Types of Grants and Bursaries

Grants are sources of student funding that do not have to be paid back.  This funding is for students who demonstrate financial need and are offered by both the provincial and federal governments. Eligibility requirements are different for individual grants.

Provincial Grants

Maintenance Grants
Value: up to $3,000 per semester*

• Available primarily, but not restricted, to students who are:
• single parents
• married/common law students whose spouse/partner cannot work for medical reasons
• single students with maintenance payments

*Definition of semester:

• a one-semester period is 1 to 4 months
• a two-semester period is 5 to 9 months
• a three-semester period is 10 to 12 months

Federal Grants

Canada Student Grant for Students from Low-income Families
Value: $250 per month of study

• Available to students from low-income families who:
• qualify for a federal student loan
• meet the specific grant eligibility requirements
• are enrolled in a university undergraduate, college or trade school program that is at least two years long

Canada Student Grant for Students from Middle-income Families
Value: $100 per month of study

• Available to students from middle-income families who:
• qualify for a federal student loan
• meet the specific grant eligibility requirements
• are enrolled in a university undergraduate, college or trade school program that is at least two years long

Canada Student Grant for Students with Dependants
Value: $200 per month of study per each child under 12 years of age (at the beginning of the school year)

• Available to students with dependants who:
• qualify for a federal student loan
• meet the specific grant eligibility requirements
• have a child under 12 years of age (at the beginning of the school year)
• have a child 12 years of age or older with a permanent disability (a permanent physical or mental impairment that results in the child requiring daily care)

Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities
Value: $2,000 per loan year

• Available to students who:
• qualify for a federal student loan
• have a permanent disability as defined by the Canada Student Loan Program
• have submitted a completed Schedule 4 and acceptable documentation of their permanent disability with their application for student funding

Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities
Value: up to $8,000 per loan year 

• Available to students who:
• qualify for a federal student loan
• have a permanent disability as defined by the Canada Student Loan Program
• have exceptional education related costs for services or equipment due to their permanent disability
• have submitted a completed Schedule 4 and acceptable documentation of their permanent disability with their application for student funding

Transition Grant (for students who received the Canada Millennium Bursary (CMB) in 2008-2009)

The CMB was discontinued in August 2009.  However, if you received a CMB in 2008-2009 and you are continuing in the same program, you may receive a Transition Grant for up to three additional years of continuous study.  This is to ensure that you will continue to receive the same level of grant funding for the remainder of your current post-secondary program.