If you are enrolled in full-time studies at a designated institution, you are not required to make payments, nor is interest accrued on the federal portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan.

When you are in-study or in the non-repayment period, you are in a 'funded term' whether you have new student loans or not, so if you withdraw or have an unsuccessful term, it may affect your eligibility for further assistance.

There are two situations where the outstanding federal portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan can be placed into in-study interest-free status which then means you are not required to begin repayment:

1. 1 Returning students who receive further student loan funding
   If you receive additional student loan funding, you will not have to begin repayment and the federal portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan will be placed into in-study interest-free status if the Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment has been received and approved by the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC).
   
   NOTE: The confirmation of enrolment for the new student loan funding must be received by the NSLSC on or before the date you return to studies to ensure that your in-study interest-free status for your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan begins as of the study period start date. If interest is owing on the federal portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan before the study start date, you will be required to pay the interest before your loan will be put into in-study interest-free status.
2. 2 Returning students who are not receiving further student loan funding
   If you are a returning student and are not receiving further student loan funding, you must apply to maintain your in-study interest-free status to ensure that you do not enter into repayment on your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan while you are in study.
   
   How to confirm your in-study interest-free status:
   
   • Students studying at B.C. public post-secondary institutions may apply for interest-free status via the StudentAid BC dashboard.
   • All other students must submit an online application via the NSLSC online portal or submit a paper Schedule 2 application to the NSLSC.
   One application will defer both your outstanding Canada student loan and your B.C. student loan from entering into the repayment phase.

The confirmation of enrolment must be received by the NSLSC on or before the date you return to studies to ensure your in-study interest-free status begins on your study start date.

Note: If you return to full-time studies before your six-month non-repayment period ends but the Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment form is received and approved after your full-time studies have commenced, any interest that has accrued after your six-month non-repayment period up to the date the complete and accurate Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment is received at NSLSC must be paid, or you may, by request, have up to 3 months of interest added onto the principal of your loan.

As of November 1, 2019, interest that was previously charged during the six-month non-repayment period has been eliminated. Please note that the elimination of the interest during the six-month non-repayment period is not retroactive. If your six-month non-repayment period ended before November 1, 2019, this change will not apply to you.

In-study Interest-free status for part-time time loans
To put part-time Canada student loans in in-study interest-free status, complete a Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment form and submit it directly to the NSLSC.

You are not eligible to be in non-repayment or in-study interest-free status on your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan if:

1. 1 You are enrolled in full-time studies but also have full-time employment during your study period
2. 2 You submit the Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment after your study period end date and you have outstanding interest
3. 3 You do not meet the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations (SOR/95-329) requirements
4. 4 You are restricted due to a review of the information you provided
5. 5 You have reached the lifetime maximum weeks for in-study interest-free status

Note: All 'funded terms' are included in the calculation for lifetime maximum. This includes the non-repayment and interest-free periods of which no student loan funding was issued.

All Canada-B.C. integrated loans, Canada Student Loans and B.C. Risk-Sharing and Guaranteed Loans are subject to a maximum number of weeks.

The lifetime maximum weeks for student loan funding are:

• 340 weeks for non-doctoral programs
• 400 weeks for doctoral (including all weeks accumulated during bachelor and master’s studies) for students in doctoral (PhD-level) studies
• 520 weeks for persons with a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability

If you have reached the lifetime maximum weeks, you are not entitled to receive further student financial assistance (loans, grants or federal interest-free status) and interest will begin to accumulate on the federal portion of your student loan to the end of your study period. This includes all weeks of study for which your loan, grant or in-study interest-free status was granted. If you reach the maximum number of weeks where payment is not required, student financial assistance will be continued to the end of the study period in which you are currently enrolled.

However, if you remain in continuous full-time studies, you can apply for payment deferral by submitting the Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment form. This will also put you in in-study interest-free status. All interest that has accumulated on the federal portion of your Canada-B.C. integrated student loan, unless paid, will be added to the principal amount of your outstanding loan balance. You will be required to start making payments six months after the completion of your full-time studies.