Department of Education - Student Assistance

Applying for Loans

Introduction

When you submit your Nova Scotia Student Assistance application, you are applying for assistance funded by both the provincial and federal governments (Nova Scotia Student Loans, Nova Scotia Student Grants, Canada Student Loans, Canada Study Grants bursaries for Students with Dependents, and Canada Millennium Scholarship Bursaries). You should also check with your institution to investigate other sources of financial assistance which may be available to you.

Making careful choices

As a potential consumer, it is your responsibility to make sure the school you choose is right for you. Spend as much time and consideration choosing the school as you would a career.

Check out future job markets in your field of interest and contact potential employers. Ask what training they look for in employees. Seriously investigate and compare all schools offering the education that interests you.

The fact that individuals have completed a training program at a College, Private Career College or a University does not guarantee employment. However, a good program should provide graduates with the skills required to meet the minimum employment standards of a particular occupation.

Make appointments to visit the schools and ask for a program outline.

Who can apply?

You must be a Canadian Citizen, Landed Immigrant or Protected Person

If you are a Landed Immigrant (Permanent Resident) and applying for the first time, you must send a copy of your Permanent Resident Form. For other information which applies to Landed Immigrants only, please click here. If you have become a Canadian Citizen since you last applied for a student loan, send a photocopy of your citizenship card or certificate.

You must be a Resident of Nova Scotia. Before you can determine if you are a Nova Scotia resident you will need to know what student category you are.

You must be planning to be a full-time student at a school approved for student loans.

NOTE: You do not have to wait to be accepted by a school before you apply for a student loan. Apply and use the school you are most likely to attend. If the latter changes, send a letter giving us the changes. If you have already received your loan documents, return them to us to be cancelled.

How to apply

The 2008-2009 Nova Scotia Student Assistance application is for full-time students who are planning to enrol in a post-secondary program that starts any time between August 1, 2008, and July 31, 2009. You are considered to be a full-time student if you are taking 60% or more of a full course load. A person with a permanent disability is considered to be a full-time student if he or she is taking at least 40% of a full course load. If you would like a Nova Scotia Student Assistance application please click here.

Re-applying for a student loan?

Don't forget when you become a full time student, your existing Canada and Nova Scotia student loans are eligible for interest free status. This is not automatic. You must confirm your enrollment of full time status with the financial institution(s) that hold your loan(s). Usually your loans can be held at two or more financial institutions. If you are unsure which financial institution(s) hold your loans, you can contact the Student Assistance Office for contact information.

It is extreemely important that you confirm your full time status with the financial institution(s) holding your loans, and reinstate your interest free student status. If you do not, you could be required to make payments while you are a full time student. The processing or payment of your current student loan could be delayed due to your defaulted status.

Application process

Generally, the application process follows these steps:

Your application is received by our office via the mail, electronic application, fax or hand delivery to our office.

Your application is scanned into our electronic database. This normally takes a few days from the time we receive it. Therefore, if you call or check the status online within the first few days of us receiving it, we will not be able to give you any information on your application.

Your application is reviewed by a loan assessor for completeness. If all the required information is here, your loan will be processed. If you are missing information, you will be notified by mail of what our office requires to complete the processing of your application. Depending on the time of year, a final decision on your application can take between 2-6 weeks. Our office receives more than 23,000 applications a year. A large percentage of these applications are delayed because they are missing required information. Please review our checklist prior to submitting your application.

You will receive an Assessment Sheet in the mail. The Assessment Sheet will explain how we calculated your Need. If your application is approved and you are awarded a Student Loan, we will send you four things:
- An assessment sheet which shows your costs, resources, the amount of your Canada Student Loan, your tentative Nova Scotia Student Loan and Nova Scotia Student Grant, amount tentative Canada Study Grant and the deadlines you must meet.
- A loan document for CSL.
- A Pre-Study Report, which you must complete and send to the Student Assistance Office before the deadline shown on your Assessment Sheet. (We encourage students to submit their Pre-Study Report as soon as their classes begin). We need the Pre-Study Report to process your Nova Scotia Student Loan and Canada Study Grant. (This funding is not available until you are halfway through the study year. The Canada Study Grant is a cheque made payable to you and the school you are attending and is sent to the school's award office or business office.)
- Instructions for negotiating your loan document.

