A Canada Student Grant is free money you never pay back. A Canada Student Loan is borrowed money you repay after school. One application through your province or territory gets you both at the same time. You don’t apply for them separately. Ontario students apply through OSAP, which handles both federal and provincial aid in one place.
For a high-level overview of grants, scholarships, and bursaries, see Issue 1 of the newsletter.
Grants: The Details
You’re automatically assessed for every grant you qualify for when you apply for student aid. No separate application needed, and you can qualify for more than one at a time.
Canada Student Grant amounts for 2025–2026:
| Grant | Amount |
|---|---|
| Full-time students | Up to $4,200/year ($525/month of study) |
| Part-time students | Up to $2,520/year |
| Full-time students with dependants | Up to $2,240/year per dependant |
| Part-time students with dependants | Up to $2,688/year |
| Students with disabilities | $2,800/year (not income-tested) |
| Disability-related services and equipment | Up to $20,000/year |
Most grants are based on financial need. The disability grant is available to all qualifying students regardless of income. The 2025–2026 amounts include a 40% temporary increase from pre-pandemic levels, extended through the 2026–2027 academic year.
Loans: The Details
Loans cover whatever your grants don’t. They make up the remaining portion of your federal aid after grants are applied.
- Full-time students: up to $300/week (about $10,200 for a 34-week year)
- Part-time students: up to $10,000 lifetime
- No interest while you’re in school
- 0% interest during repayment, permanently as of April 1, 2023
- Repayment starts six months after you graduate or leave school
- Standard repayment schedule: 9.5 years, extendable to 14.5 years
If you can’t afford your payments, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) caps them at 10% of your household income. Below certain income thresholds, you pay nothing. Your loan is guaranteed to be paid off within 15 years of leaving school. You reapply every six months.
How They Work Together
Grants are applied first. Your loan covers whatever the grant doesn’t.
Example:
- Assessed financial need: $12,000
- Canada Student Grant (full-time): $4,200
- Canada Student Loan: $7,800
The grant is yours to keep. You only repay the $7,800 loan portion. If government aid doesn’t cover your full costs, a student line of credit can fill the gap.
Where These Aren’t Available
Canada Student Grants and Loans aren’t available to students in Quebec, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories. Those provinces and territories run their own separate student aid programs using federal transfer payments.
Starting August 1, 2026, the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students will be restricted to students at public and non-profit private institutions. Students at for-profit private career colleges in longer-duration programs will no longer qualify for that specific grant, though other grants and loans remain available to them.
Useful links
- Grants and loans overview
- NSLSC (loan repayment)
- Apply through your province or territory’s student aid office
