Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students: Eligibility and Payment Amounts
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canadian Student Aid & Scholarships
The Canada Student Grant for part-time students is non-repayable aid for students taking 20% to 59% of a full course load. Your income decides whether you qualify and how much you get, and the amount is smaller than the full-time grant.
🎓 Part-time means 20% to 59% of a full course load at a designated institution.
💵 Income-tested: the lower your reported income, the larger the grant.
⏱️ You can combine part-time study with work, and the grant does not require you to quit your job.
Use your province's aid estimator for your exact figure each academic year.
What counts as part-time
You fall into the part-time stream if you take between 20% and 59% of a full course load in a program at a designated post-secondary institution. Below 20%, you generally fall outside CSFAP entirely. At 60% and above, you move into the full-time stream, which uses a different grant and loan structure. Check your registration status with your school's registrar before you apply, since the percentage on your transcript is what your province checks against your application.
Part-time versus full-time at a glance
| Factor | Part-time | Full-time |
|---|---|---|
| Course load | 20% to 59% of a full load | 60%+ (40%+ with a documented permanent disability) |
| Income assessed | Usually your own income | Usually your family income |
| Grant size | Smaller, income-tested | Larger, income-tested |
| Application | Provincial part-time aid form | Provincial full-time aid form |
Who qualifies
You need to show financial need through your province's student aid application, the same process that assesses your eligibility for a part-time Canada Student Loan. Part-time assessment looks at your own income rather than your parents' income in most cases, since part-time students more often work while they study. If your province is integrated (Ontario , British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba), one application covers both the federal grant and any provincial part-time aid. In a non-integrated province (Alberta, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon), you apply for the federal and provincial portions separately.
How the payment amount works
The grant is income-tested and generally smaller than the full-time Canada Student Grant , reflecting a lighter course load and lower assessed cost of study. ESDC recalculates the eligible amount each academic year against updated income thresholds, so a figure a friend received last year is not a reliable guide for your own application. Check your province's aid estimator before you apply, and treat the number it gives you as an estimate until your Notice of Assessment confirms it.
The part-time Canada Student Loan alongside the grant
Part-time students can also apply for a Canada Student Loan for part-time studies, a separate line item from the grant, with its own principal cap and its own repayment terms once you finish or drop below part-time status. Like the full-time loan, the federal portion carries no interest while you are enrolled. Treat the grant and the loan as two separate decisions on the same application, since accepting one does not require accepting the other.
Combining part-time grants with a job
Part-time study lets you keep working while you study, and the grant application does not ask you to reduce your paid hours. Report your actual income for the assessment period accurately. An underreported income figure can trigger a reassessment and a partial clawback of funds already paid.
If your course load changes mid-term
Moving from part-time to full-time, or dropping a course that pushes you below 20%, changes which grant stream applies to you. Report the change to your provincial portal as soon as it happens rather than waiting until your next renewal, since your grant amount and your loan terms both depend on your actual course load, not your load at the start of the term.
What if you qualify for both streams in one year
Moving between part-time and full-time within the same academic year is common, for example finishing one term part-time then increasing your course load later. Each term gets assessed on its own course load, so your grant stream changes more than once within a single academic year depending on what you are actually registered for at the time.
Renewing each term
Part-time study often runs term by term rather than across a full academic year. Check whether your province requires a new application each term or accepts one application covering multiple terms in the same academic year. Confirm this with your provincial portal before you assume a single approval covers your whole year of part-time study.
Documents your province typically asks for
Proof of enrolment or course registration showing your load percentage.
Your income information for the assessment period.
Banking details for direct deposit through the NSLSC.
Applying and getting paid
Confirm your course load percentage with your school before you apply.
Submit your provincial student aid application for the relevant term.
Wait for your school to confirm enrolment to the NSLSC before funds release.
Check your NSLSC account for the federal portion of the payment.