You will need to take the document to your school and have it signed. This confirms you are actually attending the institution full time. If the school listed on your document is different from where you are attending, please forward the documents back to our office to be adjusted. Once the school signs your documents, you only have 30 days to bring them to an approved participating lending institution and negotiate the release of the money. If you wait longer than the 30 days, you must return the documents to the Student Assistance Office to be cancelled and re-issued. Because the loan form is mailed directly to you, it is extremely important that you notify us of any change to your address.

Included with your assessment will be a "Pre-Study Report". Filling out your Pre-Study Report is as important as filling out your Student Loan Application Form. The deadline for submitting your Pre-Study Report is on your Assessment Sheet. The amount of additional loan and/or grant may be different from what you expect because we will adjust the amount of your loan based on the information in your Pre-Study Report. We encourage students to submit their Pre-Study Report as soon as their classess begin.

If you qualify for a Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation General Award you will be notified by mail. The award will be made available the following June. It will be sent directly to your loan provider to be applied to reduce your student loan debt.

Basic points to remember

Use ink when filling out and signing the application form. Do not use pencil.
Accuracy is very important. Errors cause delays. If you are not sure how to answer a question on the form, contact our office for help.
Enter dollars only, not cents, in Canadian currency.
Keep a photocopy of your completed application form for your records.
Once your application has been submitted, be sure to track the progress via our telephone/website.
PLEASE NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure all documentation is received by our office.

WE DO NOT RETURN DOCUMENTS. SEND IN READABLE PHOTOCOPIES.

Paper application forms

2008-2009 application forms

Application forms for the 2008-2009 academic year are available for students attending programs that start any time between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009. Only full-time students may use the Nova Scotia Student Assistance Office Application for Full-Time Students. If you are a part-time student, you must use the Part-Time Canada Student Loan Application.

Application checklist

Your application will not be processed until you send all the documents needed. Students' applications are delayed each year because they do not send all the documents. Remember to sign the application and if you are dependent, your parents must also sign the form. Married students must have their spouses sign their form.

DOCUMENTS YOU MUST SEND WITH YOUR APPLICATION

First time applying Returning students

All Student Categories

Your signature on this year's Declaration and Tax Release.

If you are a Landed Immigrant, send a copy of your Permanent Resident Form. If it has been less than two years since you entered Canada and you entered under the "EN2" category, you must also send a copy of the application that was submitted to Immigration Canada declaring your family's assets.

If you are studying at a Private Career College in Nova Scotia, you will need a "Confirmation of Enrollment" form completed by the educational instution you will be attending.

If you are applying for Spring and Summer intersessions, you will need a "Confirmation of Program - Spring/Summer Session" form completed by the educational instution you will be attending.

Forms are available from our office or you can download one from our download page.

If you were a Landed Immigrant the last time you applied and are now a Canadian citizen, send a copy of your Permanent Resident Form.

If you are studying at a Private Career College in Nova Scotia, you will need a "Confirmation of Enrollment" form completed by the educational institution you will be attending.

If you are applying for Spring and Summer intersessions, you will need a "Confirmation of Program - Spring/Summer Session" form completed by the educational institution you will be attending.

Forms are available from our office or you can download one from our download page.

Single Dependent Students

Your parents' signatures on this year's Declaration and Tax Release.

If your parents' marital status has changed since your last application (they are now separated or divorced), send a photocopy of their separation or divorce agreement outlining custody and financial arrangements. If they do not have an agreement, call the office to find out what information you will need to send.

Single Independent Students

No additional documents required.

No additional documents required.

Married Students

Your spouse's signature on this year's Declaration and Tax Release.

If you have married since you last applied, send a copy of your marriage certificate and your spouse's signature on this year's Declaration and Tax Release.

