Canada Student Grants Program (CSGP)

Affording a university education can be a complex and trying task for many students, but grant programs authorized by the government can help offset this expense and make a degree program accessible even to the country’s most low-income students and families. Grant options are relatively robust, with different polices, procedures, and amounts, based on demonstrated financial need and unique circumstances that range from personal disability to those students who are supporting dependents of their own.

Most students receive money as part of a grant program due to traditionally demonstrated financial needs. The government classifies students as either low-income or middle-income, and provides no grant programs for high-income students or families for obvious reasons. These need-based grants are awarded based on tax and financial information which is provided by the student to their state or territory of residence when they apply for Canada’s student loan programs. The grants themselves are then issued by that state or territory itself.

Low-income students can receive a grant that provides them up to $250 per month of study; that grant will max out at $3,000 annually. Those students classified as middle-income can receive a grant of up to $100 per month of study and they’ll hit their limit at $1,200 annually. In both cases, grant amounts are fixed and may exceed actual financial need. In this instance, the remaining grant money will reduce the amount of a student’s government loan to cover tuition expenses.

Part-time students can qualify for a separate program, based on financial need, which affords them $1,200 annually to cover academic expenses. Students must be designated a low-income family based on their financial records, and they must be enrolled in a program which lasts at least 12 consecutive weeks within a traditional 15-week program in order to qualify for this form of financial assistance.

Grants for Full-Time and Part-Time Students with Dependents

Students who attend a university full-time and have at least one dependent under the age of 12 at the time of study are entitled to government grant money if they can demonstrate financial need as a low-income family. In this case, the government will provide a grant of up to $200 per month for each dependent child under the age of 12. These students are also eligible for grant money from the program which serves low-income families, as well, essentially resulting in dual grant disbursement over the course of a qualifying academic year.

Part-time students with dependents under the age of twelve can receive a grant of up to $40 per week in situations where the student has two or fewer dependents, or $60 per week when the student has three or more dependents. This program maxes out at $1,920 per year of academic study, and the student must demonstrate financial need.

Grants for Students who Have a Permanent Disability

University students who have a permanent disability can qualify for a grant amount of up to $2,000 per academic year. They’ll need to fill out the same paperwork as other students, and they’ll need to supplement their application with documentation and proof of their permanent disability in order to be considered for this particular grant. Students with permanent disabilities must be able to qualify for a Canada student loan in order to receive this grant, and they must be enrolled either full-time or part-time at a post-secondary institution.

Those students applying for this program should be prepared to provide any required documentation of their disability, including a psycho-educational assessment, prove of the receipt of permanent disability benefits from the province or territory of residence, a medical certificate dealing with the disability, or proof of having received federal disability benefits.

Grants for Those Permanently Disabled Students with Special Equipment Needs

Grant programs do exist for students who will require exceptional treatment and special equipment in order to pursue their higher education. Those students must be able to document their disability in all of the ways mentioned above, and they must be able to qualify for a typical student loan from the government. They’ll also, as mentioned before, need to be enrolled either part-time or full-time at a post-secondary institution.

Additionally, students requiring exceptional accommodations on campus will need to provide a written statement describing how the campus will have to accommodate their needs, as well as the expenses associated with any special equipment or treatment which is being requested by the permanently disabled student. Once this information has been received, processed, and approved, permanently disabled students with exceptional equipment needs will be entitled to receive a grant of up to $8,000 to cover these expenses. This grant is specifically designed to cover equipment-related expenses, and is not related to the student’s actual financial need as determined by their financial statements and application for other aid.

Great Programs and Robust Assistance

The great thing about the government’s grant program is that it supersedes the student loan program itself, meaning that grant money will be used to fund a student’s education before a student loan is considered or disbursed. Grants can even have the effect of lowering the amount of student loan money which is required, saving students a great deal of interest and other payments after they’ve graduated from their selected institution of higher learning.

Remember that grant programs are automatically applied for and evaluated based on the student’s application for student loans and other educational funding programs through their state or territory of residence. Be sure to submit a complete application, document any special needs, and fulfill any requirements, and these helpful avenues of student assistance will be easily obtainable.