The fall semester is underway, and for many students, the question of funding comes back every session. The Aide financière aux études (AFE) loans and bursaries program is the main source of funding offered by the Quebec government: it helps roughly 175,000 full-time students every year, according to the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur. But who actually qualifies is often misunderstood.
It is not reserved for Canadian citizens. The first requirement is to hold one of four statuses: Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, refugee status, or protected person status. All four are treated equally — nothing in the criteria singles out a citizen from a permanent resident or a refugee. What is not on that list, though, is a temporary status. If you are here on a study permit or a work permit, this program does not apply to you.
Watch out for another common mix-up. In March 2026, the federal government announced an extension of boosted financial aid for post-secondary students nationwide — a 40% increase to grants and a loan limit raised to $300 a week, according to Employment and Social Development Canada. That announcement changes nothing for you if you study in Quebec: the province does not participate in the federal loans and grants system, according to Canada.ca, and runs its own program with its own funding — it is the AFE you need to check, not the federal program announced in March.
In practice, the aid combines a loan — interest-free as long as you study full-time, repayable only after you finish — topped up, if your needs exceed the loan, by a bursary that does not have to be repaid. Amounts vary with your situation, but give a sense of scale: up to $663 a month for living expenses if you live with your parents, up to $1,416 a month if you live elsewhere, plus $317 a month for each dependent child and $207 a month for childcare costs, according to the AFE's 2026-2027 guide. The award year runs from September 1 to August 31.
Good to know for newcomers. If you are a permanent resident, a refugee, or a protected person, you have exactly the same rights as a citizen under this program — do not assume the door is closed to you. On the other hand, if you are here on a temporary status, it is better to know that before building a study budget that counts on this aid: your institution's financial aid office can point you toward other options that might apply to your situation.
