How do I Qualify?

Students must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada (including Landed Immigrants).

How do I Apply?

Students must apply for government student loans each year of study through their province/territory of permanent residency.

Loan applications come out each year on or after May 1st for the upcoming Fall/Winter session. Students are encouraged to apply at least 2 months before classes start to ensure funding. Government Student Loans in Canada are unfortunately not available to International Students.

Government Student Loan Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are available on or after May 1. Ensure to apply at least 8 weeks before the first day of classes in September to avoid funding delays!

When and how do I get my loan money?

Provided you have completed all of the steps required by your government loan office, in early September, the school will be asked to confirm your enrolment (i.e. confirmation that you are registered in as many classes as you indicated on your original loan application) and to also indicate the amount of tuition and fees that you have outstanding. We will confirm your enrolment and request that the government sends MSVU loan money directly to cover your outstanding tuition and fees.

Note that not all students receive enough loan money to pay for all that is due; students are responsible for paying their outstanding balance, in full, and on time or will face late fees and interest charges. If you had more loan money than what was due to the school, the remainder of your loan money will be direct deposited into your bank account for you to spend on your various living expenses.

Full-time Student Loans
Full-time student loans are both interest and payment free while studying full-time and the government automatically considers students for non-repayable grants when applying for a government student loan.

Part-time student Loans
Students who need financial help may apply for a Part-Time Canada Student Loan and students must apply via a paper application (online applications for part-time loans are not available).

These interest-free loans are calculated on the basis of a student’s financial situation and cover basic university expenses such as tuition, fees and books/supplies. Repayment of these loans begins after the student has graduated or ceased studying. Part-time student loan applications can be downloaded from your provincial student assistance website. “Section E” of the application must be completed by the Financial Aid office at your institution. NOTE: You must be registered in your courses before your Financial Aid Office can complete this section.

Nova Scotia Residents
Please visit Nova Scotia Student Assistance for details and applications.

Out of Province Students
Not from NS? Please click here to find your local loan office (place of permanent residence). For on-campus assistance with general loan questions, please contact Financial Aid for more information.

Sign-up for an online National Student Loan Service Centre account
Since government student loans are typically a combination of both Federal and Provincial funding, almost all students will have Canada Student Loans and should sign up for an online NSLSC loan account to track your loan data. You are strongly encouraged to set up an account at the outset of processing your student loan. Through this convenient account, you can:

  • Check the status of your student loan
  • Check the balance of your loan(s)
  • Update your Mailing and Permanent Addresses and other contact information
  • Review your loan payment and transaction history
  • Receive helpful information about your loan in your Personal Message Centre
  • Customize your repayment or apply for the Repayment Assistance Program (RAP)