If you have started living common law since you last applied, send a copy of you and your spouse's 2007 Income Tax Returns showing you filed as common law.

Single ParentStudents

No additional documents required.

If you were married the last time you applied and are now separated/divorced, send a copy of your separation or divorce agreement.

WE DO NOT RETURN DOCUMENTS. SEND IN READABLE PHOTOCOPIES.

Your application will not be processed until you send all the documents needed. Students' applications are delayed each year because they do not send all the documents. Remember to sign the application and if you are dependent, your parents must also sign the form. Married students must have their spouses sign their form. It is your responsibility to ensure all documentation is received by our office.

When to apply

It is recommended that you apply as early as possible. You should submit your application at least 6 weeks before your classes begin to allow sufficient time for processing. Our office needs time to review your application and contact you if more information is needed.

What Institutions and programs are approved?

You can apply for a Student Loan to attend only approved full-time programs which lead to a degree, diploma or certificate. These programs must be at least 12 weeks long and be offered by an approved institution. Approved institutions include:

Universities, Colleges
Technical Institutions
Community Colleges
Private Career College

However, even though an institution has been approved, all of its programs may not have been. The following types of programs are NOT approved:

Upgrading programs
Fully-funded transition year programs
Courses that are not credited toward a degree, diploma, or certificate

You can apply for a Student Loan for some, but not all, qualifying year programs. Check with the Student Assistance Office if you are not sure whether a particular institution or program has been approved for Student Loans. Nova Scotia will not fund Private Distance Education Institutions that are not licensed with Nova Scotia Private Career Colleges.

Definition of a full-time student

University: If you are attending university, you need to be taking at least 60% of a full course load each term to be considered a full-time student. A full course load is normally five courses per term. To be considered a full-time student, you need at least three courses per term.

If you are a student with a permanent disability and only able to take 40% of a full course load, you may still be eligible for a student loan.

Definition of a full-time student in summer session

Before you can understand the rules that determine if you are full time during the spring and summer sessions, you must first clearly understand what makes you full time during the regular academic year (September to April).

During the regular academic year, you must take at least 60% of a regular course load to be full time. That means you must be registered in at least 3 credits at all times. Each credit therefore has a weight of 20%. Five courses is 100%. Five courses is usually 15 hours of class time each week. Therefore, 60% would be 9 hours of class each week.

Most universities offer two intersessions in the May to August period. Your courses in these sessions may be in class or distance courses. If all your courses are intersession courses, you are considered a full-time student if you have a minium of 12 wks study and complete 1 credit (6 credit hours) in each session.

If all of your courses run through the entire May to August period which include Regular in class courses and distance courses which have a specific start and end date, usually beginning in May and ending in August and, Correspondence courses which do not have a specific start and end date. To be considered a full-time student you need to be taking a total of 1 1/2 credits (9 credit hours) during this period and you complete all correspondence courses by the end of August.

If you are taking a combination of intersession courses and regular or correspondence courses, you are considered a full time student if you have a minimum of 12 weeks of student and:

Your courses in Regular and Correspondence total 1 credit (6 credit hours) and your courses in the intersessions total 1 credit (6 credit hours) or,
your courses in Regular and Correspondence total 1/2 credit (3 credit hours) and your courses in the intersessions total 1 1/2 credits (9 credit hours). You must have at least a half credit course (3 credit hours) in each session.

You will need a "Spring/Summer Session Confirmation of Program" form available from the Student Assistance Office. You can also download one from here.

Correspondence Courses

If you take a correspondence course, you must begin and complete the course during the spring and summer sessions.

Private Career College: If you are attending a private career college, you are considered a full-time student if you are getting at least 20 hours of instruction per week.

NOTE: If you are a student with a permanent disability, please click here for exemptions which may apply to you.

If you have defaulted on Student Loans

If you were required to begin repaying a previous student loan and did not make the regular payments you agreed to make when you signed your loan agreement, you will be in default.

If you defaulted on your Canada Student Loan, you will not be eligible for either a Canada Student Loan (CSL) or a Nova Scotia Student Loan (NSSL). If you defaulted on your NSSL, you will not be eligible for a NSSL but you may be eligible for a CSL.

