Student loans: General Guide - English

Refugee students who have the status of Protected Persons are now eligible for federal student loans and most provincial student loan programs. (Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut run their own student loan programs and protected persons are not currently eligible for these programs.)

However, refugee students need special documents and applications in order to access these student loans. As with any new system or change in procedure, there are bugs and delays. The regulations and processes around student loans are still catching up to the change in law.

The materials on this site are meant to help you understand

• who is a protected person, now eligible for student loans
• province by province steps that students need to take to apply for student loans (in all cases refugee students will need their Protected Persons Status Document and a Social Insurance number)
• an introduction to the tuition fees policy for refugee students in different provinces

A general guide (in both ENGLISH and FRENCH) is included for school counsellors, parents and the refugee-supporting community who advise students on eligibility and can help minimize delays and frustrations.