Canada student loans are fully interest-free while you are a full-time student and you are automatically considered for additional grant funding when you apply. Eligibility for grant funding is determined by your family income.
These loans are only available to Canadian students.
While you are registered in full-time studies you are not required to make payments on your loan and the government pays the interest during this time.
After you graduate you have 6 months before repayment begins. If you are unable to make payments you may apply for the Repayment Assistance Plan.
Important Briercrest Information
Briercrest Institutional Code - CPAC
2024-25 Period of Study Dates
- Full Year: September 4, 2024- April 16, 2025
- Fall Semester only: September 4, 2024 - December 18, 2024
- Winter Semester only: January 6, 2025 - April 16, 2025
Note: student registered in modulars classes outside these dates, please contact the Student Finance office.
Book estimate - $100 per 3 credit hour course
Please note that when the application asks for fees it is only asking for academic fees (student government, student recreation or student life fee, course fees as applicable).
Room and Board is calculated using a set standard of living costs for rent, utilities, food and clothing for each month of full-time study so you will not be asked for room and board specific information.
Eligibility
- You must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person.
- You must be a full-time student.
- You are considered full-time if you are taking 60% of a 100% course load. At Briercrest you must be registered in minimum of 9 credit hours per semester to be considered for full-time student loans.
- Student Financial Assistance Estimator
- Parental Contribution Estimator
- Grants for Full-time students
- Grants for Part-time students
- Part-time student loans
Apply
You apply directly through your home province's loan office. Applications are available online. Your application will be considered for federal and provincial loans and grants.
Applications open mid-May to mid-June for the upcoming academic year.
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
Process Information
Once your application has been submitted, Briercrest will need to provide program information. Some provinces request this information electronically and others request that you submit a paper Program Information form to the Student Finance Office for completion. Please send requests for Program Information forms to studentfinance@briercrest.ca or fax to 306-912-7862. The sooner this is done, the more likely it is that your loan will arrive in time for the start of the academic year.
When you receive your notice of assessment telling you how much funding the government is offering, you will be required to complete a Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA). By signing the MSFAA, you agree to accept responsibility for all funding you receive from that date forward, so you will not have to sign another agreement for future loan assistance (unless you’ve been out of student loans for 2 years). This should be done prior to arriving at school in September. Further information can be found on the provincial website.
Disbursement (Receiving funds)
Pay close attention to the Notice of Assessment letter, specifically to the amount and date when funds will be disbursed. The final step in the loan process is Briercrest confirming your enrolment. At that time we will request the funds to come directly to the school to put towards your student account balance (following provincial regulations). You will receive an email from the Student Finance Office indicating the amount that will be coming to the school. It is the student's responsibility to monitor their Briercrest account balance when expecting a loan disbursement to ensure that all tuition, fees, room and board are paid in full by the stated deadlines.
Maintaining Interest Free Status while in School
If you are taking out a new loan, are registered as a full-time student, and your loan is confirmed prior to September 30, we will automatically confirm your enrolment to your government student loan providers.
If your new loan will not be confirmed before September 30 or you are not taking out a new loan you must provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (Schedule 2) to your loan providers.
Ontario students submit a Continuation of Interest-Free Status Application online or complete and mail the form.
All other students can complete the Confirmation of Enrolment (Schedule 2) electronically.
- Create an Online Services account with NSLSC , log on to your NSLSC online account
- Select the "Confirmation of Enrolment" link on the left hand bar.
- Follow the prompts/fill out all application information.
- Submit your request.
We will complete the request electronically.
Repayment
The National Student Loan Service Centre is an excellent resource for information about loan repayment. Please ensure that you are looking for information for your specific province as repayment varies by province.
If you are from British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan, then you can view your loan balance through your National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLCS) account. If you are from Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, you can view their Canada Student Loan balance through your National Student Loan Service Centre account and your provincial loan through your provincial lender.
A helpful tool is the Loan Repayment Estimator. You can calculate your minimum monthly payment as well as calculate the difference in interest paid (savings) by paying off your loan faster.
The Government of Canada has a plan in place to help you if you are having difficulty making your student loan payments. For more information please see the Repayment Assistance Plan.
Contact Information
studentfinance@briercrest.ca
Phone: (306) 801-5117
Fax: (306) 912-7862
