Determine Your Eligibility

Your school eligibility

First, check if your school is designated under StudentAid BC. There is more information available:

If you are studying at a B.C. private school

Here are some important things to consider before beginning your studies at a private post-secondary school in British Columbia.

Is your school accredited?

The provincial accreditation process ensures that standards of integrity and educational competence are met by private institutions offering post-secondary education in B.C.

Career training schools
The accreditation process is voluntary on the part of the school. However, students can only receive StudentAid BC funding if their private school is accredited by the Private Career Training Institutions Agency and has been designated by StudentAid BC.

Degree granting schools
Private schools that want to award degrees in B.C. must be approved through the Degree Quality Assessment Board. Students can only receive StudentAid BC funding if their private degree-granting school is approved and has been designated by StudentAid BC.

Signing an enrolment contract
Once you have been accepted by a B.C. private post-secondary school, you must sign an enrolment contract. Enrolment at an accredited school designated by StudentAid BC requires that you complete this contract.

The enrolment contract should contain the following information:

  • Name and address of the school.
  • Name of your course or study program.
  • Start date, end date and duration of the course.
  • Cost of the course.
  • Date that the contract is entered into.
  • Name, mailing address and signature of the student or guardian.
  • Signature of the school official.
  • A tuition payment schedule if you are paying by instalments.
  • The school’s tuition refund policy.
After you have read and signed the enrolment contract, the school must give you a copy. Keep it in a safe place.

If you are attending two schools

Attending more than one post-secondary school at the same time is called “split enrolment.” In some cases, students can receive StudentAid BC funding for courses taken at their second school.

Before registering at your second school, check with the financial aid office at your “home” school about student assistance options. The home school is the one that will issue your credential at graduation time.

You may be eligible for funding if the course or courses at the second school are:

  • Offered with the same start and end date as those taken at the home school.
  • An essential element of your study program.
  • Counting for credit towards your certificate, diploma or degree at your home school.
  • Either not offered by your home school or are full.

Your second school must be a designated school under the StudentAid BC.

Split enrolments involving private vocational/trade schools are not permitted.

If you are studying outside B.C.

Here are some important things to consider before you enrol in a post-secondary school outside British Columbia.

  • Is your school designated for StudentAid BC funding?
  • Are you registered in a correspondence, distance or online education program at a designated institution outside B.C.? If so, you may be eligible for a B.C. student loan. Click here for more information.
  • Are you studying outside Canada? If so, you may need a power of attorney.