Posts Tagged ‘government canada student loans’

Government of Canada Student Loans and Grants Programs

October 14th, 2010

Canada Student Loans and Grants

Canada Student Loans and Grants


Before you seek financing through the Government of Canada student loans, you should be seeking Canada student grants that are available in Canada to help pay for your education. Simply put – if you are looking for ways to finance your education, you probably know that a student loan has to be repaid, while a grant never has to be repaid.

The Canada Student Grants Program, also known as CSGP, exists for the purpose of consolidating many different financial assistance programs for Canadian students. What this means is that you can apply for several different Canada student grant programs through one program, making the process much simpler for you.

Through the CSGP program, you can apply for the Canada Student Grant for Persons from Low Income Families, the Canada Student Grant for Persons from Middle Income Families, the Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities, the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities, the Canada Student Grant for Persons with Dependents, the Canada Student Grant for Part Time Students with Dependents, and the Canada Student Grant for Part Time Studies.

The grant for Canada students from low income families provides the student with $250 per month to help cover costs while studying. The Canadian grant for students from middle income families provides $100. This is, of course, above and beyond the other grants and Canadian student loans that you may receive.

If you have permanent disabilities, you may receive up to $2000 per academic year of Canada government student grants. Additionally, you may receive up to $8000 per academic year to help pay for equipment that may be needed for your education, due to your disability.

If you have dependents, you can receive up to $200 for each month that you are in school, for each child under the age of 12. You must additionally be a low income student. If you are a part time student, with up to two children under the age of twelve, you may be paid $40 per week that you are in school, and if you have three or more children, you may receive $60 per week of study. If you have no dependents, but you are a part time student, you may be eligible for $1200 per academic year under the program for part time students.

Regardless of the Canadian student grant that you receive, payments are disbursed twice a year – at the beginning of the academic year, and again in the middle of the academic year. If you live in Quebec, Nunavet, or the Northwest Territories, you are not eligible for these Government Canada student grant programs, as those territories offer their own grants programs.

It is important to realize that you can receive more than one Canada student grant at a time, if you are eligible for more than one grant. For example, if you are disabled, you should apply for both grants designed for disabled students. If you also have dependents, apply for those grants, and if you are from a middle or low income family, apply for those grants as well. To learn more go to Government of Canada Student Loans and Grants.

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Canadian National Student Loans Program

Canadian Student Loans for College Students

October 7th, 2010
Canada Student Loans

Canadian Student Loans

One of the best places to obtain Canadian student loans for Canada college students is through the government. This is important because this is typically where you will get a very good interest rate, making it easier and more cost effective to pay off the loan after your graduation. If you are a fulltime student, no interest will accumulate on the loan until you have graduated or left school. If you are a part time student, however, interest accumulates while you are in school.

In either case, payments are not required until six months after you have graduated or left school. Interest starts accumulating on your loans one month after leaving school or graduating, if you were a fulltime student, even though payments are not due for another five months. You can, however, start repaying the loans while you are still in school, and those payments are applied directly to the principle, significantly reducing the amount that is owed, including interest, once you graduate.

These “student loans in Canada” are available to Canadian students who attend a post secondary institution as a full time student or as a part time student, if financial need is demonstrated. However, regardless of how much financial need actually exists, these programs will only provide up to 60% of the need. The most that you can get from these loans is $210 for each week that you are in school. The other 40% of the financial need will be provided for by provincial or territorial Canada student loans, instead of Canadian federal student loans.

These are ‘directly financed student loans’ from the government of Canada. This is not the same as a guaranteed student loan, or a private student loan, such as a loan you may receive from a financial institution. These are also not ‘risk-shared’ loans, which is a different program. Canada student loans that are issued directly by the government are governed by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, and they are administered by the National Student Loans Service Centre, or NSLSC.

Applications for these student loans for Canadian students can be obtained through your high school, the university that you will attend, or through the Student Financial Assistance Office in your province or territory. You can apply online as well, which usually results in a quicker response. Apply as early as possible, since it generally takes four to six weeks for your application to be processed. Loan proceeds are disbursed twice each year – at the beginning and middle of the academic year. You will have to apply for a new loan each year that you are in school, as they do not automatically renew.

After you have applied for all of the Canada grants that you are eligible for, as well as Canadian scholarships that you are eligible for, you may find that you still haven’t completely covered the cost of your education. If this happens, and if you are a Canadian student, you need to then apply for Canadian student loans for college.

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BC Student Loans for Canadian Students

CIBC Student Loan Program for Canadian Students

NSLSC National Canadian Student Loan Service Centre

OSAP Ontario Student Loan Assistance Program in Canada