Apply for a student loan

The province of British Columbia offers Canada-B.C. integrated loans. An integrated student loan has two lenders, the governments of Canada and British Columbia. However, it is administered as a single loan, which streamlines service delivery as students sign a joint federal-provincial loan agreement and have a single point of contact for managing their loans. At the point of loan repayment, students make just one monthly payment towards their integrated loan balance.

Here's what you need to know about full-time student loans:

• B.C. and Canada Students Loans are interest-free
• You must be enrolled in at least 60% (40% for students with a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability) of a full-time course load.
• Repayment will begin six months after your studies end.
• You are responsible for repaying the total amount loaned to you.

If you are approved for full-time funding through StudentAid BC you need to complete and agree to the Terms and Conditions of the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement. This document is a legal contract with the provincial and federal governments. Read the terms and conditions to learn what your responsibilities are from application to repayment.

Find out more about determining your eligibility or how to apply for a loan.

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Other funding programs

The following programs may also help you.

• Adult upgrading grant
• B.C. Access Grant (Full-Time)
• Canada student grant for full-time students
• B.C. Scholarship Society programs
• Lieutenant Governor's medal
• Pacific Leaders Programs for Public Service Employees
• The nurses education bursary

Are you an apprentice?
You may be eligible for financial supports during your apprenticeship. Learn about the financial supports available for apprentices in British Columbia.

Additional apprentice resources:

• SkilledTradesBC
• WorkBC

If you have a documented permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability and will be studying at a designated post-secondary institution, the following programs may help you:

Provincial grants and bursaries

• B.C. Assistance Program for Students with Disabilities
• B.C. Access Grant for Deaf Students
• B.C. Access Grant for Students with Disabilities
• B.C. Supplemental Bursary for Students with Disabilities
• Learning Disability Assessment Bursary

Federal grants and bursaries

• Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities
• Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities

You can access these programs through the StudentAid BC loan application. To be eligible, you also need to complete the Appendix 8 for Full-Time Students – Disability Programs Application and provide medical documentation that verifies you have a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability.

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Other resources

• Assistive Technology B.C.
  provides assistive technology services to support post-secondary students or employees who have a disability.
• Centre for Accessible Post-secondary Education Resources
  provides accessible learning and teaching materials to students and instructors who cannot use conventional print because of disabilities.
• Resource Directory of Accessibility Programs and Services
  provides information for potential students and their counselors, families, and referral agencies on programs and services for students with a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability at public post-secondary institutions.
• Academic Communication Equity (ACE)
  a province-wide service to support students with hearing loss.

If you have dependants and will be studying at a designated post-secondary institution, the following programs may help you:

• Canada grant for students with dependants

Normally, students are not eligible to receive income assistance benefits while they are attending post-secondary studies, with the exception of students with a disability who receive disability related social assistance.

Contact your employment assistance worker to discuss your education plans and the financial assistance available to you.

If you are a current or former child or youth in care, the following programs may help support the achievement of your education goals.

• Learning for Future Grant
• Provincial Tuition Waiver Program