Students from low or middle-income families may qualify for a grant of $250 or $100 per month of study. A family's gross yearly income must fall below a certain threshold to qualify for these grants. The threshold varies from province to province, but, on average, a yearly family income of less than $20,000 is considered low-income and less than $38,000 is considered middle-income. See the resources section below for a link to the table of income thresholds.
People with disabilities have two grant options: a grant that pays up to $2,000 per year for tuition, books and accommodation and a grant that pays up to $8,000 per year for specific expenses such as interpreters, tutors or special equipment. Students must have a permanent disability that restricts their ability to study or work and official documentation, such as a medical certificate, of the disability to qualify for these grants.
Students who have dependent children younger than 12 may also be eligible for a grant. Low-income students can receive $200 per month of study for each child younger than 12.
Part-time students with one or two dependents can receive $40 per week of study, while those with three or more dependents can receive $60 per week. Part-time students must have already borrowed at least $4,000 in Canada Student Loans and been assessed as needing the full $1,200 Grant for Part-Time Students to qualify for this grant.
Part time students from low-income families can receive a grant of up to $1,200 per academic year. Unlike most of the other grants listed here, the government calculates the amounts of these grants on a case by case basis according to financial need. So while there is a maximum of $1,200 per year, the government usually offers considerably less than that.