Provincial and Territorial Student Aid Programs
Students who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or protected persons may be eligible for financial assistance from their provincial or territorial government.
To submit government financial aid forms to be completed by the University, access the Out-of-Province Portal.
Fall/Winter Applications
Applications become available from your home province or territory around May of each year.
Summer Applications
Contact your home province or territory’s financial aid office several months prior to the start of summer session classes. They will help you to determine the process, your eligibility, and time frames for applications. If you are a student from British Columbia, review this information.
How to Apply
For financial aid applications, “Full-time” is defined as being registered in a minimum 60% of a full-time course load in each term of study the student has requested funding/interest-free status (40% of a full-time course load for students with a documented permanent disability or documented persistent or prolonged disability).
This full-time status definition may be different from how Faculties define full-time status to determine registration status for their students.
Course loads are not averaged over terms. For example, if a student has applied for/is receiving funding for the fall and winter terms, the student must remain enrolled in 60% of a full-time course load in the fall term and 60% full-time course load in the winter term (40% for students with documented disability status).
It is your responsibility to check the program length/number of study weeks requirement of your home province.
Note: Students with a permanent disability or documented persistent or prolonged disability must establish disability status with their home province. After establishing disability status with their home province, students may further contact the U of T Accessibility Services office to be set up with an advisor.
For financial aid purposes, students must be registered in a full-time course load in each term of study for which funding/interest- or payment-free status is being requested. Provinces do not allow averaging of courses between terms. These minimum course loads may be different from how Faculties define full-time course loads to determine registration status for their students.
Full-Time Status – Fall/Winter
Undergraduate: Undergraduate full-time students must remain enrolled in 1.5 credits/60% of a full-time course load (1.0 credits if they have a permanent disability status registered with their home province) or more in each term they have requested funding/interest- or payment-free status..
Exception: Newfoundland and Labrador only – Full-time studies defined as follows:
Provincial: minimum enrolment is 80% of a full-time course load
Federal: minimum enrolment is 60% of a full-time course load
Graduate and Professional Degree: Graduate and professional program students must meet the minimum full-time course load defined by their program/faculty.
Full-Time Status – Summer
Undergraduate:
- If you are enrolled in courses from May to August: 1.5 credits (1.0 credits for students with documented permanent disability with their home province)
Exception: Newfoundland and Labrador only – Full-time studies defined as follows:- Provincial: minimum enrolment is 80% of a full-time course load
- Federal: minimum enrolment is 60% of a full-time course load
- If you are enrolled in courses from just May to June, or only July to August: 1.0 credits (0.5 credits for students with a documented permanent disability with their home province)
Graduate: Graduate and professional program students must meet the minimum full-time course load defined by their program/faculty.
Part-Time Status
All students interested in financial aid applications who do not meet the above requirements are considered to be in part-time studies. Students must contact their home province to determine whether they may be eligible to apply for a part-time financial aid.
The following programs are not approved for provincial funding:
- International Dentist Advanced Placement Program (IDAPP) for Foreign-Trained Dentists
- Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP)
- Non-conjoint Toronto School of Theology Programs (TST students in conjoint programs are eligible to apply for OSAP)
- All executive programs at the Rotman School of Management
- Executive MBA programs at the Rotman School of Management
- Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting – Faculty of Management
- International Pharmacy Graduate Program (Canadian Pharmacy Skills) for individuals with foreign pharmacy degrees
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – additional qualification courses
- School of Continuing Studies courses
- Residency programs
- Certificate in Environmental Management
- Certificate in Renewable Energy
- Certificate in GIS for Environmental Management
- Certificate in Environmental Health
- Certificate in Leadership in Higher Education
- Internationally Trained Lawyers Program
- National Committee on Accreditation at the Faculty of Law
- Master of Mathematical Finance
- Doctor of Public Health
- Master of Forensic Accounting
- Any non-degree studies
Check with your province or territory for their application submission deadlines.
Below are the websites of each province/territory.
If you have paper forms that need to be completed by the Out-of-Province financial aid team, please submit them through the Out-of-Province Request Portal.
British Columbia students: If you have submitted a StudentAid BC application for full-time studies, please submit the Appendix 3 through the StudentAid BC online portal.
The University Registrar’s Office will begin processing requests (e.g., completing forms uploaded on the Out-of-Province Request Portal) for the upcoming Fall/Winter session starting in mid-July (for the upcoming Summer term in mid-April), when program costs and study start/end dates information are available. As a result, students who submit requests prior to mid-July or mid-April must expect an extended gap of time from their request date.
