A comprehensive guide to student financial aid through the Government of New Brunswick is available here.
The Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada work together to provide student financial assistance. Loans, grants and bursaries are available to help you access and pay for post-secondary education. With one application, you will be considered for student financial assistance from both the Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada.
Assistance is meant to supplement, not replace, other resources to pay for post-secondary education. You may want to look at other options to help with your costs such as:
- Employment;
- Internship or co-op programs offered for your program of study;
- Bursaries, grants and scholarships;
- Savings; and
- Funding from parents and relatives.
Funding is available to help access and pay for full-time post-secondary education. Your single application for a Canada-New Brunswick Integrated Student Loan will be assessed for a combination of non-repayable grants/bursaries and repayable loans from both the Government of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada.
A separate application is required if you are applying for the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities.
There is no fixed student contribution for Indigenous students, students with permanent disabilities, students with dependents and students who are, or were, children in permanent care under the Department of Social Development.
The Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability
The Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability (RAP-PD) is available to borrowers with a permanent disability who are having difficulty repaying their student loan debt. RAP-PD makes it easier for you to manage your student debt and will consider additional medical expenses related to your disability. You can pay back what you can reasonably afford based on your family income and family size. Monthly payments are limited to 20% or less of a borrower’s gross family income and no borrower will have a repayment period of more than 10 years. If borrowers earn very little income, they may not be required to make any loan payments until their income increases. To apply, complete the online application and Permanent Disability Expense form through your account with the NSLSC.
The New Brunswick Bursary
The New Brunswick Bursary (NBB) is available to eligible students that are enrolled in a full-time course load whose assessed need is greater than the maximum student loans available. The maximum amount of NBB available to students is $130 per week of study.
Renewed Tuition Bursary
The Renewed Tuition Bursary is an extended version of the two previous tuition bursary programs (Free Tuition Program and Tuition Relief for the Middle Class). The tuition bursary has been expanded to now include eligible Student Financial Assistance recipients attending designated private post-secondary institutions in New Brunswick.
In addition to the expanded list of eligible institutions, there has been a change to the loan year bursary maximums with the new maximum of $3,000 for university and $1,500 for colleges. All other eligibility requirements are the same as the previous tuition bursary programs including the sliding scale based on household income and family size.
The Renewed Tuition Bursary is a program designed to help post-secondary students by providing more upfront bursary funding to students from families with the greatest financial need so that they may graduate with less debt; and increasing affordability and access for New Brunswick student financial assistance recipients choosing to attend a public or private college or university located in New Brunswick.
The RTB Program is a non-repayable provincial bursary designed to make post-secondary more accessible through the provision of increased upfront financial assistance. The goal of the RTB program is to ensure that a portion of tuition costs are covered for qualifying students. Please refer to the FAQ’s for more information on who is eligible.
Applications are available through Student Financial Services at the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour or studentaid.gnb.ca.
Student Financial Services can be reached by calling 506-453-2577 in the Fredericton area or outside the toll-free zone. The rest of New Brunswick, the Atlantic Provinces, and west to mid-Ontario can call 1-800-667-5626.
The New Brunswick Student Financial Aid portal can be found here.
Last Updated: 2023-01-02