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Student loans and Grants eligibility assessment thresholds

These tables help full-time and part-time students determine whether they may be are eligible for a student loan or grant. They are used by provinces and territories to calculate the loan or grant amount a student is eligible to receive.

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Student living allowances for school year 2018 to 2019

Actual monthly allowance by province/territory

These are the monthly amounts a student receives based on the cost of shelter, food, miscellaneous expenses and public transportation in their province or territory.

LIVING SITUATION NL PE NS NB QC ON MB SK AB BC YT NT NU
SINGLE STUDENT AWAY FROM HOME
Shelter (two- bedroom apartment, including utilities, shared by two) 495 444 500 458 423 600 495 560 481 871 601 827 829
Food (purchased from stores) 268 243 245 245 272 270 253 259 282 279 305 310 310
Miscellaneous (personal and health care, clothing, household cleaning, communications) 234 257 247 237 318 290 303 311 338 342 317 326 327
Local public transportation 69 67 68 71 48 86 100 83 73 108 62 71 71
Total monthly allowance 1,066 1,011 1,060 1,011 1,061 1,246 1,115 1,123 1,174 1,600 1,285 1,534 1,537
SINGLE PARENT (no dependant considered)
Shelter (one-bedroom apartment including utilities) 818 742 844 798 708 968 696 934 763 1,250 1,090 1,302 1,305
Food (purchased from stores) 268 243 245 245 272 270 253 259 282 257 305 310 310
Miscellaneous (personal and health care, clothing, household cleaning, communications) 234 257 247 237 318 290 203 311 338 358 317 326 327
Local public transportation 69 67 68 71 48 86 100 83 73 99 62 71 71
Total monthly allowance 1,389 1,309 1,404 1,351 1,346 1,614 1,352 1,587 1,456 1,964 1,775 2,009 2,013
MARRIED STUDENT and SPOUSE (no dependant considered)
Shelter (two-bedroom apartment including utilities) 989 874 1,004 906 845 1,197 904 1,120 960 1,763 1,198 1,652 1,665
Food (purchased from stores) 478 485 491 488 483 491 459 472 511 516 611 495 496
Miscellaneous (personal and health care, clothing, household cleaning, communications) 467 512 495 475 504 527 582 593 645 527 631 530 531
Local public transportation 138 140 136 141 94 168 200 170 149 198 124 142 142
Total monthly allowance 2,072 2,011 2,126 2,010 1,926 2,383 2,145 2,355 2,265 3,004 2,564 2,819 2,852
EACH DEPENDANT
Shelter 171 182 207 169 154 257 193 186 171 260 181 355 357
Food (purchased from stores) 190 198 199 198 225 211 196 201 219 213 250 247 248
Miscellaneous (personal and health care, clothing) 104 75 73 71 120 109 138 141 154 125 95 113 114
Local public transportation 69 67 68 71 48 86 100 66 73 99 62 71 71
Total monthly allowance 534 522 547 509 547 663 627 594 617 697 588 786 790
SINGLE STUDENT LIVING AT HOME
Shelter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Food (purchased from stores) 190 240 245 245 225 211 196 201 219 263 305 247 248
Miscellaneous (personal and health care, clothing) 201 196 181 169 225 222 242 248 270 288 210 265 266
Local public transportation 69 67 68 71 48 86 100 83 73 123 62 71 71
 Total monthly allowance 460 503 494 485 498 519 538 532 562 674 577 583 585

Note: Provinces and territories determine their monthly ceiling (or maximum).

Monthly maximum for child care expenses for 2017-2018 school year

Province Monthly Maximum per Child
Newfoundland and Labrador 817
Prince Edward Island 429
Nova Scotia 476
New Brunswick 600
Quebec 391
Ontario 357
Manitoba 460
Saskatchewan 400
Alberta 1,200
British Columbia 1,153
Yukon 842
Northwest Territories 660
Nunavut 660

Note: Provinces and territories determine their monthly ceiling (or maximum).

