You need to let us know you are in school or you will be required to start making payments on your loans. In-study payment-free status puts your payments on hold as long as you are studying or on an approved leave.
Due to a labour dispute, the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, StudentAid BC is currently experiencing a disruption in service delivery, which is impacting our ability to respond to our clients.
We are closely monitoring ongoing negotiations and remain committed to keeping you informed of any potential impacts to service. It is unknown when normal response times will resume. For general inquiries please call our StudentAid BC call center at 1-800-561-1818.
Thank you for your patience while we work to resume service delivery standards.
In-study payment-free status
You do not need to make payments on your student loans while you are in school full-time or if you are on an approved medical or parental leave from your studies.
Am I eligible for in-study payment free status?
To be eligible for in-study payment-free status you must be:
- studying full-time, and
- be enrolled in a program at a school that is designated by StudentAid BC
You may not be eligible if you:
- have outstanding interest owing on your student loan
- have restrictions that make you ineligible, or
- withdraw or have an unsuccessful term
If you are studying part-time you are not eligible for in-study payment-free status for your full-time loans.
How do I apply for in-study payment-free status?
If you are going back to school full-time and getting student loans or grants from StudentAid BC, you will get in-study payment-free status automatically when your school confirms your enrolment.
If you are going back to school full-time but not getting student loans or grants from StudentAid BC, you will have to apply for in-study payment-free status.
You should apply online through your National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) account.
Note: Confirmation of your enrolment must be received by the NSLSC on or before the date you return to school to make sure that you have in-study payment-free status in place when you start school.
Is there a limit to how long I can have in-study payment-free status?
There is no limit on the number of weeks you can have in-study payment-free status. However, the number of weeks you have in-study payment-free status, plus the weeks you receive loans and grants, all count toward your lifetime maximum weeks of student aid.
Once you reach your lifetime maximum weeks of student aid, you cannot receive any more full-time or part-time loans or grants.
The lifetime maximum weeks for student aid are:
- 340 weeks for undergraduate or master’s level studies
- 400 weeks for doctoral level studies (this includes all weeks in undergraduate plus master’s plus doctoral level studies)
- 520 weeks for persons with a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability
If you are currently in school when you reach the limit, your student aid will continue to the end of that study period.
Can I get in-study payment-free status if I need to leave school for medical or parental reasons?
You can keep in-study payment-free status for your student loans if you need to take a break from school and you are approved for the following reasons:
- medical or mental health reasons, or
- following the birth or adoption of a child
Time on medical or parental leave does not count towards your lifetime maximum weeks of student aid.
To learn more about the eligibility requirements and to access the application for medical or parental leave, please visit the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program page.