The Ministère de l’éducation, du loisir et du sport has put set up two programs to help students who are experiencing financial difficulties:
Loans and Bursaries Program
Allowance for Special Needs Program
These two programs offer financial aid to allow you to continue your studies.
The general admission conditions are:
1- Have Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, refugee status, or be a person protected by Immigration as a Refugee.
2- Reside or be deemed to reside in Quebec at the time you apply for financial assistance.
3- Be admitted to an academic institution recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport.
4- Be a full time student. According to the rules of financial aid for students, a person who is studying part-time and who finds themselves in one of the following situations is deemed to study full-time:
- The student has no spouse and has a child that is less than 12 years old;
- The student is at least 20 weeks pregnant;
- The student has a severely reduced capacity to find employment according to the Individual and Family Assistance Act (RSQ,cA-13.1.1) and participates in one of the programs of social assistance and support provided under this Act;
- The student cannot pursue studies full-time for more than one month due to a serious episodic disorder resulting from problems with physical or mental health that are documented in the student’s medical records. [1]
5- The maximum number of months of study for which financial assistance has been attributed must not be exceeded. Below you will see a table that sums up the time frame for the loans and bursary program. It must be noted that the maximum amount of time for grants is 88 months (or the equivalent) for university students. [2]
6- Not having sufficient financial resources to continue your studies. According to the rules for financial aid to students in Quebec, financial resources are judged insufficient when a person’s annual income is less than 35 000$ [3].
Outside of these government measures, you have the possibility of applying for student bursaries offered at your educational institution. Bursary programs are created to motivate students with particular skills to persevere in their studies. On top of existing bursary programs, there are specific programs that exist for individuals living with a disability. These bursaries aim to motivate individuals with disabilities to pursue post-secondary education and to encourage them to be involved in their community. These bursaries are offered at both the provincial and federal level.
You can view the list of scholarships to get an idea of what is available for students living with a disability.
To find out which disabilities are recognized by MELS, please visit the following page:
Disabilities recognized by MELS
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[1] Canada, Québec, Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, Règlement de l’aide financière aux études, section 5, art 45, consulté le 08 octobre 2010
[2] Canada, Québec, Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, Règlement de l’aide financière aux études, section 5, art 56, consulté le 25 novembre 2010
[3] Canada, Québec, Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, Règlement sur l’aide financière aux études, Chapitre II, art 82 (consulté le 06 octobre 2010)