Applying for Student Aid (Full-Time)

For the part-time student grant and/or loan, please visit our Part-Time Student Aid webpage. 

Apply

When you complete the online full-time student aid application, you will be assessed for both federal and provincial funding, including grants, bursaries, and student loans.

- Federal funding is typically released at the start of your program.

- Provincial funding is typically released at the halfway point.

For more payment dates, please review our Payment Timetable.

🕒 **Processing time:** 4–6 weeks after all required documents are received.

📅 **Deadline:** Applications are accepted up to 6 weeks before the end of your study period (This is strictly enforced.) 

Apply online now or Check your Status

Eligibility

To be eligible for full-time funding, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person (as defined under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act),
• Be a resident of PEI (see Residency below), 
• Demonstrate financial need, and 
• Be enrolled full-time in an approved program (minimum 12 weeks) at a designated post-secondary institution.

PEI Residency Definitions: 

You are considered a resident of Prince Edward Island if one of the following applies:

Dependent students

• Your parent(s) or immediate family have established residency in PEI and have not lived in another province for 12 consecutive months prior to your study start date.

All other students

• PEI is the most recent province where you lived for at least 12 consecutive months before starting your post-secondary studies, and you were not attending post-secondary during that time.

Special circumstances

• You established residency in PEI through your spouse’s employment and remained in PEI after the relationship ended to attend post-secondary studies.

 You are not eligible for full-time funding if you:

• Have a student loan in default (unless you are on an approved repayment plan), 
• Have a family income above the allowable threshold, 
• Have declared bankruptcy, 
• Are an international student, 
• Are enrolled in unclassified studies or professional development courses, 
• Moved to PEI for the sole purpose of attending post-secondary, 
• Have reached the maximum lifetime funding limit:
  • 340 weeks (general). 
  • 400 weeks (doctoral studies). 
  • 520 weeks (students with disabilities).

Funding

Funding is assessed by PEI Student Financial Services and provided by:

- The Government of Canada (through the National Student Loans Service Centre)

- The Government of PEI (through Edulinx, a third-party service provider)

Funding is based on your financial need. Grants and bursaries are applied first, followed by student loans (up to program limits).

Rates are subject to change. Assessments are calculated weekly.

Student aid is designed to help cover education and living expenses but may not cover all costs. Students must budget accordingly.

Application checklist

Before applying, have the following ready:

Required Information

- Social Insurance Number (SIN)

- Personal and academic information

Supporting Documents (if applicable)

- Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment

- Permanent Resident card or immigration documents

- Provincial health cards for dependent children and childcare costs

- Parent(s) and Spouse(s)’ SIN and Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment 

Definitions     

*Dependent student – A single student who is within 4 years of leaving high school.

Independent student – A single student who has been out of high school for four years or more; or has been in the labour force for at least 2 years and earned at least $9,000 per year.

*Common-Law student – A student who has been living in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. 

*Married student – A student who is legally married.

Single parent student – A student who has legal and physical custody and responsibility for support a child or children. They must not currently be married or in a common-law relationship.

*Please note, parental income is required on all dependent student applications and spousal income is required on all married and common-law student applications. Their income is used to determine your family income. Parents and spouses are expected to contribute toward the costs of your post-secondary education.

Full-Time Student – For university students, a student who is taking at least 60% of a full course load (typically 3 courses per term), or 40% of a full course load (typically 2 courses per term), if you have a documented disability. For college students, a student who receives at least 20 hours of instruction per week.

📌 Important:  Full-time course load requirements can vary by program and institution. Always confirm with your school to ensure your course load meets full-time requirements.

Dependents - You can claim anyone accepted as a dependent on a CRA income tax return:

• Children, 18 years of age or younger, fully dependent on you for support or for whom you have legal custody or control;
• Children, 19 years of age or older, enrolled full-time in a post-secondary program and considered a single, dependent student.

Childcare costs – You may be asked for proof of childcare costs. You can claim for the following:

• Children under age 12 (but not if a parent is at home, unemployed, or studying through correspondence).
• A disabled child over age 12 (providing you include a letter from your doctor verifying the need for childcare. You do not need to provide a letter each year; simply specify that a letter is on file at Student Services.)

Steps to Apply

1. Create a MyPath Account. Complete and submit the online full-time student aid application.

   If you wish to receive grants or bursaries only, please enter $1 for the "How much financial assistance are you requesting" field in the online application.

