Scholarships and Bursaries in Nova Scotia: What Exists and Who Qualifies

Grants that stack onto your student loan

Nova Scotia runs an integrated aid system through Nova Scotia Student Assistance. Apply once through MyPATH and the same assessment covers both your Nova Scotia Student Loan and your Canada Student Loan. Part of what you qualify for pays out as grant money instead of loan, and you never repay a grant.

For the 2026-27 academic year, the Nova Scotia Student Loan tops out at $200 a week of study and the Canada Student Loan at $300 a week, according to Nova Scotia Student Assistance . The Nova Scotia Student Grant pays 40% of whatever Nova Scotia Student Loan amount you receive, so a student who qualifies for the full $200 a week loan gets an extra $80 a week as a grant on top.

Grants tied to your situation

Extra non-repayable grants load onto your assessment once you report the circumstances that trigger them. You do not submit separate applications for these, report the details on your Student Assistance file and the system adds the matching amount.

• High Need with Dependents Grant: $20 a family per week of study, once your calculated need passes $275 a week.

• Canada Grant for Students with Dependents: $280 a month for each child under 12.

• Canada Grants for Students with Disabilities: up to $2,800 a year.

• Canada Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities: up to $20,000 a year, for costs like note-takers, interpreters or adaptive technology.

• Canada Study Grant: amount depends on your assessed need and your institution.

Loan forgiveness after you graduate

Finish an undergraduate, non-professional degree at a Nova Scotia university and the province forgives part of your loan without you applying. The Nova Scotia Student Loan Forgiveness Program covers up to five years of study and up to $20,400 total, for Nova Scotia Student Loans issued on or after August 1, 2015. It has to be your first undergraduate degree, and you need to finish within eight years of starting.

Student Assistance reviews your account once your school confirms graduation and sends a letter naming your forgiveness amount within three to six weeks. This only touches the Nova Scotia portion of your debt, not your Canada Student Loan.

Extra loan room for professional programs

Students in medicine, law and dentistry qualify for a supplemental loan of up to $140 a week on top of the standard maximums, reflecting the higher cost of these programs.

Scholarships from your university or college

Every Nova Scotia university and Nova Scotia Community College runs entrance and in-course scholarship competitions separate from provincial aid. At most schools, including Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, Acadia University, Cape Breton University, St. Francis Xavier University, Mount Saint Vincent University and University of King's College, entrance scholarships get awarded automatically from your admission application based on your high school average, with no extra form required. In-course scholarships renew each year based on your GPA, and some need a short application through your student portal.

Amounts, cutoffs and deadlines differ by school and change every year, so check your school's financial aid or awards office page directly instead of relying on a general number. Search your school's name plus "awards office" to find the current list. Nova Scotia Community College campuses run their own bursary lists too, organized by program and campus rather than one province-wide table.

Community, employer and Indigenous awards

Community foundations, credit unions, industry associations and local employers across Nova Scotia fund bursaries that your high school guidance counsellor or your school's awards office lists each fall. Indigenous students studying in Nova Scotia also qualify for national programs such as Indspire , which funds Indigenous students across Canada.

Most community and employer awards need a short application: a transcript, a reference letter, sometimes a short piece about your program or community involvement. Deadlines cluster in spring for the following fall term, so start collecting reference letters by February or March if you plan to apply.

Graduate students should also check with their department for research-based funding. Federal tri-agency programs such as SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR fund graduate research nationally, including at Nova Scotia universities, and your graduate program office can point you to the right competition and deadline for your field.

Avoid scholarship scams

Legitimate scholarships and bursaries never ask you to pay an application fee or hand over your banking details before you win anything. Search for awards through your school's own awards office, established community foundations, or a database your school's financial aid office endorses, not through cold emails or ads promising a guaranteed win.

Treat any program that asks for money upfront, pressures you to decide fast, or leaves no trace outside a single website as a red flag and skip it. Your school's financial aid office confirms whether an offer you did not apply for is real before you act on it.

How to apply for provincial aid

1. Create an account and apply through MyPATH once you have a confirmed offer or enrollment.

2. Submit your income and family information for the need assessment, which sets your loan and grant split.

3. Check your school's own scholarship and bursary list separately, Student Assistance does not process those awards.

4. Keep dependent or disability documentation ready if those grants apply to you.

5. Reapply every academic year. Aid and school scholarships do not roll over on their own.