What to know
- The federal government is extending temporary increases to student grants and loans through the 2026–27 school year.
- The move comes as Ontario students face cuts to provincial aid, tuition hikes and changes to OSAP under Premier Doug Ford.
- Grants will remain 40 per cent higher, while the weekly loan limit will rise from $210 to $300, with loans staying interest-free.
- More than 570,000 students are expected to benefit from larger grants, while over 400,000 could access increased loan funding.
With reductions to provincial grants, changes to loans, and tuition increases on the way, funding for Ontario students is precarious right now — but the federal government is extending a program that provides those looking to further their education with more funding.
With Ontario Premier Doug Ford ending tuition freezes and making drastic changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), students across the province have been hitting the streets to protest. In the latest development, the Canadian government is stepping up to the plate, announcing an extension of temporary increases to federal funding for students in the country.
Read More
- Ford government to end tuition freeze and hike OSAP loans. Here’s what that means for Ontario students
- ‘Education should not be a privilege’ OSAP cuts continue to spark backlash as petition grows
- ‘A lot of pressure,’ Toronto students react after Doug Ford’s government announces changes to college and university funding
- ‘You gotta f**k off, man,’ Ontario students protest Doug Ford’s OSAP cuts at Queen’s Park
Calling post-secondary education one of the country’s most important long-term investments, Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Jobs and Families, announced that the feds are extending increases to the Canada Student Financial Assistance program for the 2026-27 school year.
Students in Canada received a mixture of funding through grants and loans from both provincial and federal governments. The extended increases impact both federal grants, which are non-repayable, and federal loans, which students pay back after graduating.
This includes a 40 per cent increase to grants received by both full-time and part-time students, as well as students with disabilities and those with dependants. At the same time, the Canada Student Loan limit is seeing an increase from $210 to $300 per week of study. Loans under this program are interest-free.
The changes will provide more funding for a lot of students. During the upcoming academic period, it’s expected that more than 570,000 Canadian students will benefit from the 40 per cent increase to non-repayable grants. Meanwhile, 422,000 students could benefit from the weekly loan limit increase.
The increases, though temporary, were first introduced during the 2023-24 school year, before being extended in 2024-25, and again in 2025-26.
