2023-24 Student Aid Information

If you have been accepted into post-secondary studies, you can apply for assistance to help with the costs. When you apply, the government will assess your financial situation and offer you grants and loans based on your need.

Important Information

Effective August 1, 2023, the following changes are incorporated in the integrated Canada-Saskatchewan Student Aid assessment for new and returning students in the 2023-24 academic year.

• Canada loan and grant amounts are changing in the 2023-24 loan year. The maximum weekly Canada Student Loan amount is increasing from $210 to $300 per week, or up to $10,200 for a standard 8-month academic year.
• Canada Student Grants (CSGs) for all eligible full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) students, as well as the CSGs for students with disabilities (D) and students with dependents (DEP), are increasing by 40 per cent from pre-pandemic levels (temporary measure of doubled CSGs has ended).
  • CSG-FT is a maximum of $525 per month of study, or up to $4,200 for a standard 8-month academic year.
  • CSG-PT is a maximum of $2,520.
  • CSG-FTDEP is a maximum of $280 per dependent, per month of study, or up to $2,240 for a standard 8-month loan year.
  • CSG-PTDEP is up to a maximum of $2,688.
  • CSG-D is a maximum of $2,800.
• In 2023-24, students aged 22 years or older will no longer have to undergo credit screening to qualify for federal and provincial student grants and loans.

Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship

The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship is available to both full-time and part-time students. If you are a Grade 12 graduate (2012 or later) and enrol in a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution, you may be eligible to receive the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship. The scholarship will provide $750 per year, with a lifetime maximum of $3,000, to eligible grade 12 graduates, including Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED® students. To receive this scholarship, students are required to apply for student aid.

Did You Know?

• A grant is assistance that you do not need to pay back. If you withdraw from school, some or all of the grant funding you receive will convert to a loan. A loan is assistance you must pay back.

• You can apply for student aid if you are a full-time or part-time student.

• Loans are interest-free while in school. You don't have to start repaying them until six months after you complete your studies.

• If you have challenges repaying your loan, depending on your income, you may be able to defer or reduce your payments by accessing the Repayment Assistance Program.

• You can apply for grants-only funding. Applying for full-time or part-time student aid to access grants does not mean you have to take a loan if you prefer not to. When you apply for student aid, you are assessed for a combination of non-repayable grants and repayable loans. You can choose to receive grants only by indicating this on your application.

• Parents are not expected to contribute to your education costs if you are an independent student. If you have been out of high school for four years or more before the first day of class of the current study period, or you have been in the workforce for at least two years (two periods of 12 consecutive months) before the first day of class of the current study period, you are considered an independent student. Independent students may be eligible to receive more funding than dependent students because there is no expected contribution from their parents.

• If you live away from home, you can use your funding to visit your family. If you are a student living in a different community than your family home (e.g. parents or spouse), an allowance may be included for one return trip home for each period of 16 weeks, to a maximum of $600 per semester/term.

• If you are taking leave from your studies due to medical or parental reasons, you can apply for the Medical or Parental Leave and your loan will be treated the same as if you were in studies. The leave is available for six months at a time and can be extended twice (i.e., a leave can last a maximum of 18 months total). You must apply within six months of your period of study end date. Refer to the Saskatchewan Student Aid Administrative Guidelines.

Indigenous students are eligible to access all student loan and grant programs. There are also some features of the Saskatchewan Student Aid program specifically for Indigenous students, as well as other supports available to all students that may be of interest to you.

Financial Supports for Self-Declared Indigenous Students

• Indigenous students are not required to make the fixed student contribution. Typically, students are expected to contribute to their educational costs by providing a fixed student contribution up to $3,000 per year. There is no fixed student contribution for Indigenous students, students with disabilities, students with children, and students who are, or were, Crown wards. Therefore, these students may be eligible to receive more funding.

• Funding you receive from the federal government's Post-Secondary Student Support Program (i.e. band-funding), Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy and Inuit Post-Secondary Education Strategy is not considered a financial resource when you apply for student aid. This means that you do not have to declare this type of funding and it will not be deducted from the amount of student loans and grants you would be offered.

Students with disabilities are eligible to access all student aid programs. There are also some features specifically for students with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability, as well as other supports available to all students that may be of interest to you.

Financial Supports for Students with Disabilities

• If you are a student with a disability who is eligible for student aid, you will be eligible to receive the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities. You will be automatically considered for this grant in your student loan application. This grant provides $2,800 per school year to assist with educational or living costs.

• If you are a student with a disability, you may take a reduced course load and be eligible for student aid for a longer academic period.

• If you are a student with a disability enrolled in a program at a post-secondary educational institution, you may be eligible to receive the Canada-Saskatchewan Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities. This grant provides up to $22,000 per program year. This includes up to $20,000 for the Canada Grant and up to $2,000 for the Saskatchewan Grant. Examples of eligible services and equipment include: tutors, interpreters, computer software and specialized transportation.

Did You Know?

• Students with disabilities are not required to make the fixed student contribution. Students are expected to contribute to their educational costs by providing a fixed student contribution up to $3,000 per year. There is no fixed student contribution for students with disabilities, Indigenous students, students with children, and students who are or were Crown wards. Therefore, these students may be eligible to receive more funding.

An adult learner is someone who enrols in post-secondary studies after at least 10 years away from high school. Adult learners are eligible to access Saskatchewan Student Aid as well as other supports available to students.

Features That May Interest You

• A change in your employment situation does not have to be a barrier to returning to school. Working and unemployed Canadians whose employment situation has significantly changed from the previous year (e.g. lost a job, left a job) may have their current income used to assess Canada Student Grant eligibility. This means a person who experiences a drop in income may qualify for additional assistance.

• Funding is available for students with dependents. If you are a full- or part-time student with dependent children, you may be eligible for monthly living allowances based on your income and the number and age of your children. This also includes a monthly allowance for daycare. Additionally, students with dependents are eligible to access all other student aid programs.

Financial assistance is available to help part-time students pay for post-secondary education. Eligible part-time students in Canada could get up to $10,000 in federal loans in addition to grant funding. Students taking between 20% and 59% of a full course load (or between 20% and 39% if you are a student with a disability) at a designated post-secondary institution, can apply for part-time aid.

Part-time Canada Student Loans and Grants and Saskatchewan part-time grant is assessed based on student income and family size. The amount of funding awarded is calculated based on education costs, including tuition, learning supplies (i.e., textbooks and equipment costs), local transportation, and daycare.

How to Apply

Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependents

If you are a student with dependents who is eligible for part-time student loans and whose income is below the low-income threshold, you may be eligible to receive the grant up to $84 per week up to a maximum of $2,688.

Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with either a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability who is eligible for part-time student loans, you will be eligible to receive the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities. You will be automatically considered for this grant in your student loan application. This grant provides $2,800 per school year to assist with educational or living costs.

Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities

Part-time students with disabilities may be eligible to receive up to $22,000 to help offset exceptional, education-related costs.