Canada Student Grants & Loans for Part-Time Students

For post-secondary students taking courses on a part-time basis, there is student financial assistance available for costs, such as tuition, books, transportation, etc. Funding for part-time (PT) students is provided by the federal government and issued by the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC). Applications are assessed by PEI Student Financial Services.

The financial assistance available includes:

• The Canada Student Grant for Part-time Students (CSG-PT),
• The Canada Student Grant for Part-time Students with Dependents (CSGD-PT), and
• The Canada Student Loan for Part-time Students (CSL-PT).

You need only complete one application to be considered for all of the above grants and loan. Additional information may be required.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Students must meet all of the following criteria:

• PEI residency - a student is considered a resident of PEI if the student has most recently maintained a family home in PEI for at least 12 consecutive months prior to beginning their post-secondary education. Or, a student can establish residency in PEI based on their spouse’s employment while they were married and chose to remain here to study after the relationship ended. (Please note – students do not earn residency status while they are attending a PEI post-secondary institution);

• Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Residency [as defined by subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)] or as a protected person [as defined by subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)], and have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN);

• Pursuing part-time post-secondary studies leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate at a designated educational institution, including studies beyond the undergraduate level;

• Attending a program or course that is 12 weeks or less in length or are enrolled in 20 – 59% of a full-time course load. Students must be enrolled in programs of study that have a full-time equivalent;

• Students must have a total family income for the previous calendar year (January 1 – December 31) that is less than the low-income thresholds (for grants) and the middle-income thresholds (for grants and/or loans). These thresholds are set by the Federal Government (see Resources below); and

• Have less than $10,000 outstanding in CSL-PT loan principal.

How much funding is available?

The maximum CSG-PT is $2,520 per loan year (August 1 – July 31). Student with dependents may be eligible for additional funding.

The maximum CSL-PT is the difference between $10,000 minus a student’s total current outstanding CSL-PT balance. Borrowers can pay their part-time student loan debt to receive further funding. The CSL-PT amount is tracked separately from the Canada Student Loan for full-time students (CSL-FT).

The CSG-PT and CSL-PT are determined according to a single progressive threshold where eligibility decreases as income increases, with the rate of deduction varying by family size. Based on eligibility, students are first awarded the CSG-PT and, if there is still unmet need, then they receive a CSL-PT.

If a student’s family income is above the threshold maximum (see Resources below), then they are not eligible for any part-time funding (CSG-PT and CSL-PT).

Example 1 - Student with no dependents, no previous CSL-PT, and are under the income threshold:

Total assessed need	$2,500
Eligibility: CSG-PT CSL-PT	$2,500 (non-repayable) $0
Total Federal Assistance	$2,500

Example 2 - Student with no dependents, no previous CSL-PT, and are under the income threshold:

Total assessed need	$3,700
Eligibility: CSG-PT CSL-PT	$2,520 (non-repayable) $1,180 (repayable)
Total Federal Assistance	$3,700

Example 3 - Student with no dependents, $9,500 previous CSL-PT, and are under the income threshold:

Total assessed need	$3,250
Student Federal Assistance CSG-PT CSL-PT	$2.520 (non-repayable) $500  (repayable)
Total Federal Assistance	$3,020

If a student’s assessed need is less than the maximum grant, then they will only receive their assessed need amount. For example, if a student’s assessed need is $1,200, then they will receive $1,200. However, if a student’s combined assessed need is less than $100, then they will not be eligible to receive any funding.

 Student with permanent disabilities may be eligible for additional part-time funding. However, medical documentation must be provided. For more details, please go to our Student Financial Services for Students with Disabilities web page for more details - Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent/Persistent or Prolonged Disabilities / Services and Equipment Grant | Government of Prince Edward Island

What other criteria must be met?

If students were awarded a previous CSG-PT and/or a CSL-PT in a previous loan year, then they must have successfully completed all courses for which they received funding. If a student fails or does not complete the course(s), they will not receive further part-time funding until they provide proof that they have completed a course(s) for which they have paid for themselves.

What is the deadline for part-time CSG/CSL applications?

Generally, students submit their part-time applications before they begin their course(s). The latest date our office will accept applications is up to three (3) weeks before the course end-date. This date is strictly enforced.

How do students apply?

Step 1

Students must complete page 1 and page 2 of the Part-time Student Grant and Loan Application (see Resources below);

Step 2

The student’s post-secondary institution must complete page 3, Section E, of the application;

Step 3

Students must provide with their application the following documentation (if applicable):

• a current Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment and their spouse’s Notice of Assessment, if applicable, (unless they have already submitted it to our office on a previous full-time or part-time application for the current academic year);

• Permanent Residents or protected persons are required to provide a copy of their Permanent Resident card (both sides) or their immigration papers;

• Students with previous CSG-PT/CSL-PT in the previous academic year must provide a copy of their unofficial transcript;

• Students with dependent children must provide a copy of their children’s Provincial Health Cards. (Students and their spouse’s Provincial Health Cards are not required);

Step 4

Submit the application form and applicable documents to our office (see contact information below). Please note, if original documents are mailed to our office, they will not be returned. Students may email, mail, or drop-off their application and documents to our office. Applications and documents emailed to our office should be sent as an attachment (PDF format or as a photo).

Step 5

Our office will notify successful applicants by mail. The letter will include a 10-digit part-time Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) number. Do not lose this number. The MSFAA number is required to complete the online registration with the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC), who will be dispersing and administering all part-time grants and loans.

Step 6

In 3-5 days after the date on the approval letter from Step 5, students will receive a “Welcome Email” from the NSLSC. Once received, students must complete their online registration by providing the following information:

• Bank account information for direct deposit payments (include transit, institution, and account number);
• Social insurance number (SIN);
• Date of birth (DOB); and
• 10-digit part-time MSFAA number.

Students must read and sign the part-time Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) through an online process. The part-time MSFAA is a legal agreement between the student and the federal government regarding accepting the CSG-PT/CSL-PT and their responsibilities for repayment (if any). This online registration will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Please note, the part-time MSFAA is a different legal agreement than the full-time MSFAA. Once the part-time MSFAA is completed, it can be used for multiple part-time CSG/CSL applications (unless students take a 2-year break in study or establish residency in another province or territory). Students will not receive their funding until they have completed the part-time MSFAA.

Does switching from full-time to part-time status affect student loan repayments?

Yes, students are required to start repaying their student loans 6-12 months after they cease being a full-time student. When a student switches from full-time to part-time status, student loans switch to repayment status. This occurs in 6 months for federal student loans and in 12 months for provincial student loans. When students return to school as a full-time student, their student loans switch to non-repayment status.

Related Resources

2023/24 PT Canada Student Grant and/or Loan Application (English) (French)

2024/25 PT Canada Student Grant and/or Loan Application (English) or (French) 

Part-Time Student Loan and/or Grant Application Low-Income Thresholds

You can email your complete application to: ptfunding@gov.pe.ca
 

Who can I contact for information?

Student Financial Services

Mailing Address:
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 7N8

Office location:
176 Great George St, Suite 212
Charlottetown, PE

Telephone: (902) 368-4640
Email: ptfunding@gov.pe.ca