Student Loans and Government Funding

Funding for your education may be available through the BC Student Assistance Program (BCSAP). An electronic application can be made online at www.StudentAidBC.ca. A paper application may be obtained by calling Student Services BC at 1-800-561-1818 or you can pick one up from the Financial Aid Office. If you have questions regarding your application please call the Financial Aid Office at 250-561-5838 or 1-800-371-8111, ext 5838.

1. Have a valid email account ready before you begin your online application.. (If you don’t currently have one you can obtain a free email account at a variety of places, www.yahoo.com and www.msn.com are two of the most popular.)

2. Have your Social Insurance Number and personal financial information available (i.e. income amounts, asset  and investment values, etc).

3. Record your user name, password and application number in a safe place. You will need these for further inquiries and/or applications. This information cannot be easily retrieved or reset, if you become locked out of your account you need to contact, Student Services BC at 1-800-561-1818.

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(Formerly Known as BC Student Assistance Program, BCSAP)

This is a comprehensive programme of assistance for post-secondary students to ensure that British Columbia residents are not denied the opportunity to reach their educational objectives due to lack of funds.

For a quick and easy way to access service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, check out the website: www.StudentAidBC.ca

Purpose and Intent

The British Columbia Student Assistance Programme (BCSAP) is a joint programme between the Federal and Provincial Governments, administered under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act and BC Order-in Council #1 363/87.

A basic principle of BCSAP is that the main responsibility for the funding of post-secondary education rests with the student and the parents, step-parent, sponsor or legal guardian, or spouse.

It is expected that the costs of the student’s education will be a priority for the family. Therefore, if the family is unable to contribute as expected, due to a lack of preparation or due to the directing of resources towards priorities other than the student’s education, these reasons will not normally be considered. The refusal of parents to support their child(ren) or to contribute to the costs of their child(ren)’s post-secondary education, will not result in the setting aside of the expected parental contribution.

BCSAP is intended to supplement, not replace, funds available to students through work, savings/assets and family resources/ income. The Programme is needs-based, considering income and resources against basic educational costs and a moderate standard of living (MSOL).

There is a limit to the amount of funding available to students, based on the number of weeks of study. In addition, both the Federal and Provincial Programmes have lifetime maximums.

Students in high cost programmes may need to seek other sources of funding to assist with direct educational costs.

It is important that careful financial planning takes place prior to any decision to pursue post-secondary studies to ensure that enough resources are available to cover all costs.

In addition, it is the responsibility of all students to review their financial situation on an ongoing basis, to ensure that their obligation to repay the debt can be met once full-time post-secondary studies end.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants, and have lived in the Province of BC for at least 12 continuous months, not including months of full-time post-secondary study and prior to starting classes in order to apply in the Province of BC.

Eligibility for assistance requires enrollment in at least 60% (40% for students with permanent disabilities) of a full programme of study which is at least 12 weeks in length.

Maximum BCSAP Funding

 

Programme Length