Official Guidelines Updated: March 2026
Key Facts for 2025–2026:
The Basic Grant is a non-repayable grant covering tuition, books, and travel for eligible NWT residents. Northern Indigenous Residents receive up to $3,320 for tuition + $875 for books per semester with no semester limit. Northern Residents Schooled in the NWT receive up to $2,655 for tuition + $700 for books per semester, up to one semester per NWT grade completed.
The Basic Grant is a non-repayable component of the Northwest Territories Student Financial Assistance (SFA) program, administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. It covers the direct educational costs of post-secondary studies — tuition and mandatory fees, textbooks, and travel — for eligible NWT residents pursuing full-time studies at a designated post-secondary institution.
The amount you receive and the number of semesters you can access the Basic Grant depends on your student category.
Who Is Eligible?
The Basic Grant is available to two of the three NWT student categories:
- Northern Indigenous Residents — eligible for the Basic Grant with no semester limit. To qualify as a Northern Indigenous Resident, you must be a member of (or eligible to become a member of) an NWT Dene Band, be enrolled or eligible to be enrolled as an Inuvialuit beneficiary, Tłı̨chǫ citizen, or Délı̨nę̨ citizen, or be a person (or descendant of a person) of Indigenous descent who resided in the NWT area on or before December 31, 1921.
- Northern Residents Schooled in the NWT — eligible for one semester of Basic Grant for each grade between 1 and 12 that you successfully completed while ordinarily resident in the NWT (or outside the NWT where your resident parent(s) were ordinarily resident in the NWT).
Northern Residents Not Schooled in the NWT are not eligible for the Basic Grant but may access the Remissible Loan, Repayable Loan, and Study Grants for Students with Disabilities.
Benefit Amounts
| Expense | Northern Indigenous Resident | Northern Resident Schooled in NWT |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and mandatory fees | Up to $3,320 per semester | Up to $2,655 per semester |
| Books | $875 per semester | $700 per semester |
| Travel | Travel to the nearest approved NWT institution or Edmonton, AB. Up to 2 return trips per academic year. | |
Travel Benefit
The travel benefit covers return travel between your home community and either the nearest approved institution in the NWT or Edmonton, AB. SFA provides assistance for basic airfare (when travelling by plane) or the current government mileage rate (when travelling by land or water). You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements through a travel agency in the NWT at least two weeks before your travel date.
You may be eligible for up to two return trips per academic year — at the beginning and/or end of your academic year, or during intersession (breaks between semesters such as Christmas). Travel during a semester, such as spring break or reading week, is not eligible for intersession travel.
All travel claims must be submitted within the academic year and only after the travel has taken place. Expenses such as food, accommodation, baggage fees, and seat upgrades are not covered.
Important:
The Basic Grant is intended to supplement your own financial resources, not to cover all expenses. If you receive SFA funding, you are not eligible for student financial aid from another provincial, territorial, or federal program. Any additional funding from scholarships, bursaries, or other organizations must be reported to SFA, as it may affect your eligibility.
General Eligibility Requirements
To receive SFA funding including the Basic Grant, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.
- Be a resident of the NWT (ordinarily resident for 12 continuous months).
- Be enrolled in an approved post-secondary program at a designated institution — at least 12 continuous weeks in length, leading to a licence, certificate, diploma, or degree.
- Maintain enrollment of at least 60% of a full course load per semester (40% for students with a disability).
- Have previous SFA loans up-to-date and no outstanding GNWT debts.
- Not be receiving student financial aid from another provincial, territorial, or federal program.
How to Apply
Complete the Application for Full-Time Student Financial Assistance and submit it before your application deadline. You may apply before being accepted into a program. Applications can be submitted by email to nwtsfa@gov.nt.ca, by fax, by mail, or in person at the SFA office or a local ECE Regional or Community Service Centre. SFA will provide a written response within 25 business days of receiving your completed application.
| Program Start | Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| August 1 – September 30 | June 30 |
| December 1 – January 31 | October 31 |
| All other months | One calendar month prior to program start |
Other Financial Aid Options
Depending on your student category, you may also be eligible for the Supplementary Grant or Remissible Loan for monthly living expenses, the NWT Student Loan for additional needs-assessed support, and the NWT Grants for Students with Disabilities. Federal programs such as Canada Student Grants are not available to students receiving SFA.
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