New Brunswick's Tuition Access Bursary: Who Qualifies and How Much It Covers
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Sep 30, 2026 • Updated Sep 30, 2026 • Scholarships & Funding, Money & Budgeting, Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canadian Student Aid & Scholarships
New Brunswick's Tuition Access Bursary is a non-repayable award that reduces the tuition cost for full-time New Brunswick students from lower income families studying at an eligible New Brunswick institution, and you apply for it through your regular student financial assistance application.
💵 It pays toward tuition rather than living costs, and you never repay it.
🎓 Eligibility depends on your family income relative to a threshold New Brunswick sets and adjusts, so confirm the current figure before you rely on it.
📩 Apply through New Brunswick Student Financial Services alongside your student loan and grant application, not through a separate form.
What the Tuition Access Bursary Covers
The Tuition Access Bursary is a non-repayable award New Brunswick pays toward the tuition cost of full-time students from lower income families. It targets the tuition portion of your costs specifically, on top of whatever loan, grant or other bursary funding you already qualify for through New Brunswick's regular student aid assessment.
Who Qualifies
You need New Brunswick residency, full-time enrollment in an eligible program at a qualifying New Brunswick post-secondary institution, and a family income at or below the threshold New Brunswick Student Financial Services sets for the bursary. That threshold accounts for family size and changes between academic years, so confirm the current figure directly with New Brunswick Student Financial Services rather than relying on a figure from a previous year.
How You Apply
You do not fill out a separate application for the Tuition Access Bursary. New Brunswick Student Financial Services assesses your eligibility as part of your regular student loan and grant application, using the income and family information you already submit there. Complete your full student aid application accurately and on time, since an incomplete or late application delays the bursary assessment along with the rest of your funding.
How It Fits With Your Other Aid
The bursary reduces what you owe toward tuition, which lowers your overall assessed need before New Brunswick calculates the loan and grant portions of your package. Because it targets tuition rather than living costs, it does not replace the living allowance calculation that determines your loan eligibility for rent, food and transportation during your studies.
What to Confirm Each Year
The current family income threshold for your family size.
Whether your specific institution and program qualify.
The current dollar amount or share of tuition the bursary covers, since this changes between academic years.
Whether you need to reapply each year or whether your eligibility carries forward automatically.
Reach out to New Brunswick Student Financial Services directly if your family's income changes partway through your program. A drop in income partway through the year moves you under the threshold even if you did not qualify when you first applied.
Keep Your Application File Current
Update your family income information and enrollment status with New Brunswick Student Financial Services whenever your circumstances change, rather than waiting for your next annual application. A bursary reassessment during the year corrects your funding sooner and avoids an unexpected shortfall in your tuition coverage partway through a term.