Moderate standard of living estimates by family size (for parental contribution calculation) for 2018–2019 school year

Family Size (Number of people) NL PE NS NB QC ON MB SK AB BC YT NT NU
2 38,554 38,450 42,397 38,537 42,141 49,967 42,231 42,834 52,599 45,881 50,632 52,209 51,399
3 48,169 48,882 52,756 47,823 53,261 62,034 52,891 53,649 63,045 59,605 59,511 61,363 60,411
4 55,673 56,286 60,102 54,412 61,144 70,595 60,452 61,318 70,452 69,338 65,810 67,859 66,806
5 61,491 62,025 65,802 59,502 67,268 77,240 66,322 67,268 76,203 76,887 70,697 72,898 71,766
6 66,247 66,716 70,461 63,697 72,263 82,661 71,118 72,133 80,897 83,058 74,694 77,020 75,823
7 70,351 70,681 74,399 67,229 76,490 87,253 75,170 76,243 84,868 88,277 78,067 80,498 79,248
8 73,751 74,115 77,813 70,286 80,152 91,222 78,680 79,802 88,311 92,797 80,994 83,516 82,220
9 76,822 77,148 80,821 72,983 83,382 94,727 81,777 82,942 91,343 96,782 83,572 86,174 84,835
10 79,570 79,855 83,513 75,391 86,270 97,868 84,544 85,753 94,062 100,345 85,880 88,553 87,178

Note: Moderate standard of living is a measure of the costs of living for the parents of dependent students. The standard includes the costs for various family sizes for shelter, food, contribution to RRSPs, household operation, child care, furnishings and equipment, clothing, transportation, health and personal care, reading material, health and life insurance premiums, pension contributions, charitable donations and other miscellaneous expenses. (After tax income is used).

Weekly parental contributions for 2018-2019 school year

Discretionary Income ($) Weekly Contribution ($) Discretionary Income ($) Weekly Contribution ($)
0.01  -   500.00 1 13,000.01 - 13,500.00 45
500.01 - 1,000.00 3 13,500.01 - 14,000.00 47
1,000.01 - 1,500.00 4 14,000.01 - 14,500.00 51
1,500.01 - 2,000.00 6 14,500.01 - 15,000.00 55
2,000.01 - 2,500.00 7 15,000.01 - 15,500.00 59
2,500.01 - 3,000.00 9 15,500.01 - 16,000.00 63
3,000.01 - 3,500.00 10 16,000.01 - 16,500.00 66
3,500.01 - 4,000.00 12 16,500.01 - 17,000.00 70
4,000.01 - 4,500.00 13 17,000.01 - 17,500.00 74
4,500.01 - 5,000.00 14 17,500.01 - 18,000.00 78
5,000.01 - 5,500.00 16 18,000.01 - 18,500.00 82
5,500.01 - 6,000.00 17 18,500.01 - 19,000.00 86
6,000.01 - 6,500.00 19 19,000.01 - 19,500.00 89
6,500.01 - 7,000.00 20 19,500.01 - 20,000.00 93
7,000.01 - 7,500.00 22 20,000.01 - 20,500.00 97
7,500.01 - 8,000.00 24 20,500.01 - 21,000.00 101
8,000.01 - 8,500.00 26 21,000.01 - 21,500.00 105
8,500.01 - 9,000.00 28 21,500.01 - 22,000.00 109
9,000.01 - 9,500.00 30 22,000.01 - 22,500.00 113
9,500.01 - 10,000.00 32 22,500.01 - 23,000.00 116
10,000.01 - 10,500.00 34 23,000.01 - 23,500.00 120
10,500.01 - 11,000.00 36 23,500.01 - 24,000.00 124
11,000.01 - 11,500.00 38 24,000.01 - 24,500.00 128
11,500.01 - 12,000.00 39 24,500.01 - 25,000.00 132
12,000.01 - 12,500.00 41 25,000.01 - 25,500.00 136
12,500.01 - 13,000.00 43    

* Discretionary income is calculated by determining total income and then subtracting personal income tax, Employment Insurance premiums, other compulsory payments, and household spending on necessities.

