STUDENT LOANS & GRANTS
interest-free status
Your student loans can be interest free while you study, but interest-free status is not automatic. You are responsible for confirming enrolment with your lenders at the start of each study period to let them know you are continuing your studies.
After graduation, or if you drop below the required course load for other reasons, there is a six-month grace period during which your loan remains interest free. If you are not continuing your studies after six months, you have to start paying back your loan with interest.
Full-time funding
Confirm full-time enrolment with your lenders by:
- Getting a new student loan, or
- Submitting the appropriate confirmation of enrolment form.
If you only received Canada loans and are not receiving new funding, confirm enrolment through your National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) online account.
Part-time funding
If you are continuing part-time studies:
- Submit confirmation of enrolment to Alberta Student Aid even if you have applied for a new loan.
- If you have part-time Canada loans, they are automatically interest-free when you apply for new part-time funding and the university confirms your enrolment.
- If you had previous part-time Canada loans and you are not applying for or did not receive new part-time loans, log in to your National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) account and confirm enrolment online.
- Full-time Canada loans are not interest free while you are a part-time student.
Alberta Student Aid has more information about maintaining interest-free status for full-time or part-time student loans.
Confirmation of enrolment forms
Download the appropriate confirmation of enrolment form from your provincial funding agency. In most cases, confirmation of enrolment forms must be signed by a Financial Aid Advisor in the Office of the University Registrar.
Approximately one week after you submit confirmation of enrolment, confirm it was received and processed correctly. If there are mistakes or issues, your student loans may enter repayment even if you are still a student.
National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC)
In addition to your provincial loan, you need to manage any federal loans you receive. You need your NSLSC login and password.
On the NSLSC site, you can:
- Check the status of your Canada student loans
- Update personal and other contact information
- Customize your repayment
- Get repayment assistance or apply online for the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)