Known as the land of serene wheat fields, home to sprawling sand dunes, spectacular peaks and rivers, there is plenty to admire about Saskatchewan. Apart from its diverse natural terrain, the province is also known for its robust post-secondary student aid programs.
If you are a student or a working professional in Saskatchewan with dreams to pursue higher education, then you need to know about provincial financial aid put forth by the government of Saskatchewan. Through programs like Saskatchewan Student Loans and Grants, Saskatchewan Scholarships, and Saskatchewan Bursaries, the provincial government leaves no stone unturned to reduce its residents’ financial burden of post-secondary education.
Want to know more about these student aid schemes of Saskatchewan? Read on!
Integrated with Canada Student Grants and Loans, this financial aid program offers both grants and loans from federal and provincial funding respectively. Citizens of Canada, permanent residents, and protected individuals living in Saskatchewan can avail benefits from this program. This student aid not only helps with college tuition fees but also contributes towards local transportation, living expenses, and child care. Saskatchewan Student Loans and Grants can be classified further into the following three sub-programs:
Loans and Grants for Full-time and Part-time students
Depending on your course load in an academic year, you are deemed as a full-time or part-time student. The financial help offered by the province to full-time and part-time students is calculated by subtracting student contributions from the allowable expenses. A student is expected to contribute up to $3000 a year towards their post-secondary education. There is also an option to choose for grant-only funding. In a school year, a full-time student may receive up to $1000 Saskatchewan Grant whereas a part-time student may receive up to $800 grant assistance from the provincial government.
Loans and Grants for Indigenous Students
If you belong to an Indigenous community living in Saskatchewan, then you are not expected to make any student contributions towards your post-secondary education. The money you receive from federal government initiatives like the Post-Secondary Student Support Program is not considered as a financial resource towards your education. This grant also allocates funds to cover child daycare and travel costs to visit family once every 16 weeks.
Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities
Unlike full-time and part-time students, post-secondary students with permanent disabilities are not required to make student contributions towards their education. Apart from the grant of up to $20,000 provided by the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities, Saskatchewan offers an additional $2000 grant towards paying for technical assistance like tutors, interpreters, software, etc. required for successful completion of post-secondary studies.
Apart from loans and grants, Saskatchewan also offers scholarships to students to help pay for college education. Some of the popular scholarships are listed below:
Agriculture Student Scholarship
Awarded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, this scholarship is geared towards Grade 12 students and recent high school graduates looking to pursue a career in agriculture in the province. The winner of the scholarship receives funding of $4000. Three runner-up scholarships of $2,000 each are also awarded to deserving students.
Fellowship and Travel Scholarships to Study in French
This scholarship rewards students who wish to pursue post-secondary French studies in or outside Saskatchewan. It not only pays towards French education but also covers travel expenses to study outside the province.
Queen Elizabeth II Centennial Aboriginal Scholarship
If you are a Metis or First Nation student studying an undergraduate or post-graduate course at a recognized Saskatchewan university, then, based on your academic excellence, this scholarship can award you $20,000 to pay for tuition, books, accommodation, and travel.
Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship
If you have graduated Grade 12 on or after August 1, 2012, and are currently enrolled in a post-secondary program in the province, then you can apply for the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship to receive $750 per academic year. The maximum you can get can go up to $3000.
The province of Saskatchewan also provides the option of bursaries to its students to pay for post-secondary education. Some of the bursary programs include COVID-19 Emergency Bursary Funding, Final Clinical Placement Bursary, and French Teacher Summer Bursary.
Worried you won’t qualify for these provincial aid programs? All is not lost as there are plenty of student aid programs offered by the federal government of Canada. Check out Federal Student Grants, Federal Student Loan, and Federal Student Scholarships to learn more!