Students with Disabilities
The Student Assistance program offers more flexible limits for students with a disability who might have trouble completing their school program within traditional timelines.
It also offers extra funding to students who might have exceptional expenses related to their disability.
Keep reading to learn:
- How student assistance can help you succeed at school.
- What you need to know before you apply.
- How to find out whether I might qualify as a student with a disability.
- How to contact Post-Secondary Accessibility Services about grants, or accessing services and equipment.
As a student with a disability
- You have extra time to complete your program with the help of student assistance funding, if needed.
- You can qualify for funding for full-time study with a smaller, more manageable course load. A student with a disability is considered full-time if they are taking 40% or more of a full course load.
- You may qualify for extra funding that is specifically designed to help you pay for exceptional expenses related to your disability, such as transportation, specialized equipment, specialized textbooks, learning support services, and more.
- We partner with Post-Secondary Accessibility Services to help you access disability-related resources that can help you succeed at school.
Before you Apply
If you plan to apply as a student with a disability, there are several important things you should know before you apply.
- The general application process is exactly the same for you, except that you will indicate on your application that you would like to be assessed as a student with a a disability. This will create a customized Disability Verification Form for you, within MyPATH.
- Once you submit the completed form and any other documents that describe your disability, they will be evaluated using the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program guidelines for students with a disability. These guidelines are subject to the definition of disability that appears in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations. If you meet the definition of disability, your application for funding will be assessed with this information included.
- We offer some funding specifically for students who have a disability. You are automatically assessed for it at the same time as you apply for student assistance. The Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment requires a separate application, which can be found within MyPATH.
Even if you don’t think you’ll have enough calculated financial need to qualify for a large amount of student loan and grant funding, consider applying anyway. This could give you access to grant money to help you pay for equipment and services that can help you succeed.
Eligibility questions & specialized help
Our partner organization, Post-Secondary Accessibility Services, can answer your questions about which disabilities qualify as a disability under the government student financial assistance definition. Contact them for more information about eligibility.
They can also help you navigate the process of documenting your disability and access the disability-related funding, services and equipment you may require.