Financial Assistance

Need help paying for your tuition and fees? Investigate these options to see if you qualify. Also, consider scholarships and awards.

Students may be able to access CSCES funding towards tuition, books and supplies. To complete the process required to determine eligibility, contact a local CSCES office before applying for admission.
The Career Loans program offers free career and financial counselling and micro loans to internationally trained newcomers (permanent residents, Canadian citizens and convention refugees) for educational purposes, including bridge training, upskilling, materials, licensure fees, and exam fees. The program is coordinated by the non-profit organization Achēv and funded by the Federal Government (IRCC).

The Children of Deceased Veterans Education Assistance Act provides fees and monthly allowances for approved educational programs for children of veterans whose deaths were attributable to military service.

Contact the nearest District Office of Veteran Affairs Canada.

As a Sask Polytech student, you can now fund school fees by converting Aeroplan® Miles through HigherEdPoints.com. Convert 35,000 Aeroplan® Miles and you receive $250 worth of credits at Sask Polytech. You can also convert the Aeroplan® Miles of family members and friends to help pay for school.

Anyone can donate their points to an individual student, or directly to Sask Polytech for students in need.

For more information and to set up an account, please visit www.higheredpoints.com.

In partnership with Dell, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is offering a Laptop Purchase Program. Students can choose from select Dell models at discounted prices. To purchase a laptop, visit the Dell website.

Please note: While the Canada-Saskatchewan student loan program intends to cover assessed need to the fullest extent possible, the Student Loan program is subject to federal and provincial maximum funding amounts per week of study. As such, it is not always possible to meet the need of students in programs with high tuition. Students can consult the Student Loan Handbook for additional information on the needs assessment or may contact Can-Sask Student Loans for clarification regarding their specific case.  

You can estimate your eligibility for a full-time or part-time student loan by following the procedure below.

  • Whether you are attending Saskatchewan Polytechnic on a full-time or a part-time basis, add together the number of credit units granted for each course you are registered in for the semester (credit units are available under each course on the program web page or in the Saskatchewan Polytechnic calendar).If the total number of credit units matches or exceeds the number of weeks in training, you are likely eligible for a full-time student loan. If the total number of credit units is less than the number of weeks in training, you may be eligible for a part-time student loan.
    • If you are attending a program that is at least 12 weeks long, compare the total credit units to the total number of weeks that you are in training for the semester (based on the defined start and end date for your program's semester).
    • If you are taking Continuing Education courses you can use the online estimator tool or count the number of calendar weeks between your earliest course start date and your latest course end date in the semester, to determine the total number of weeks that you are in training for the semester.

Note: If you have a break in study of 3 weeks or more, at any point during the academic year, you may not be eligible for a student loan.

Example:   If your registered courses total 12 credit units and your weeks of training total 12, you may be considered full-time.

Contact Enrolment Services to confirm your full-time or part-time student loan eligibility.

Full-time students may receive financial assistance under the Canada and Saskatchewan Student Loans Program. To qualify as full-time, students must carry at least 60 per cent of a full course load in each semester of a program that is at least 12 weeks long (at least 40 per cent of a full course load for students with verified disabilities).
Part-time students may receive assistance under the Canada Student Loans Program for Part-time Students. To qualify as part-time, students must carry 20 - 59 per cent of a full course load (20 - 39 per cent for students with verified disabilities). Part-time student loans are intended to help students meet tuition, books and miscellaneous costs, but not living expenses.
Student loan application forms for the current year, for both full-time and part-time assistance, are available from www.saskatchewan.ca/studentloans
The National Student Loans Service Centre offers a specialized webinar for students. To learn about repayments, ask questions, and gain clarification, simply click here to register and join a session using your computer or mobile device.

This benefit can provide Veterans with funding for post-secondary education. Veterans with six years of service may be eligible for up to $40,000 and Veterans with at least 12 years of service may be eligible for up to $80,000 to cover tuition, course materials, as well as some incidentals and living expenses.

Learn more about the Veterans’ Education and Training Benefit.

 

Windmill provides microloans of up to $15,000 to skilled immigrants and refugees so they can succeed in their careers. They support clients to obtain the Canadian licensing or training required to work in their field, or to secure a position which matches their level of education, skills and experience. Windmill loans can pay for exams, training, credential assessments, books and materials, living allowance, relocation costs, professional association fees and other expenses related to advancing careers.

Learn more about Windmill Microlending.

Budgeting resources

As a post-secondary student, money and finances are important. Tuition and fees are a sizeable part of the cost to attend post-secondary; however, the living costs can be the biggest adjustment. The best way to prepare for life as a student is to budget.  

A budget is a simple way to stay on track and organized with your spending and stress due to finances. Luckily, there are many free and valuable resources.

The Canada Student Financial Assistance Program has a comprehensive list of budgeting tools for education funds. Resources include details on scholarships, paying for your education, RESPs, budgeting tips, and paying off student debt.

The Canadian Bankers Association website offers many valuable baking-specific resources including About Your Money Students, a free financial education seminar program for Canadian students that covers budgeting, saving and investing, responsible use of credit, and keeping money safe.

My Money Coach is a free public service provided by the Credit Counselling Society (CCS) to help you learn how to save money and make smart financial choices. It also offers confidential and free counselling services, credit education, and debt management programs.

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