Step 1: Get Ready
Planning ahead during your Graduating Year
Here are the things you can do to prepare in advance so you’re all set to apply as soon as the Full-Time Application opens in early May.
Being ready now means fewer delays later that could result in you not having your funding as soon as school starts.
Applying in 12 months
- Research your career options and program of study options. Use up-to-date Nova Scotia Labour Market Information to help you make decisions.
- Check the high school course prerequisites to be admitted to your post-secondary program.
- If you plan to apply as a student with a disability, start now to be sure you have the documentation you’ll need.
- If you don’t have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) already, get one.
- Make sure all applicable Income Tax Returns will be submitted on time: You will need yours, your parents and step-parent(s) (dependent students). or you will need yours and your spouse’s (independent students).
- Check out your financing options to pay for school.
Applying in 6 months
- Is your selected program of study in Canada designated for Student Assistance funding? If you are studying out of province or country, you may need to take extra steps to get your program designated.
- Finalize your program choice.
Applying in 3 months
- Make sure you have a bank account in your own name.
- Start gathering the documents you’ll need or prepare to submit them when/if you are requested to do so:
- Bank account info (transit #, account #, a void cheque)
- Information about any investments/RESPs in your name
- Custody/Separation/Divorce agreements or other court records to validate your marital status/custody situation and any exceptional expenses related to your own children (dependants).
- Documents that show you have a disability.
- Your and your parents’/step-parents’/spouse’s income tax return information, from last year’s Revenue Canada tax returns.
- Information about your school program, including how many class hours/credits you’ll be taking.
- Scholarship information/amounts, if you know them.
- An estimate of your expected pre-study period and study-period earnings.
- Documents to validate any other sources of funding you will receive while studying (government pensions/support payments, any disability income,Employment Insurance benefits, retraining program funding, spousal/child support payments, etc.