Financial aid FAQs

All funded students

How does AU know I am getting a student loan?

Our Financial Aid unit is notified when you submit the online Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan. Enrolment will not be confirmed, and funding will not be released if you apply for funding but do not submit a course registration plan.

Do I have to be in a program to get a student loan?

Yes, you must be in a credential program for almost all provinces. Only British Columbia and Saskatchewan allow applicants to be eligible for unclassified/open studies for a limited time. The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) may grant an exception if you are a visiting student on a letter of permission from your home institution.

I am not getting my loan until after my course or program starts. How do I pay for my tuition fees?

Tuition fees are requested directly from your student funding amount by your financial aid specialist. The National Student Loan Service Centre then pays AU the tuition fees directly. If your specialist is not able to request tuition fees from your funding, you will be contacted for alternate arrangements.

Can I get Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding to go to AU?

Yes, the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) approves Ontario students to study at AU. However, OSAP does not fund students in unclassified or open studies unless you are on a letter of permission.

How does AU give my program information to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)?

After you submit your AU Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan, your financial aid specialist will have access to your request and application for OSAP. We have a dedicated online portal to upload the AU program information form. This includes your program, year of study, course load, start date, end date, weeks of study and tuition fees.

I submitted a Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan and applied for financial aid by the published deadlines. How do I get my student loan funds?

Ensure you have completed your Master Student Financial Aid Agreement, also known as the MSFAA. Please ensure you are providing any requested documentation to your funding agency in a timely manner. Please also ensure your past student loans are in good standing.

Once we get notice of your student loan approval (due 1 month before your intended start date) from your province/territory and we confirm your enrolment, you can expect to have access to your student funding either on your start date or shortly after. Sept. 1 is a peak period for all institutions across the country, and we recognize that the National Student Loan Service Centre does experience some minor delays during peak periods.

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Undergraduate students

When do I have to apply for my undergraduate student loan?

Funding approval is due at least 1 month before the start date with no holds or reviews. This is a requirement for all students seeking to attend AU as full-time funded students. Students not approved by the deadline for the desired start date will need to reapply.

You are required to submit a Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan and apply for funding by the required date. We are only accepting applications for the start date of  Feb. 1, 2025, and the application deadline is Nov. 30, 2024.

Find the full-time start dates for undergraduate studies, application open date and deadlines that correspond with your studies below.

Start date	Application open date	Apply by
Sep. 1	May	June 30
Oct. 1	June	July 31
Nov. 1	July	Aug. 31
Jan. 1	September	Oct. 31
Feb. 1	October	Nov. 30
March 1	November	Dec. 31
May 1	January	Feb. 28
June 1	February	March 31
July 1	March	April 30

Bachelor of Nursing - LPN students' full-time start dates are September, January and May only.

Graduate start dates are found here.

For part-time funding, see here.

Start dates not available if you are applying for full-time student financial aid include April, August and December.

How many courses do I need to take if I am getting a student loan for full-time undergraduate studies?

To be eligible for full-time funding, you must take 3-5 three-credit courses per 4-month term. Please remember that all courses must have the same start date.

Can I get student aid if I am a part-time undergraduate student?

For part-time funding, you are required to:

1. Submit a Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan for part-time studies.
2. Complete and submit the application form as per your provincial funding agency.
3. Students applying for part-time student financial assistance are required to self-register by the 10th of the month before the study period start date.
   
   • The deadline is 2 months before the desired start date or no later than 3 months before the contract end date of applicable courses.
   • If the courses are complete, with final grades posted, it is too late to apply for funding.
   • Before submitting your request, all previous part-time funded courses must be successfully completed, with final passing grades posted.
   • Minimum of one 3-credit course to a maximum of three 3-credit courses per 6-month semester.
   • You may apply for 1 semester per funding period (not multiple semesters).
   • Courses applicable to the part-time study period must start on the same date.
   • Re-registration, 0 credit, audit, challenge, and courses that have previously been awarded credit are not eligible for funding.

I do not get my student loan funds until the date my undergraduate course starts. Do I have to register myself and then wait for my loan to be processed?

No, if you complete the Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan and apply for funding by the published deadlines (we recommend you apply a minimum of 3 months before the intended start date), your financial aid specialist will register you in your courses and complete any provincial or territorial program information forms needed.

Can I start my undergraduate studies earlier if my student loan is approved earlier?

