Loans and Grants for Full-Time Studies

When you apply for Nova Scotia Student Assistance for Full-Time Studies, you are applying for both Loans and Grants, from both the Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada.

• Provincial and federal funding amounts are calculated using different income information, but have the same basic criteria.
• Some grants have additional criteria to help specific groups of students (see links below)
• Grants do not need to be repaid.
• Loans must be repaid starting six months after you leave school.
  • Nova Scotia Loans begin to accumulate interest six months after you leave school, unless you apply for and qualify for 0% interest.
  • Canada Student Loans are interest free.

  One Application

  With a single application you are applying for all of the Grants and Loans listed in the table below at the same time. Please note that grants for students with disabilities may require additional documentation.

  About our Funding

  These amounts given in the table below are program maximums. Many students receive less than the maximum.

  • These maximum numbers apply to all students and cannot be increased through an appeal, regardless of your calculated need.
  • If you are receiving the maximum amounts, but still need more funding for school, you may have to look at other financing options.
  • For most students, saving during your pre-study period and budgeting wisely or even working during your study-period will mean you can afford most typical school programs with the help of student assistance.
  • If you plan to attend an expensive school, or if your own or your parents' expected contributions toward the costs of your education are not met, then student assistance may not be enough. In this case, you may need to look at other ways of financing your education.
  • The amount that students receive is calculated individually for every student, so the amount can vary a great deal. The average amount that all applicants (including students with high need, disabilities, dependents, etc.) received in Loans and Grants in 2018-2019 was between $12,000-13,000. This includes NSCC, University, and Private Career College borrowers.
  • Many students don't realize there is also a limit on how many weeks of full-time study (total) that student assistance will fund.
    • Learn More about Maximum Weeks

    2024-2025 Program Funding Maximums

    The amounts given below are for the 2024-2025 academic year. These amounts sometimes change and may be different for other academic years.

    The Nova Scotia Government Student Loan & Upfront Grant have increased in each of the past three years.

    Government of Nova Scotia

    Government of Canada

    Nova Scotia Student Loan

    Canada Student Loan

    Nova Scotia Grants:
    (All non-repayable)

    Canada Grants:
    (All non-repayable)

    Nova Scotia Student Grant

    Amount: Students studying at a Nova Scotia school will receive 40% of any Nova Scotia Student Loan (see above) in the form of a non-repayable upfront grant.

    Supplemental Loan for Medicine, Law and Dentistry

    Amount: Students studying in these programs may be eligible for up to $140/week of additional loan funding.

    Learn more about Funding for Part-Time studies

    Weeks of Study:

    Most NSCC programs are typically 39 weeks long per academic year.
    Most university programs are 34 weeks long per academic year.
    Other programs may have a wide variety of lengths - check with your school.

    
    Nova Scotia Grant: High Need with Dependents.

    This grant is for high-need students with dependants, where high need means the student's calculated need is greater than $275 per week of study. The maximum amount of this grant is $20 per week of study.