If You Need Help Repaying

B.C. Loan Reduction for Residential Care Aide and Home Support Worker Programs

The B.C. loan reduction program for residential care aide and home support worker students helps those who must borrow money for their post-secondary education.

If you successfully complete one of these programs in the 2007/08 or 2008/09 program year, the provincial government will reduce your B.C. student loan debt by up to $2,500.

You don’t have to apply. You will automatically be considered for loan reduction through information from your StudentAid BC loan application and from your school. Contact your school to make sure your program is eligible for this loan reduction.

How the program works

Schools apply to have their residential care aide and/or home support worker programs made eligible for the program. If you successfully complete an eligible program and had received $2,500 or more in B.C. student loans for the study period, you will have those loans reduced by $2,500. If you took out less than $2,500 in B.C. student loans for the study period, your entire loan will be forgiven.

Schools must apply annually. A program is considered to be in the 2007/2008 program year if the program start date is between August 1, 2007 and July 31, 2008. A program is considered to be in the 2008/2009 program year if the program start date is between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009.

Eligibility

To qualify for this loan reduction, you must meet all the following conditions:

  • You must have a B.C student loan for the study period.
  • Your student loans must be in good standing or not in default.
  • You must be enrolled full-time in a residential care aide or home support worker program at a B.C post-secondary institution that StudentAid BC has approved for loan reduction.
    For a list of schools approved for the 2007/2008 program year, click here.
    For a list of schools approved for the 2008/2009 program year, click here.
  • You must have successfully completed the program.
If your StudentAid BC file is under audit or restricted for other reasons, you will not be considered for B.C. loan reduction until the audit is complete or the restriction is removed.

Questions

For more details about the B.C. loan reduction for residential care aide and home support worker programs, please go to frequently asked questions.