New B.C. Access Grant

Updated July 27, 2020

Building on the elimination of interest on B.C. student loans, beginning on August 1, 2020, a new needs-based, up-front B.C. Access Grant will remove barriers to post-secondary education and training and provide non-repayable financial support for students at B.C. public post-secondary institutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B.C. Access Grant?

  • Beginning in August 2020, the B.C. Access Grant will help more than 40,000 low- and middle-income students access, afford and complete public post-secondary education and training each year in B.C.
  • The grant will be needs-based, up-front and available to eligible students each year.

Who is eligible for the B.C. Access Grant?

  • The B.C. Access Grant will be available to low- and middle-income students enrolled in full- and part-time undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs.
  • Students must be studying at a B.C. public post-secondary institution.
  • Students must be eligible to apply for and receive a student loan to access the grant.

How much will students receive?

  • The B.C. Access Grant amount is based on a student’s family income. As family income increases, the grant amount decreases.
  • Grant maximums are:
    • Up to $4,000 a year for students enrolled in programs less than two years in length.
    • Up to $1,000 a year for students enrolled in programs two years in length or longer.
    • Up to $1,000 a year for students studying part-time.

When and how can students apply for the new grant?

  • Students applying for student aid for programs at B.C. public post-secondary institutions starting in August 2020 will be automatically assessed for the B.C. Access Grant.

What else is changing?

  • The new B.C. Access Grant replaces the B.C. Completion Grant, B.C. Completion Grant for Graduates, and the B.C. Labour Market Priorities grant to provide up-front financial support to students when they need it at the beginning of studies.
  • The B.C. Completion Grant, B.C. Completion Grant for Graduates, and the B.C. Labour Market Priorities grant will continue to serve students during the 2019/20 student financial assistance program year and be discontinued as of July 31, 2020.
  • Students submitting grant applications for the B.C. Completion Grant for Graduates and B.C. Labour Market Priorities grant for study that began during the 2019/20 program year will be able to do so after July 31, 2020.

For more information on how to apply to StudentAid BC, please see the How to apply for a loan page on the StudentAid BC website.

Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training