No, once your original application and course registration plan are submitted, we cannot revise start dates. The financial aid unit requires a minimum of 2 months to process the learner’s course registration plans. You may begin reading and working on your course assignments as soon as you receive access to the course material but must wait until the actual start date to submit assignments, receive tutor support or book or write exams.

Can I submit an undergraduate course registration plan for 2 semesters instead of 1?

If it is your first full-time funded semester with AU, it is recommended that you request 1 semester with 3 courses to start with.

Otherwise, if you have experience with full-time funded semesters, yes, you can select 2 semesters when submitting them on a 1-course registration plan and student aid application, provided both semesters are in the same academic funding year. Your financial aid specialist will automatically register you for your second semester and request your tuition payment from your loan as the second semester approaches.

How do I determine what year of undergraduate study I am currently in?

To avoid funding delays, it is important to enter your year of study correctly on your funding application.

The year of study is determined by the credits that have been applied to your program and does not include courses that are currently in progress or that you intend to enroll in.

Year equivalents for undergraduates:
Year 1 = fewer than 30 credits completed
Year 2 = 30-59 credits completed
Year 3 = 60-89 credits completed
Year 4 = 90+ credits completed

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Graduate students

When do I have to apply for my graduate student loan?

Funding approval or tuition fees paid are due at least 1 month before the start date with no holds or reviews. Please check with the applicable graduate centre for course registration deadlines and course availability. This is a requirement for all students seeking to attend AU as full-time funded students. Students not approved or registered by the deadline for the desired start date will need to reapply. We recommend you apply 3 months in advance, but at least by the required date.

You are required to submit a Graduate Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan and apply for funding by the required date.

If you miss this date, you can self-fund and register, then apply for funding once enrolled. The latest you may apply for the funding term is no more than 2 months after the start date of the contract period.

Find the graduate full-time start dates, application open dates, and deadlines below that correspond with your graduate studies. Graduate studies full-time start dates are September, January, and May only.

For part-time funding, contact us.

How many courses do I need to take if I am getting a student loan for full-time graduate study?

To qualify for full-time status for funding purposes, students must be registered in at least 60 per cent of courses (0.75 credits per month) in a 4-month semester at the graduate studies level.

• This is equal to a minimum of one 3-credit 4-month grouped study course per 4-month semester.
• One 6-month graduate course is considered part-time.

Can I get student aid if I am a part-time graduate student?

If you are taking less than full time, contact us.

I am not getting my loan until after my graduate course or program starts. How do I pay for my tuition fees?

Check with your graduate centre for course registration deadlines and availability. You may be required to pay tuition fees upfront. In most cases, tuition fees are requested directly from your approved student funding by your financial aid specialist. The National Student Loan Service Centre then pays AU the tuition fees directly. If your specialist is not able to request tuition fees from your funding agency, you will be contacted for alternate arrangements.

Can I start my graduate studies earlier if my student loan is approved earlier?

Check with your graduate centre for course registration deadlines and availability. You may be required to pay tuition fees upfront. In most cases, tuition fees are requested directly from your approved student funding by your financial aid specialist. The National Student Loan Service Centre then pays AU the tuition fees directly. If your specialist is not able to request tuition fees from your funding agency, you will be contacted for alternate arrangements.

Can I submit a graduate course registration plan for 2 semesters instead of 1?

Yes, if your start date is September or January. May is limited to 1 semester.

How do I determine what year of graduate study I am currently in?

To avoid funding delays, it is important to enter your year of study correctly on your funding application.

The year of study is determined by the credits that have been applied to your program and does not include courses that are currently in progress or that you intend to enroll in.

Year equivalents for graduate students:
Graduate Certificate and Diplomas = 1 year
Master’s programs = 2 year, exception Master of Counselling = 3 year
Doctoral programs = 4 year

Year equivalents for graduate students: 1-year program
Year 1 = 0 to all required credits completed

Year equivalents for graduate students: 2-year program
Year 1 = fewer than 50% of the required credits completed
Year 2 = 50% or more of the required credits completed

Year equivalents for graduate students: 3-year program
Year 1 = fewer than 12 credits completed
Year 2 = 12 – 23 credits completed
Year 3 = 24 – 30 + credits completed

Year equivalents for graduate students: 4-year program
Year 1 = fewer than 25% of credits completed
Year 2 = 25% to fewer than 50% credits completed
Year 3 = 50% to fewer than 75% credits completed
Year 4 = 75% + credits completed