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Financial Aid Directory

Government Funding Programs in Quebec

Aide financière aux Études (Student Financial Assistance)

The Government of Quebec has not signed an EAPD agreement with the Federal Government, therefore post-secondary student financial aid in the province is delivered in a different fashion from elsewhere in Canada. Financial assistance for students with a disability is divided into two sections, or degrees of functionality, as described below.

Major Functional Disability
To be eligible for financial aid as a student with a disability you have to qualify as having a Major Functional Disability (MFD). This is fairly restrictive and covers four categories of disability, visual, hearing, medical and physical. The medical professional has a degree of functionality chart to fill in and on this basis, or on the basis of level of hearing loss or vision loss, a student can be designated as having a MFD. (NOTE: many students who get some support in other provinces are excluded. For example students with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorders do not qualify under the guidelines).

If a student is deemed to have a MFD then he or she may take a minimum of six credits per semester and still receive the financial equivalent of a full-time bursary. It is important to note that the funding is in the form of bursary, with no loan component. The amount a student may receive is determined on the same basis as all students (parental income, personal income, etc). If deemed to have a MFD then one can also apply for funding to cover special needs (note-takers, tutors, interpreters, equipment etc.)

Minor Functional Disability
A student may, in some cases, be designated as having a minor functional disability. This classification recognizes that while the student is not severely limited enough to qualify for full financial aid under the program, they still may have some disability-related requirements. As such, a student with a minor functional disability will be able to access funding to cover educational support services such as tutors and computers and other adaptive devices.

If you are accepted into the system it works well and the provincial government is very efficient with refunds. Also, the limits are much more generous than in other provinces. For example deaf students can receive full funding for interpreters. Students may find more information either at the Financial Aid department of their prospective institution, or at the office of students with disabilities. If the student is transferring from CEGEP to university they do not need to be reassessed for eligibility, they simply need to request a transfer of institution (again student financial aid can do this).

For assistive devices and other equipment students should contact the relevant rehabilitation centre. For example, visually impaired students in Montreal would contact the Montreal Association for the Blind.

For more information contact:

Aide financière aux études (AFE) reception and enquiries desk
Tel.: 418-643-3750
Toll-free: 1-877-643-3750 (within Canada/US)
www.afe.gouv.qc.ca

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