Parental Contribution

If you are a single dependent student, the "parents' contribution" to your school and living expenses includes any financial help that you receive from:

  • your parent(s), legal guardian(s), and step-parent(s), and
  • common-law partners of these "parents."

Parents are expected to contribute to their child’s education based on their financial ability to help. That contribution can vary according to the family's size, total family income, the number of dependants attending post-secondary school and the length of your study period.

A parent’s decision to choose not to help is not grounds for student to appeal their assessment.

The Parental Contribution is based on a portion of the parents’ discretionary income, after deductions for taxes, CPP, EI, a moderate standard of living and some other eligible expenses that the parent(s) may have claimed on their income tax returns.

Parents provide financial information from their tax returns for the previous year. All files are subject to audit. Parents are required to sign a tax release before the student’s application can be assessed.

Parents are not co-signers, and are not responsible for repayment of the student’s government student loans.

Parents not living in Canada
Parents who do not live in Canada must report their income for the previous
year as they would if they were required to file an income tax return in Canada.

Separated/divorced parents
If the parents are separated or divorced, the student assistance application is based on the custodial parent. If there is no custody agreement, the application is based on the parent with whom the student is living or would normally live with when they are not studying away from home.

If a parent's marital status changes after the student has submitted their first student assistance application, proof of the change in their marital status is required.

Step-Parents / Common Law partners

If the custodial parent re-married or entered into a common-law relationship before the student’s thirteenth birthday, the step-parents information is required. Only the children residing with the parent and step parent are considered on the assessment. Alimony payments and child maintenance can be allowed as an exceptional expense.

Parents who did not file an Income Tax Return or report no income

If the parent was not required to file an Income Tax Return or reports no income, the application is processed based on income reported.