Guides

How to apply for Quebec student aid (Aide financière aux études)

Updated November 2026

Date checked: November 15, 2026. Official page: quebec.ca, Student financial assistance (en français). This guide follows the official 2026-2027 Aide financière aux études guide and brochure.

Open Quebec student financial assistance

The short answer

Quebec student aid comes from the Quebec government’s Aide financière aux études (AFE). You apply online on quebec.ca, in your student financial assistance file. The 2026-2027 guide says to apply online in May to get your aid at the start of the school year, and to send all your documents as soon as you can (source 1). For Fall 2026 that May has passed, so apply as soon as you can, and always within the 30-day rule below.

Quebec has its own program

If you live in Quebec, Canada Student Grants and Loans are not available. Quebec runs its own student financial assistance program, so you apply to Aide financière aux études instead (source 4). The federal government says Quebec does not take part in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and receives annual alternative payments in support of its own program (source 5).

Who can apply

The 2026-2027 application guide lists these conditions for the Loans and Bursaries Program (source 1):

you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, refugee or protected person as set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
you are residing in Québec, or deemed to be, when you apply (the guide has a “Criteria for Québec resident status” section)
you have been admitted to an educational institution recognized by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, and you are studying full-time, or deemed full-time, in a recognized program
you have not used up the months of eligibility or reached the debt limit for your level of study
you do not have sufficient financial resources to pursue your studies

You may qualify even as a part-time student if you meet certain conditions (source 1). Read the guide’s section on deemed full-time status. Not sure? Ask your school’s student aid office.

How to apply, step by step

These steps follow the “Step-by-step” page of the official 2026-2027 guide (source 1).

Make sure you have your Permanent Code. The Ministère de l’Éducation assigns it. It is shown on high school report cards and college transcripts. If you do not have one, contact your school’s admissions office.
Check that your school and program are recognized. Use the Directory of educational institutions and programs on quebec.ca. If it is not there, contact your school’s student aid office.
Fill out and submit the application. Apply online with the electronic form under “Full-time Forms” in your online file on quebec.ca.
Send all the documents. The guide says the assessment will not go ahead until all required documents are received. The online form shows you the list for your situation. Depending on your situation, your parents, one parent, a sponsor or a spouse may need to fill out a declaration.
Check your assessment statement. Once the documents are processed (the guide says usually within four to six weeks), AFE issues an assessment with the loan and bursary amounts and the payment dates.
First application only: get your guarantee certificate and open a bank account at a participating financial institution in Québec. The guide says to print the certificate and bring it to your financial institution.
Report your income. In January, fill out the Confirmation of Financial Resources form in your file.

The guide says no information or document is accepted by fax or email (source 1).

Deadlines

Application: the 2026-2027 guide says to submit it “no later than 30 days after the end of the last recognized month of your studies in the relevant award year” (source 1). The brochure words it as “within 30 days of the end of your last month of recognized studies” (source 2).
Best timing: the 2026-2027 guide says to apply online in May to receive your aid at the beginning of the academic year (source 1). That May has already passed for Fall 2026. For the next award year, check quebec.ca for when applications open.
Documents and changes: required documents or changes in your situation must be sent “no later than December 29 following the end of the award year” (source 1). Report changes within 45 days, and send the required documents and forms within 45 days of submitting your application (source 1).
2026-2027: the award year runs September 1 to August 31 (source 2). For exact dates for your study periods, check quebec.ca.
2027-2028: no 2027-2028 application or dates found on quebec.ca on 2026-11-15. Check quebec.ca.

Where to apply

Online, at quebec.ca, Student financial assistance. quebec.ca lists “Apply for financial aid” under its Online Services (source 3). The guide also says you can get help from the financial assistance office at your school (source 1).

What you get

Per the brochure, your initial financial assistance comes as a loan you repay once you finish your studies. If the loan is not enough, you may be eligible for a bursary that you do not repay. While you stay a full-time student, the government pays the interest on your loan (source 2). The amounts depend on your file. The assessment simulator on quebec.ca gives an estimate; the guide says it is not official (source 1).

Questions

What is Aide financière aux études?

It is the Quebec government's student aid office. It runs the Loans and Bursaries Program, which its brochure calls "the main source of student funding provided by the Government of Québec" (source 2).

Do I apply through the federal government?

No. If you live in Quebec, you apply to Aide financière aux études on quebec.ca, because Canada Student Grants and Loans are not available to Quebec students (sources 1 and 4).

When should I apply?

The 2026-2027 guide says to apply online in May and send all documents quickly. The deadline is 30 days after your last recognized month of studies in the award year (source 1). No 2027-2028 dates were posted when we checked on 2026-11-15, so check quebec.ca.

Can I apply if I study part-time?

Possibly. The guide says you may qualify as a part-time student if you meet certain conditions (source 1). Read "deemed full-time" in the guide, see quebec.ca's Loans for Part-Time Studies page, and ask your school's student aid office.

Can I apply if I'm not a Canadian citizen?

Permanent residents, refugees and protected persons can apply, if they meet the other rules (source 1). For other statuses, including international students, check quebec.ca.

How long does it take?

The guide says usually four to six weeks once all documents are received (source 1).

Official pages for those questions: Loans for Part-Time Studies and financial assistance for international students (quebec.ca).

Next steps

Sources

All read on November 15, 2026.

Education only. This is not financial advice. WealthNutz is not the government or your school. Check quebec.ca and your school’s financial assistance office before you act. Checked on November 15, 2026. WealthNutz never asks for your SIN.