Requests will be completed in date order received.
You will receive email notification to your utoronto.ca email account once your request has been completed. Please allow three weeks from mid-July Fall/Winter requests or mid-April for Summer requests for forms to be completed.
The next step is to either pay or defer your fees. After doing so, your status will be changed to Registered (REG) in ACORN. The University will then confirm your enrolment to your province or territory; see Confirmation of Enrolment section below for the timelines for completion.
Forms & Documentation
Full-Time Students:
- Complete your online StudentAid BC application through the Student Aid BC Dashboard. Part of that online application will require you to complete your section of the online Appendix 3. That online Appendix 3 will then be sent to the University of Toronto by StudentAidBC to be completed electronically.
- Alternatively, you can submit a paper Appendix 3 Request through the University of Toronto Out-of-Province Request Portal.
- Submit only one Appendix 3 Request through one of the portals, and not through both.
- Please wait five (5) business days after submitting the Appendix 3 Request.
- Log into your ACORN account and click the Tuition Fee Deferral button to officially request your fee deferral.
Part-Time Students:
- Complete your online StudentAid BC Part-Time Application through the StudentAid BC Dashboard. This Application will then be sent to the University of Toronto by StudentAid BC.
- Please wait five (5) business days after submitting the Appendix 3 Request.
- Log into your ACORN account and click the Tuition Fee Deferral button to officially request your fee deferral.
Timeline for completion: Allow three weeks after ACORN fee invoices are made available in mid-July for the fall term, and in mid-April for the summer term, for completion.
Note: Our team automatically receives requests from StudentAid BC. It is not necessary for students to email and confirm they have submitted an Appendix 3, or Part-Time Application.
Full-time Students and Part-time Students:
- Submit your program information form request through the University of Toronto Out-of-Province Request Portal. These forms may include any of the following:
- New Brunswick Request for Program Information
- Newfoundland and Labrador Program Cost form
- Northwest Territories Form D Student Enrolment Form
- Nunavut Student Enrolment Form
- Prince Edward Island Academic Information for Educational Institutions
- Quebec 1121 form
- Saskatchewan Program Information Form
- Yukon Program Information Form
- Please wait five (5) business days for processing.
- Log into your ACORN account and click the Tuition Fee Deferral button to officially request your fee deferral.
Timeline for completion: Allow three weeks after ACORN fees invoices are made available in mid-July for fall term, and in mid-April for summer term, for completion.
Please Note: The financial aid team monitors the portal and will see your request. You are not required to email us to inform that you have submitted your program information request.
Full-time Students:
- Submit your Government Student Funding Notice from your home province through the University of Toronto Out-of-Province Request Portal.
- Your Government Student Funding Notice shows the amount of funding (loans and grants) that you are eligible to receive for the upcoming academic year or summer session:
- Alberta – Award Letter.
- Manitoba – Notice of Assistance or screenshot of My Award Information section from your Manitoba Student Aid portal.
- Nova Scotia – screenshot a section of your Nova Scotia Student Aid portal that includes ALL of the following information: 1) study period dates; and 2) total assessed funding amount.
- Please wait five (5) business days for processing.
- Log into your ACORN account and click the Tuition Fee Deferral button to officially request your fee deferral.
Please Note: The financial aid team monitors the portal and will receive your request. You are not required to email us to inform that you have submitted your Government Student Funding Notice request.
Confirmation of Enrolment
Confirmations of enrolment (COEs) are completed by the University Registrar’s Office:
- within the first three weeks of class start date, or within three weeks of receiving the COE request from the province – whichever is later.
- if your ACORN shows you are registered (REG) in a full-time course load for each funded term.
Once your COE has been completed, or if there are any issues, we will notify you through your utoronto.ca email.
Receive Your Funding
You will receive your funding 5-10 business days after your Confirmation of Enrolment has been completed.
You government student aid funding will be deposited directly into your bank account listed in your application. No funds will be sent directly by your home province to U of T. You can use the grant and loan funds to pay your outstanding balance. Financial information may be viewed on ACORN under ‘Financial Account.’ See the ACORN How-to step-by-step guide
Student Responsibilities
- Initiate a financial aid, or related, application with their home province.
- Apply well in advance and prior to the start of the session in which they are requesting government funded financial aid.
- Follow the deadlines, policies, and application steps of their home province.
- Repay their student loans as stipulated by their loan lender for students who have graduated, withdrawn from full-time studies, or leave their studies.
