Official Guidelines Updated: March 2026

The B.C. Assistance Program for Students with Disabilities (APSD) is a provincial, non-repayable grant that helps students with a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability pay for exceptional education-related services and adaptive equipment. It is designed to complement the federal Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment (CSG-DSE) and becomes available when a student’s federal funding for the year has been fully used.

At B.C. public post-secondary institutions, APSD funding is block-funded — the Ministry allocates funds to each institution, and the institution’s accessibility services office administers and distributes grants directly to eligible students. At private designated institutions, funding is managed through StudentAid BC.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the APSD, you must meet all of the following:

• Have a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability, as defined by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, and have your disability verified with StudentAid BC.
• Be enrolled at a designated public or private post-secondary institution in B.C.
• Meet one of the following enrollment conditions:
  • You are studying at the post-secondary level and have exhausted all available CSG-DSE funding for the program year; or
  • You are enrolled in a non-post-secondary program (Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, or Accessible Education and Training) at a designated public post-secondary institution in B.C. — in which case APSD may be your primary source of disability services and equipment funding.
• Demonstrate financial need.

How Much Can You Get?

Eligible students can receive up to $10,000 per program year for education-related services and equipment. If attendant care is required while you are at school, the maximum increases to $12,000 per program year. The amount you receive depends on your assessed need and the specific services and equipment required to support your participation in your program.

What Does the APSD Cover?

The APSD covers the same categories of exceptional education-related services and equipment as the federal CSG-DSE. Your school’s accessibility services office — or StudentAid BC if you attend a private institution — works with you to determine which supports are appropriate for your specific disability and program. Eligible costs must be directly related to your verified disability.

Eligible services include tutors, note-takers, readers, attendant care (while at school only), alternate format materials, specialized transportation, academic strategy sessions, and interpreters or captionists. Services such as proctoring, photocopying, speech therapy, orientation services, and other general school-related costs are not eligible.

Equipment requests are assessed by Assistive Technology BC (AT-BC), which conducts adaptive technology assessments to determine what equipment is needed to reduce disability-related barriers to participation in post-secondary studies. Eligible equipment includes assistive technology devices, software, and hardware. Ineligible equipment includes ergonomic furniture, vehicle modifications, fuel, insurance, and physical alterations to facilities.

How to Apply

The application process depends on the type of institution you attend.

B.C. public post-secondary institutions — contact the accessibility services office at your institution directly. APSD is administered at the institutional level, and the accessibility coordinator will guide you through the eligibility screening, application requirements, and the services or equipment request process. If your disability has not yet been verified with StudentAid BC, you will need to complete the Appendix 8 for Full-Time Students (or the Part-Time equivalent) — Disability Programs Application form, available on the StudentAid BC website.

B.C. private post-secondary institutions — contact StudentAid BC directly. Your institution’s disability coordinator or appropriate official must submit a Service Request form to StudentAid BC along with the required cost estimates. Submit your application at least six weeks before your classes end to allow time for processing.

At the end of your study period, you are required to submit receipts confirming that APSD funds were spent on their intended purpose. Any unused funds must be repaid by cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance.

Other Financial Aid Options for Students with Disabilities

The APSD sits within a broader stack of disability-related funding available to B.C. students. Depending on your situation, you may also be eligible for:

• Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment (CSG-DSE) — up to $20,000/year for education-related services and equipment; must be exhausted before APSD is accessed
• B.C. Access Grant for Students with Disabilities — up to $1,560/year in B.C. student loan replacement funding for full-time students
• B.C. Supplemental Bursary for Students with Disabilities — up to $800/year for students with a course load of 40% or more, automatically assessed through your StudentAid BC application
• Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities — $2,800/year fixed grant, not income-tested
• Learning Disability Assessment Bursary (LDAB) — available through your institution’s accessibility office for students who need to establish eligibility through a psycho-educational assessment

Ready to find a program? Explore eligible schools today.