The B.C. government designates post-secondary institutions for both federal and provincial student aid. As outlined in the StudentAid BC policy manual, designated institutions are expected to focus on your success, and on ensuring you improve your overall employability.

1. All public universities, colleges, and institutes in B.C. are designated
2. Not all private training or out-of-province institutions have been designated by the government

You can use the search tool below to find out if your school is designated for full-time studies. If you can’t find your school using the search tool, please contact the financial aid office at your school to confirm if it is designated in the full-time system.

Notice for part-time applicants. You can apply for part-time student aid as long as your school is designated in the Student Information Management System (SIMS). When you log into your Student Account for part-time students, check to make sure your school appears in the system. If it’s not listed there, you can contact your school and let them know that for you to apply they are required to be designated in SIMS. Please contact the financial aid office at your school to confirm their designation status.

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Find out if the institution you are planning to attend is designated.

The provincial accreditation and designation process ensures that standards of integrity and educational competence are met by private institutions offering post-secondary education in B.C.

The StudentAid BC designation process is voluntary for private institutions in B.C.

Students may apply for StudentAid BC funding once an institution has met the following and has been approved for StudentAid BC designation:

Private institutions in B.C. have met one of the following:

• Designated by the Private Training Institutions Branch, Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills;
• Accredited by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia;
• Consent granted by the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills under the Degree Authorization Act;
• Established by an act legislating authority of an institution.

Institutions outside of British Columbia (within Canada) must be recognized by their provincial authority.

Institutions in the United States must be listed on Title IV - Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for institutions in the United States.

Institutions outside of North America must be listed in one of the following:

• International association of Universities
• World of Learning
• Association of Common Wealth Universities
• Title IV - Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for institutions in the United States

International medical institutions must be listed in FAIMER (the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research) AND one of the following:

• International Association of Universities;
• World of Learning;
• Association of Commonwealth Universities;
• Title IV - Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for institutions in the United States.

Post-secondary institutions can apply for StudentAid BC designation. If your institution is not designated, you can contact the institution (e.g. financial aid office, international office, Registrar’s office) to request they apply for designation. To apply for designation, please ask your institution to review the Institution Designation Overview page.

Your institution must be designated before you apply for student aid and before the first day of your study period, as designation is not retroactive. The designation process should be started early, before you apply, because it may take several months to complete.

If you are not sure if your institution or program of study is designated, contact the institution directly. In the event of any discrepancy between the Institution Search tool and Ministry records, Ministry records will be the official record.

Canada Student Loan Repayment Rates by Institution

Below you will find information on the repayment of Canada student loans to help you make informed decisions about your post-secondary education investment.

The repayment rate refers to the percentage of Canada loan dollars that have been repaid by former students that attended the institution.  The higher the number, the better the results. Rates below 60.0% are considered high risk. 

For more information visit Canada Student Loan Repayment Rates.