Student Financial Aid for Students With Dependants: Extra Allowances and Which Provinces Offer Them
By Muntasir • Published May 14, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canadian Student Aid & Scholarships
The federal Canada Student Grant for Students with Dependants pays up to $280 a month, or $2,240 a year, for each child you support, on top of your regular full-time student grant, through the 2026-27 academic year. It phases out as your family income rises, and it does not apply in Quebec, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, which run separate aid systems.
💵 Up to $280 a month per dependant, capped at $2,240 a year per dependant
Runs through the 2026-27 academic year, which is August 1 to July 31
Income-tested: a family of 2 gets the maximum grant below $54,412 and none above $98,017
Larger families qualify at higher income levels
Provinces add their own dependant and child care allowances into your total assessed need on top of this federal grant
The federal grant for parenting students
If you are a full-time student supporting at least one dependant child, the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependants pays up to $280 for every month you are in school, capped at $2,240 a year for each dependant. This comes on top of your regular Canada Student Grant, not instead of it, and applies through the 2026-27 academic year, which runs August 1 to July 31. A dependant qualifies if they are under 12, or older than 12 with a permanent disability.
Income thresholds decide how much you get
The grant phases out as your family income rises, and the threshold scales with family size, so a bigger household qualifies at a higher income level than a smaller one.
| Family size | Maximum grant below | Grant ends at |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $54,412 | $98,017 |
| 7 or more people | $101,797 | $161,321 |
These figures are effective August 1, 2026. Family sizes between 2 and 7 sit on a sliding scale between these two rows, so check the federal student aid estimator with your exact family size and income for your own threshold.
Where Quebec, NWT and Nunavut students stand
This federal grant does not apply if you study through Quebec, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, since each runs its own aid system outside the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program. Students in these jurisdictions check their own program, such as Quebec's Aide financiere aux etudes, for the equivalent dependant support built into that system.
Provincial dependant and child care allowances stack on top
Beyond the federal grant, most provincial student aid programs build a separate child care or dependant living cost allowance directly into your assessed need, the calculation that decides your total loan and grant package. This allowance covers costs like daycare or before and after school care while you attend classes, and it gets added to your cost of living before your provincial aid is calculated, separate from the federal grant above. Exact allowance amounts and required documentation, such as a daycare invoice or a letter from your care provider, differ by province and change from year to year, so confirm the current figure directly with your own provincial aid office rather than relying on a previous year's number.
How to apply
You do not apply for the dependants grant separately. Declare your dependants and their ages on your regular student aid application, whether through your province's combined federal-provincial form or a standalone application in Quebec, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. The system calculates your dependant grant and any provincial child care allowance once you report your dependants and household income correctly, so double check that section before you submit.
Keep your file updated
If a dependant turns 12 without a permanent disability during your program, or your household income changes significantly, report it to your aid office. Aid offices reassess awards through the year in some cases, and an unreported change leads to an overaward you have to pay back later.