Why student assistance?

Government student assistance is a set of programs and funding that are tailored specifically for students. For more information, refer to the Nova Scotia Student Assistance Factsheet (PDF).

Your application is also assessed for non-repayable government grants that aren’t available elsewhere.

You could receive loans from both the provincial and federal governments. Both have great borrowing terms, which include:

• when it’s time to repay, you could pay low, or even zero, percent interest on provincial loans (for qualifying students) and pay zero interest on federal loans
• no payments if you are a full-time student for six months after leaving school
• repayment assistance programs can help you manage your student debt when you leave school
• dependant students don’t need a co-signer or a credit history to get a student loan

The Nova Scotia student loan forgiveness programs for undergraduate degrees, certificates and for students with disabilities could significantly reduce the Nova Scotia student loan portion of your student debt after graduation.

Nova Scotia Student Assistance partners with other government organizations (like Employment Nova Scotia) to help you coordinate multiple funding sources.

Student Assistance is available for most post-secondary school programs.

Student Assistance can supplement other sources of funding.

If you need help paying for school, Student Assistance could be a great option for you alongside other sources of funding.