You can apply to become eligible again. You must write to the following addresses, giving your Social Insurance Number and the reason for defaulting on your loan:

CSL:	Canada Student Loan Branch P.O. Box 2090, Station D Ottawa, ON K1P 6C6

NSSL:	Department of Education, Student Assistance Office, P.O. Box 2290, Halifax Central, Halifax, NS B3J 3C8

How you get the money you've been awarded

If your application is approved and you are awarded a Student Loan, we will send you four things:

An Assessment Sheet which shows your costs, resources, the amount of your Canada Student Loan, tentative Nova Scotia Student Loan and Nova Scotia Student Grant, tentative Canada Study Grant if applicable and the deadlines you must meet.
A loan document for CSL.
A Pre-Study Report, which you must complete and send to the Student Assistance Office before the deadline shown on your assessment sheet. We need the Pre-Study Report to process your Nova Scotia Student Loan and Canada Study Grant. (This funding is not available until you are half way through the study year. The Canada Study Grant is a cheque made payable to you and the school you are attending and is sent to the school's award office or business office.) The Pre-Study report can be sent in as soon as classes begin.
Instructions for negotiating your loan document.

Step by step to your Canada Student Loan

Effective March 1, 2001, banks, credit unions and caisses populaires will no longer issue funds for the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP). Instead, any new Canada Student Loans will come directly from the Government of Canada through the National Student Loans Service Centre.

To provide better service, one division of the National Student Loans Service Centre will be responsible for serving borrowers attending public institutions (universities or public colleges). The other division will be responsible for serving borrowers attending private vocational institutions (career colleges or trade schools).

To help you determine which division will be responsible for your school, visit www.canlearn.ca or call 1 800 OCanada (1 800 622-6232).

The steps you must take

We will mail your Canada Student Loan Schedule 1 (Certificate of Eligibility) to you directly. You must have your school complete the Confirmation of Enrolment section of the Schedule 1 to confirm your enrolment as a full-time student. The school will indicate how much tuition needs to be paid. This amount will go directly to the school and the remainder will go to you.

Now you take your completed Schedule 1 to a designated Canada Post outlet. You will also be required to complete a Canada Student Loan Agreement, which you can obtain from the Canada Post outlet, and attach it to your Schedule 1.
To find the designated outlet closest to you, visit www.canlearn.ca and click on the Canada Student Loans logo or call your National Student Loans Service Centre (see phone numbers below).

You will be required to show your Social Insurance Number card (or any other official Government of Canada document that indicates your Social Insurance Number) and any valid photo identification issued in Canada by the federal government or a provincial or territorial government (driver's license, health insurance card, passport or citizenship card).

If a Canada Post outlet is not accessible to you, please call the National Student Loans Service Centre for further instructions.
The fastest way to get your money is to attach a void cheque or direct deposit information to your loan documents and your funds will be deposited directly into your bank account within five to ten business days.
If you don't attach a void cheque, your loan will be mailed to you by cheque within two weeks, to your address as it appears on your Loan Agreement. So make sure this address is the right one!

NOTE: If you have received Canada Student Loans prior to August 1, 2000, you must let your lender holding these loans know that you are a full-time student. To do this, take copy 22a of your completed Schedule 1 to your lender. If you don't do this, your lender will expect you to start repaying these loans.

Borrowers studying abroad

Follow the same steps as borrowers studying in Canada with the exception that you will have to mail your Canada Student Loan documents to the National Student Loans Service Centre. If you have any questions or if there is a document missing, do not hesitate to call your National Student Loans Service Centre.

