Canada Grants for Full-Time Students With Dependents

What would you choose between your family and that career-enhancing college course that you always wanted to pursue? One might argue that the question is flawed, but the truth is that thousands of working professionals give up on their higher education aspirations to take care of dependents.

The financial burden of providing for your family’s welfare might not leave much to pursue a full-time educational program at a reputed college or university. Thankfully, you don’t have to let your educational goals come second to your family’s needs as Federal Student Grants, also known as Canada Student Grant, offer grants to full-time students with dependents.

The aim of Federal Student Grants for Full-time Students with Dependents is to help students with the finances required to care for the dependents. While this grant ensures that it is a great period to study for students with children and family to care for, one must wonder who is considered as a dependent. Let’s check out the eligibility criteria to know more:

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Canada Student Grants for Full-Time Students with Dependents, you must tick all the boxes listed below:

• You must enroll in a full-time program at a designated institution that is supported by the Federal Student Grant.

• You must be in need of financial assistance from the government. Your request for the grant will be evaluated on the basis of your financial status.
• Only children under the age of 12 or family members older than 12 years with permanent disabilities are considered as dependents. Your dependents must fall under one of the two aforementioned categories at the time of the commencement of the full-time program.
•  Your family’s annual income must be within the limits of the maximum income threshold. To ensure that the grant is reserved only for individuals from low and mid-income families, there is a cut-off on the upper limit of a family’s income.
• You do not belong to the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, or Quebec. Students residing in these provinces do not qualify for Federal Student Grants as these provinces have their own financial aid programs for students.

Income Threshold for Eligibility

Your family’s annual gross income could make or break your chances to qualify for this grant. The income threshold for grant cut-off, as well as the maximum grant amount available to you, is computed on the basis of your family’s gross annual income from the previous year and the number of family members.

Income for Maximum Grant = The amount your family’s annual income should be lesser than to receive the maximum grant amount.

Income Threshold = The amount your family’s annual income should be lesser than to qualify for the grant.

For a family of two people:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $45,399
• Income Threshold = $89,004

For a family of three people:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $55,602
• Income Threshold = $106,278

For a family of four people:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $64,204
• Income Threshold = $117,021

For a family of five people:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $71,782
• Income Threshold = $126,929

For a family of six people:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $78,634
• Income Threshold = $136,326

For a family of seven people or more:

• Income for Maximum Grant = $84,933
• Income Threshold = $144,457

How to Apply

The process of seeking financial aid can be extremely daunting if you had to apply separately for every federal and provincial grant, loan, scholarship or bursary. To simplify the process, the federal and provincial governments direct you to apply only once for student aid with your province of residence. Your financial aid application will be evaluated and all the types of federal and provincial aid that you qualify for will be allocated towards your full-time course.

How Much Can You Get

Let’s say you qualify for a Federal Student Grant for Full-time Students with Dependents. The next obvious thought would be to figure out the amount of money that you are eligible to receive through this grant.

Depending on your family’s income, you can get a grant of up to $400 per month or up to $3,200 for the school year of 2022-23. The amount of money allocated through this grant is in addition to the full-time student grant of up to $750 per month or up to $6000 per school year. The school year will start on August 1st and last up to July 31st.

Other Federal Financial Aid Options

If your dependents are older than 12 years with no disability or if your family income is above the stipulated income threshold, you will not qualify for this grant. But that doesn’t mean it is the end of the road for your educational aspirations as there are multitudes of other financial aid options to choose from. Check out other student aid programs such as Federal Student Loans, Federal Student Scholarships, and Federal Student Bursaries to help you get back to school.

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