- Ensure they submit a request for interest-free status for any Canada Student Loan and/or provincial/territorial student loan that the student may have received, if applicable, if the student is pursuing full-time studies. See Interest-Free Status for more information.
- Provide complete information to the University Registrar’s Office, should the home province require an application or form to be completed by the University of Toronto, as only the student may access their confidential financial aid file with their home province.
- Immediately report changes to both the University Registrar’s Office and to their home province financial aid office, if the student changes their academic course load and/or does not pass their courses.
- Follow the policies and deadlines, with regards to their student financial account on ACORN.
A student is registered once they have paid tuition and incidental fees, or have made appropriate arrangements to register without payment (e.g., tuition deferral). Students who defer fee payment are responsible for paying all charges, including any service charges that may be assessed.
Registered students agree to abide by all academic and non-academic policies, rules, and regulations of the University of Toronto and of their academic division, as set out in the divisional calendar, and to ensure that the accuracy and maintenance of personal information such as current mailing address, telephone number, and UTOR email address.
Immediately after receiving government student aid funding, students must pay at least the ‘Minimum Payment to Register’ amount on their invoice. Their government student aid funding will not be directed to the University of Toronto to be applied toward their tuition fees. If students do not receive any government student aid funding, they are still responsible for paying their fees and must do so as soon as they receive notification of refusal.
Residence payments cannot be deferred and the student is responsible for making payments by the deadline provided by their residence.
Withdrawal from Studies
To remain eligible for full-time grants and loans, you must remain registered in a full-time course load for the entire study period for which funding is received.
If you drop below a full-time course load, it is your responsibility to notify the University Registrar’s Office and your home province or territory financial aid office.
Withdrawal to below the minimum full-time course load or entirely from classes can impact the funding for the current study period/school year and future eligibility for student loans. You should speak to your home province or territory financial aid office and your Faculty/College Registrar’s Office prior to dropping course(s) to ensure you are aware of the funding and academic implications to a drop in course load.
For detailed information on maintaining eligibility for part-time loans and grants, please contact your home province or territory financial aid office.
If you are no longer in a part-time course load, it is your responsibility to notify the University Registrar’s Office and your home province or territory financial aid office.
Withdrawal from part-time studies can impact the funding for the current study period/school year and future eligibility for student loans. You should speak to your home province or territory financial aid office and your Faculty/College Registrar’s Office prior to dropping course(s) to ensure you are aware of the academic implications to a drop in course load.
Interest-Free Status
Students who previously received government student loans from their home province and are currently registered as full-time students or will be returning to full-time studies at U of T may request to have their loans put in interest-free and/or payment-free status.
Alberta and Quebec students who are presently registered as part-time students may request interest-free and/or payment-free status for previous part-time government student loans from these provinces.
Medical Residency Students and Interest-Free Status: Students completing their medical residency must contact their home province to determine eligibility for interest-free status for their previous loans. If eligible for interest-free status, the home province will state the process required to be initiated by the student. Any required confirmations of registration to obtain interest-free or payment-free status must be submitted by the student to Postgraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Toronto for completion.
How to Request Interest-free and/or Payment-Free Status
Steps to submit a Confirmation of Enrolment request on your NSLSC portal
Students who are not receiving government student financial aid, but have returned to full-time studies must request to have their full-time studies status reported so any previous loans do not enter repayment. This must be completed by the student within the deadlines (before the end of their study period for the current academic year).
- Log into your NSLSC portal.
- From your ‘My Dashboard’, choose the ‘Confirm My Enrolment’ option from the ‘My Account’ drop-down menu. Unless noted below, submitting a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) on the NSLSC portal will serve as a request to put both federal/Government of Canada and provincial loans into interest-free and payment-free status.
- Ensure that the school you are attending field = University of Toronto, and Student ID field = your U of T student number.
Please note: COEs are visible to the University Registrar’s Office staff on the NSLSC portal 21 days prior to the study period start date listed on the COE. COEs will be completed after full-time registration and course load are confirmed on ACORN. Students will be notified of completion of their COE via the Out of Province Request Portal.
Students completing Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Quebec PDF forms listed below must upload these forms to the Out of Province Request Portal for completion.
- Alberta: Confirmation of Registration Alberta – Form B PDF. (if you only have previous provincial/Alberta loans, and no previous federal/Government of Canada loans).
- Prince Edward Island: Confirmation of Enrolment Form to keep provincial/PEI loans in interest- and payment-free status
- Quebec: Form 2006 Paper – Full Time