For questions regarding this process

National Student Loans Service Centre (Effective March 1, 2008)

P.O. Box 4030
Mississauga, Ontario
L5A 4M4
Toll Free: 1-888-815-4514 (within North America)
TTY: 1-888-815-4556
Countries outside of North America: dial international access code + 800 2 225-2501 (toll free)
Countries outside of North America without an international access code: call the Canadian operator at 800 0800 096 0634, then call collect 905-306-2950

Nova Scotia Student Loan

Resolve Corporation
PO Box 1007
Mississauga, “B” Postal Outlet
Mississauga, ON
L4Y 3W3
1- 877-283-1687 (within North America) or 905-306-2460 (outside North America, call collect)

How to negotiate your Nova Scotia Student Loan

Effective August 1, 2008, Nova Scotia has entered into an agreement with Resolve Corporation to begin directly issuing Nova Scotia provincial student loans. The Province will become the lender for all new provincial student loans as well as the owner, by assignment, of a portion of existing provincial loans formally held by RBC Royal Bank.

Students that are currently in study, or those that entered repayment on or after November 1, 2007 will now have their loans administered through the Nova Scotia Direct Lend program. RBC Royal Bank, or other lenders, will continue to hold and administer Nova Scotia student loans that entered into repayment prior to November 1, 2007.

Please refer any inquiries to Resolve Corporation at 1-877-283-1687.
For further information, please visit Resolve Corporation’s website at www.resolvestudentloans.ca

If you have a 2008/09 Nova Scotia student loan and you are attending a post-secondary institution outside of Nova Scotia you will be issued a paper certificate:

You must sign your Nova Scotia Student Loan document.
An authorized person from your Educational Institution (EI) must sign the Nova Scotia Student Loan document confirming your enrolment.
The Nova Scotia Student Loan document is valid for only 30 days after it is signed by your Educational Institution.
You must send a “void cheque” to provide your banking information with your Nova Scotia Student Loan document.
The Nova Scotia Student Loan document cannot be negotiated after the last day of the month of the Period of Study End Date (PSED).

Present paper certificate to Resolve on-Campus kiosk or you can mail or courier to Resolve Corporation copy 1 & 2 of your completed loan document and photocopies of 2 pieces of identification. One must be a government-issued photo ID. The other must be a Government of Canada official document with your social insurance number on it.

Here is a list of acceptable documents:

One government-issued photo ID:
- driver’s license
- Nova Scotia photo identification
- passport
- Canadian citizenship card
One Government of Canada official document with your social insurance number:
- social insurance number card
- Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment
- Canada Pension Plan statement of contributions
- confirmation of social insurance card number from Service Canada

Mailing address:	Resolve Corporation PO Box 1007 Mississauga, “B” Postal Outlet Mississauga, ON L4Y 3W3

Courier address:	Resolve Corporation 2 Robert Speck Parkway 14th Floor Mississauga, ON L4Z 1H8

If you have a 2008/09 Nova Scotia student loan and you are attending a post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia, your loan will be issued through the Electronic Certificate (e-cert ) process:

The Nova Scotia Student Assistance Office will contact your Educational Institution (EI) to confirm your enrollment through a web portal.
An authorized person from your Educational Institution (EI) will electronically confirm your enrollment and any fees due to your EI for your Nova Scotia Student Loan.
The Nova Scotia Student Assistance Office electronically sends your student loan information to Resolve.
Resolve receives the information electronically from the Nova Scotia Student Assistance Office and disburses funds to you as well as your educational institution.

Banking information for disbursement of Nova Scotia student loan:

In order for your Nova Scotia student loan to be calculated and your Educational Institution to be contacted for electronic confirmation of enrollment, you must first submit your Pre-Study Report (PSR). There are two (2) options available to submit your PSR, either online or by paper. If you complete your PSR online, the Nova Scotia Student Assistance office will identify to you whether we require you to submit a Banking Information Form. This form can either be downloaded and printed off as you complete your online PSR or mailed out to you. If you requested your PSR in paper format, then the Banking Information Form will be included with the PSR for your convenience. Remember, your school is not able to access your file to confirm enrollment until your Banking Information Form has been submitted and received by the Nova Scotia Student Assistance office, and so the disbursement of your award cannot be made by Resolve.

If you have any questions about this new process feel free to contact the Nova Scotia Student Assistance office at 424-8420 or toll free at 1-800-565-8420.