Student Aid Estimator

You are a permanent resident of the province or territory where you have most recently lived for at least 12 consecutive months without having been a full-time student at a post-secondary institution. For most people, this is their current province, but for those who study at an institution outside of their province of residence, they must select the province that they came from prior to moving for school.

Full-Time:

A full-time student must be enrolled in courses that make up at least 60 percent of a full course load for each study period. Students with permanent disabilities may be enrolled in courses that make up at least 40 percent of a full course load to be considered full-time students.

Example:

If the post-secondary educational institution and the province or territory both recognizes a full course load as 5 courses, then 60% of a full course load would be 3 courses.

Part-Time:

A part-time course load is between 20 and 59 percent of a full-time course load.

Certificate/Diploma:

Certificate or diploma programs normally range from 6 months to 2 years in duration and are offered by public and private colleges.

Undergraduate Studies:

Undergraduate programs normally require a secondary school diploma. Programs are commonly 3 or 4 years and are offered by universities.

Graduate Studies:

Graduate programs normally require a Bachelor’s degree. Programs commonly involve extensive research and take 2 to 4 years to complete. Graduate studies typically result in a student obtaining a Master’s degree or PhD from a university.

A semester is defined by your Post-Secondary Educational Institution. For most students, a typical school year is 8 months or 2 semesters. Your program of studies may be less or more for the upcoming school year. Contact your Post-Secondary Education Institution if you are not sure.

Study program length is the typical number of years required to complete your program as per your Post-Secondary Educational Institution.

Enter the estimated tuition and compulsory fees listed on your school’s website, or use either the default national average of $6,571 for undergraduate studies, or $6,907 for graduate studies.

Include all amounts you expect to receive through scholarships and bursaries from other sources. Scholarships are typically awarded on the basis of academic, athletic or artistic merit, or on the basis of special interests. They may include university entrance scholarships, doctoral fellowships, or private sector scholarship funds.

Include all amounts you expect to receive through targeted resources to assist with specific educational costs. These may include funds received from municipal, provincial, or federal governments, or from the private sector—for example, social assistance payments intended to cover education-related costs, or sponsorship or training allowances provided by an employer to attend post-secondary studies.

Single dependent student living at home:

1. You are a single dependent student if all of the following are true:
   1. you are not married or in a common-law relationship;
   2. you are not separated, divorced or widowed;
   3. you are not a single parent;
   4. you have been out of high school for less than 4 years before the start of the study period; and
   5. you have not worked full-time for two years or more.
2. You are living at home if you are living with your parent(s) or going to school within 25 km of your parent’s home.

Single dependent student living away from home:

1. You are a single dependent student if all of the following are true:
   1. you are not married or in a common-law relationship;
   2. you are not separated, divorced or widowed;
   3. you are not a single parent;
   4. you have been out of high school for less than 4 years before the start of the study period; and
   5. you have not worked full-time for two years or more.
2. You are living away from home if
   1. you are not living with your parent(s); and
   2. you are not going to school within 25 km of your parent’s home.

Single independent student living at home:

1. You are a single independent student if any of the following is true:
   1. you have been out of high school for 4 or more years as of the start of the study period;
   2. you have worked full-time for two years or longer;
   3. both of your parents are deceased; or
   4. you are widowed, divorced, or separated with no children.
2. You are living at home if you are living with your parent(s) or going to school within 25 km of your parent’s home.

Single independent student living away from home:

1. You are a single independent student if any of the following is true:
   1. you have been out of high school for 4 or more years as of the start of the study period;
   2. you have worked full-time for two years or longer;
   3. both of your parents are deceased; or
   4. you are widowed, divorced, or separated with no children.
2. You are living away from home if
   1. you are not living with your parent(s); and
   2. you are not going to school within 25 km of your parent’s home.

Married/Common Law:

For the purposes of the Canada Student Loans Program, this refers to students who are married, or who have been living in a situation similar to a conjugal relationship for at least one year.

Single Parent:

Students identified as single parents are those who have legal and physical custody and responsibility for supporting a child. They must not currently be married or in a common-law relationship. A single parent who shares physical custody and financial support with the other parent is still considered a single parent student.

Single dependent student living at home:

Your family consists of yourself, your parent(s) or guardian(s), siblings and any other dependant(s) of your parent(s) or guardian(s).

Single dependent student living away from home:

Your family consists of yourself, your parent(s) or guardian(s), siblings and any other dependant(s) of your parent(s) or guardian(s).

Single independent student living at home:

Your family size is one.

Single independent student living away from home:

Your family size is one.

Married/Common Law:

Your family consists of yourself, your spouse or common law partner, dependant(s) under 18 years of age and any other dependant(s) with a permanent disability.

Single Parent:

Your family consists of yourself, dependant(s) under 18 years of age and/or dependant(s) with a permanent disability.

The number of children you have under the age of 12 and/or dependants with a permanent disability.

Dependent students:

The gross annual family income is your parent’s total annual earnings before tax. This can be found on line 150 of each parent's previous year's T1 General Income Tax Form.

Married/common-law students:

The gross annual family income is the sum of the student's and the spouse/common law partner's annual earnings before tax. This can be found on line 150 of each of the student's and the spouse/common law partner’s previous year's T1 General Income Tax Form.

Independent students and single parents:

The gross annual income consists of the student's total annual earnings before tax. This can be found on line 150 of the student’s previous year’s General Income Tax Form.

At least 10 whole years will have passed since you graduated high school at the time of post-secondary enrollment.

A permanent disability is defined as a functional limitation caused by a physical or mental impairment that restricts the ability of a person to perform the daily activities necessary to participate in studies at a post-secondary school level or in the labour force and that is expected to remain with the person during his or her lifetime.

Canadians who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, including status and non-status Indians, Métis, or Inuit).

Students who have the state or Crown as their legal parent.