2. Submit Required Documents

   After applying, you may be asked to upload additional documents. Requests will appear in your MyPATH account under “Application Action Items.” Your application cannot be processed until all required documents are received.

3. Create a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) (if required) 

   To receive federally funded student loans and grants, students must access the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) through a My Service Canada Account (MSCA). The MSCA link is available on your MyPATH account home page.

4. Review your Funding Assessment

   Once your assessment is complete, review the results carefully. If everything looks correct, you can continue to the next step. If you would like to request a change to your assessment, all requests must be made in writing. If you do not agree with the results, you may complete a student loan appeal application. The appeal forms link is available on your MyPATH account home page.

5. Complete the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) and provide your Banking Information for the Canada Student Loan (CSL) funding (if required)

   You may need to complete the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) and provide your banking information to the NSLSC. The MSFAA is a legal agreement between you and the federal government regarding the terms and conditions of receiving loans and grants, and your responsibilities for repayment. This is a time sensitive action which must be completed before you receive funding. The MSFAA is required the first time a student receives a Canada Student Loan and remains valid as long as they continue borrowing each consecutive year. Instructions on how to sign the agreement will be emailed to you once your assessment is completed. (Monitor your junk folder, just in case.) If you have not received the email, or have trouble with the process, please call the National Student Loan Service Centre at 1-888-815-4514 for assistance.

6. Provide your Banking Information for the Provincial Student Loan (PSL) funding (if required)

   If you are approved for Provincial Student Loan funding, you may need to provide your banking information to Edulinx, PEI’s provincial service provider.

7. Enrollment Confirmation

   Your school must confirm your enrollment after your classes begin for funding to be released. Most schools complete this electronically with our office. If your school does not use electronic confirmation, a paper form must be completed and submitted. Funding cannot be released until enrollment is confirmed. Your school may request a portion (or all) of your funding be paid directly to the school to cover your academic fees. The remaining funds (if any) will be electronically deposited into your bank account. This process is completed each term.

8. Funding is Released

   Once all required steps are complete and your enrollment is confirmed, your funding can be released. Federal funding is issued through the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC), and provincial funding is issued through PEI’s service provider. Typically, you will receive funding 8-10 business days following enrollment confirmation. This can take up to 15 business days after the start of your program for the funds to be disbursed to your school, to you, or both. Student aid funding is not released all at once. Please review the payment schedule on our webpage https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/workforce-advanced-learning-and-population/student-financial-services-timetable-for.

Academic Progress Requirements

To remain eligible for funding:

- University students: Must pass at least 60% of a full course load each year  

- College/training programs: Must successfully complete each study period  

If you do not meet these requirements:

- 1st occurrence → probation  

- 2nd occurrence → ineligible for 12 months  

- 3rd occurrence → ineligible for 36 months

Withdrawals or Change in Status

If you discontinue your studies or switch from full-time to part-time studies, your student loan(s) will switch to repayment status. You will be contacted by the NSLSC within 6 months for your CSL and by Edulinx within 12 months for your PSL to start repayment.

Student Aid Appeals

If you do not agree with an assessment, you may complete an appeal form for reconsideration. All appeals must be submitted six weeks before the end of your study period. For more details, please visit our Student Loan Appeals webpage.

Other PEI Grants and Bursaries

Island students planning to attend any post-secondary institution may receive a Community Service Bursary for volunteering while in grade 10, 11 or 12.

Island students enrolled in post-secondary programs at UPEI, Holland College, and Collège de l'Île may receive a George Coles Bursary. There is no application required. Your school will forward your information to our office each fall. The bursary is sent directly to your school each January. If you do not receive the bursary automatically by January 31, please submit a George Coles Bursary Missing Information webform. Deadline for this form is May 31.

If you decide to live and work on PEI after you graduate from post-secondary, you may be eligible for a Debt Reduction Grant. This grant would reduce any provincially funded student loans you may have, but it does not include Canada Student Loans.

Contact Us

PEI Student Financial Services
Atlantic Technology Centre
176 Great George Street, Suite 212
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 4K9

• Email: studentloan@gov.pe.ca 
• Telephone: 902-368-4640; Press 4 for general inquiries
• Fax: 902-368-6144