Master list of designated educational institutions

Starting August 1, 2026, students going to private, for-profit international schools, are no longer be eligible for federal funding. Students who received federal student aid for their current program, while at the same school, may still qualify until July 31, 2029.

Most full-time students going to private, for-profit schools in Canada, are also no longer eligible for the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students. Students enrolled in programs at these institutions may still be eligible for the grant, if their program is exempted and they meet the grant eligibility criteria.

If you were not approved for funding and think you or your school may qualify, contact your provincial or territorial student aid office.

The Government of Canada has suspended the provision of financial assistance (Canada Student Grants and Loans) to all students attending Atlantic Business College for periods of studies that start August 1, 2026 and after. If you have applied or wish to apply for student financial assistance to attend this institution, please read the Notice of suspension of federal student financial assistance.

The master list of designated educational institutions is a list of all the schools where students can receive Canada Student Grants and Loans.

The provinces and territories determine which schools, and which programs within a school, can be designated for funding. While a school may be eligible, some of its programs may not. Only programs that meet the criteria of the student's province or territory and the federal government will qualify.

If you wish to go to a school that is not on the list, or have questions about whether a program is eligible, please contact your province or territory.

Note: Effective August 1, 2024, Canadian citizens and permanent residents studying at Russian post-secondary institutions are no longer eligible to receive Canada Student Financial Assistance.

This directory is not subject to the Official Languages Act and is only available in the language of origin.

Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students Restriction

The Government of Canada has restricted access to the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students, for students attending private, for-profit institutions. Students enrolled in programs at these institutions may still be eligible for the grant, if their program is exempted and they meet the grant eligibility criteria.

List of Exempted Programs

If you are enrolled in one of the following programs in 2026-2027, you should still be able to access the grant when studying at a designated private for-profit institution in Canada:

Nursing, including practical nursing, registered nursing, and psychiatric nursing
Dental Hygiene
Early Childhood Education
Paramedic, including both primary and advanced care

Your program must also be qualified for the full-time grant and you must meet the eligibility criteria to qualify. If you are in one of these programs, you will be automatically assessed for the grant when you apply for student aid.

Students enrolled in other qualified programs at a private for-profit institution that offers one of the exempted programs may also receive the grant for 2026-2027 only.

Exemption Applications for Private Institutions

For 2026-2027, private for-profit institutions do not have to apply for exemptions. Programs eligible for exemption will be identified when students apply for financial aid for a program on the list of exempted programs.

Starting in 2027-2028, private for-profit institutions will have to apply for exemptions each year for students to access the grant. Only representatives of private for-profit institutions can apply for exemptions.

Criteria

To qualify for an exemption starting in 2027-2028, a program must qualify for the grant and meet at least two of the three exemption criteria.

A. If there is a labour market need for the occupation. Occupation information is from sources like Canadian Occupational Projections System and Job Bank.

B. If the occupation is regulated by the province or territory that designated the program. (Graduates need a licence from the province or territory or a regulatory college like a college of nursing or a law society).

C. That an exemption is not opposed by the designating province or territory

Application Requirements

Representatives of private for-profit institutions can access the form to apply for 2027-2028 in Fall 2026. The application will request information on:

the program's official name, length, and if it is full-time
any applicable provincial or territorial private training authority approvals
the National Occupational Classification code for the occupation that the program leads to work in
if the program leads to work in a regulated occupation, proof that the regulatory authority accepts program graduates for their licencing process

The application also has the option to provide supporting information on the labour market needs of the occupation that the program leads to. Applicants can also provide additional regional or local labour market information like independent research reports, data or reports from local and regional governments, or other reliable third-party information. Reports or surveys created by the applicant themselves or local job advertisements are generally not accepted.

Apply

Only representatives of designated private for-profit institutions can access the form and apply for an exemption. Students cannot apply for an exemption.

To apply, institutions must be enrolled in the National Student Loans Service Centre's Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (NSLSC ECE) system. The form is available for download through their ECE login.

Completed forms must be submitted to the email address indicated on the form. Applications for 2027-2028 must be sent by 23:59 Pacific Time, October 15, 2026.

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2026-08-28

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