Expected contributions

Students are expected to make a contribution to their education, which is made up of the fixed student contribution (from $1,500 to $3,000), scholarships and bursaries (after a $1,800 exemption) and targeted resources (such as a training allowance or a stipend from an employer that covers room and board). If you are a dependent student, your fixed student contribution amount is based on family income, determined as parental income only (found on line 150 of each parent’s previous year’s TI General Income Tax Return). In addition to the student contribution, the parents of dependent students are also expected to make a parental contribution. If you are considered to be an independent student, you (and your spouse, if you have one) are expected to contribute.

Generally, you are considered to be a dependent student unless:
  • you are married or were living common-law for 12 months at the beginning of your study period;
  • you were previously married or living common-law;
  • you are widowed, divorced or separated or a single parent with dependent children living with you;
  • you were out of high school for at least four years prior to the start date of the study period;
  • you worked for at least 12 months in a row on two or more occasions and were not a full-time student during that time;
  • your parents have both died and you have no legal guardian; or
  • you are a permanent ward of a child and family services agency.

Weekly parental contribution formula

The following calculation is used to determine how much parents of a dependent student are expected to contribute per week to their child’s post-secondary education.

Note: DI = annual discretionary income

If the annual discretionary income is: the weekly parental contribution is:
$0  -  $7,000 (15.0% of DI) / 52
$7,001 -  $14,000 ($1,050 + 20.0% of (DI - $7,000)) / 52
Over $14,000 ($2,450 + 40.0%*(DI - $14,000)) / 52

Note: DI = Discretionary Income

Income thresholds for the fixed student contribution and the fixed rate spousal contribution by family size for 2018–2019 school year

Students are expected to contribute to their educational costs by providing a fixed student contribution up to $3,000 per loan year, with the exact amount being calculated based on the gross family income and family size. Students with gross family income from the previous year equal to or below their income threshold (see table below) will contribute $1,500 for an 8-month academic year.

Students with gross family income from the previous year above the income threshold (listed below) will contribute $1,500 for an 8-month academic year, plus an additional 15 percent of income above their threshold to a maximum total contribution of $3,000 for an 8-month academic year.

The spouses and partners of married and common-law students are also expected to make a contribution equal to 10 percent of their gross family income above their income threshold (listed in the table below). Spouses and partners at or below the income threshold listed below do not contribute.

Family income thresholds for receiving maximum Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students for school year 2017 to 2018

Family Size Gross Annual Family Income
1 $30,600
2 $43,275
3 $53,001
4 $61,200
5 $68,424
6 $74,955
7 or more $80,960

If you are attending school in your home province or territory and your family income is below the low-income threshold, the grant you are eligible to receive depends on:

  • whether you are studying full-time or part-time; and
  • whether you have a dependent child or dependent children.

If you are a full-time student with dependants and your family income is below the low-income threshold:

You are eligible for the Grant for Full-time Students with Dependants.

If you are a part-time student with dependants and your family income is below the low-income threshold:

You are eligible for the Grant for Part-time Studies and you may be eligible for the Grant for Part-time Students with Dependants. You will receive the Grant for Part-time Studies first. If you have additional assessed need, you will receive the Grant for Part-time Students with Dependants. If you are assessed to have needs beyond the two grants, you will receive a Loan for Part-time Studies.

Eligibility for canada student grants for 2018–2019 school year

This table is used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Grant for Full-Time Students, the Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependants, the Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependants and the Grant for Part-Time Studies.

Income Thresholds for Canada Student Grants
Family Size Previous year’s gross annual family income
For maximum grant (if gross family income is below the amount for family size, the student qualifies for the maximum grant) 		For grant cut-off (if gross family income is at or above the amount for family size, the student does not qualify for the grant)
1 $30,600 $62,113
2 $43,275 $86,880
3 $53,001 $103,677
4 $61,200 $114,017
5 $68,424 123,571
6 $74,955 $132,647
7+ $80,960 $140,484

Family income thresholds for Canada Student Loan for Part-Time Students for 2018–2019 school year

Family Size Gross Annual Family Income
1 $62,743
2 $87,752
3 $104,691
4 $115,073
5 $124,674
6 $133,801
7+ $141,675
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