Student Financial Aid in Quebec: Loans, Grants and How to Apply

Why Quebec's aid system looks different

Most Canadian provinces deliver student aid through the federal Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, layered with a matching provincial program and repaid through the National Student Loans Service Centre . Quebec runs its own program instead, Aide financière aux études, known as AFE. If you study in Quebec as a Quebec resident, you deal with AFE directly, not the federal service centre.

AFE combines what would otherwise be a separate federal and provincial loan into one assessment and one loan account. You apply once, through the AFE loans and bursaries program , and the province decides how much of your assistance comes as a loan you repay and how much comes as a non-repayable bursary.

How AFE decides your loan and bursary split

AFE assesses your personal financial situation each academic year rather than applying a flat amount to every student. The program looks at your income, and depending on your status, your parents' or spouse's income too, along with your assets and your family situation. The income you report gets checked against what you declared to Revenu Québec, so keep your tax filing current before you apply.

Students with lower assessed need receive a larger share of their aid as a loan. Students with higher assessed need receive more as a non-repayable bursary. Exact maximum amounts change every academic year, so run your own numbers through the government's assessment simulator rather than relying on a figure you saw somewhere else.

Who qualifies: full-time and part-time rules

Full-time status for AFE means 12 or more credits per semester. If your spring session splits across May through August, the same 12-credit threshold applies across the combined session. Part-time students taking 6-11 credits per semester also qualify, though a student registered part-time for only a single semester sandwiched between two full-time semesters falls outside the part-time rules.

You need to be a Quebec resident for aid purposes and enrolled in a recognized program at a CEGEP, university or approved vocational program to qualify. Check your specific program's eligibility on the AFE site before you apply, since some short or non-recognized programs fall outside the system entirely.

Dependent and independent status changes your assessment

AFE treats you as a dependent student tied to your parents' income for a period after high school, then as an independent student once you meet certain conditions, such as years out of secondary school, marriage or having your own dependents. Your status changes which income the program counts toward your assessment, so review the dependent and independent definitions on the AFE site closely if your family situation is not straightforward.

How to apply and when

The AFE application for a given academic year opens in mid-May and stays open until August 31 of the following year, giving you a wide window to apply even if you decide to enroll partway through the year. Complete your application with all required documents, and add a parental or spousal declaration if your situation requires one. Incomplete files delay your assessment.

You do not need to separately confirm your enrollment with your school. AFE contacts your institution directly to verify your registration once you submit your application. Apply as early as you can within the window regardless, since your loan and bursary do not disburse until your file is complete and your enrollment is confirmed.

Where your loan and bursary money goes

AFE pays part of your assessed assistance directly to your institution to cover tuition and mandatory fees, and pays the remainder to you directly for living costs, books and other expenses. Your school confirms your registration each semester before either portion releases, so a schedule change or a drop below full-time status can pause your payments until AFE reassesses your file.

While you study and after

AFE loans charge no interest and require no payments while you stay enrolled full-time, and the bursary portion never gets repaid. Quebec also offers a non-refundable tax credit tied to your AFE loan interest once you enter repayment. For the current interest rate, repayment start date and any repayment assistance measures available if your income stays low after you finish studying, check the repayment section of the AFE program page directly. These terms get updated on their own schedule, separate from the annual loan and bursary maximums.

If your income or family situation changes

Report a change in your income, your marital status or your living situation to AFE during the academic year. AFE updates your assessment instead of making you wait for the next application cycle. Students who become independent from their parents partway through a degree, face a job loss in the family, or start supporting a child should update their file rather than rely on an outdated assessment.

Combining AFE with other aid

AFE does not stop you from holding a university entrance scholarship or a private award at the same time, though a large scholarship lowers your assessed need and your loan and bursary amount. Report scholarships and bursaries you receive from other sources on your AFE file so your assessment stays accurate.