

  • Memorial University Tuition Relief Grant (TRG): Provides up to $345 per course for undergraduate Memorial University students who pay the higher course rate and whose family qualifies as low- or middle-income (based on the student’s family size and income).

To qualify, the student must be eligible for full-time Provincial student financial assistance, the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students (described above), be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador, and complete high school in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The TRG is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. The amount awarded is determined by a single progressive threshold (Income Threshold Table) whereby as the family income increases the grant decreases.

  • Provincial Grant for High Need Students with Disabilities: Provides financial assistance over the amount available through the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE) outlined above to assist with education-related service and equipment expenses associated with the student’s disability (i.e., costs for hiring tutors, note-takers or interpreters, braille-related expenses or technical aids).

The Provincial Grant for High Need Students with Disabilities is available for each year of post-secondary studies, provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. This includes post-secondary studies beyond the undergraduate level.

StudentAidNL automatically assesses the student’s eligibility for this grant when the student submits the Application for Grants for Services and Equipment. See Students with Disabilities for additional details.

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Needs-based Incentive Grant : The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to enhancing early childhood education in the Province. As part of its strategy, StudentAidNL introduced the ECE Needs-based Incentive Grant.

For the 2023-2024 program year, (September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024), eligible students must:

Be new entrants in the full-time ECE Certificate or Diploma programs at an approved post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador;

Be existing students enrolled in the second year of the ECE Diploma program at an approved post-secondary institution in Newfoundland and Labrador;

Apply and be deemed eligible for the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Student Financial Assistance Program;

Have assessed unmet financial need of at least $100 under the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Student Financial Assistance Program.

The ECE Needs-based Incentive Grant will provide up to $10,000 per study period to eligible students to meet their unmet financial need after existing student financial assistance is exhausted:

    • Eligible grant awards will be issued 30 days after the start of full-time studies upon confirmation of enrolment.
    • Eligible funding will be issued directly to students via direct deposit once enrolment is confirmed via Student Aid online portal. Students will require direct deposit set-up through the Department of Finance Supplier Set-up process.
    • Funding will be available to students for the 2023-24 program year only (i.e., September 1, 2023 through to August 31, 2024).

 

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