Gouvernement du Québec — Aide financière aux études · Provincial
AFE Loans and Bursaries Program (Programme de prêts et bourses)
About this award
Quebec's flagship need-based student aid program — loans and non-repayable bursaries for full-time CEGEP, undergraduate, and graduate study. Quebec residents apply here instead of OSAP or federal student aid. Annual combined awards typically total $10,000 to $14,000+, with the bursary share rising as family income falls.
AFE (Aide financière aux études) is Quebec's provincial student financial assistance program, administered by the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur. Because Quebec is opted out of the federal Canada Student Financial Assistance program, this is the single provincial channel for Quebec residents — Quebec students do not apply to OSAP or any other province's aid system. The Programme de prêts et bourses (Loans and Bursaries Program) is the flagship: AFE assesses your financial need, issues a loan up to a calculated ceiling, and awards any unmet need above that ceiling as a non-repayable bursary. The ratio of loan to bursary varies by household income — students with the lowest family income receive the highest bursary proportion, while students closer to the income cutoff receive mostly loans. The program covers full-time secondary vocational training, CEGEP, undergraduate, and graduate studies. Roughly 175,000 Quebec students receive AFE support each year. AFE uses rolling term-based deadlines (June 15 for Fall, November 15 for Winter, April 15 for Summer); processing takes four to six weeks, so students targeting a September start should apply by mid-May. Aid covers tuition, mandatory fees, living costs, and transportation, with the allowance structure varying by whether you live with parents, live independently, or have dependants.
Can you get it?
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident or Protected Person — citizenship requirement
- Secondary Vocational, College, Undergraduate, Graduate — study level
- Resident of QC — provincial eligibility
How to apply
Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour
Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.
Submit by Jun 15, 2026~1 hour
Double-check every field, save a copy, and submit at least 24 hours early.
More details
The June 15 Fall-term deadline is rolling, but processing takes four to six weeks — applying by mid-May means aid arrives before the first tuition invoice.
Use the AFE assessment simulator on quebec.ca before applying, so you have an estimate of what loan and bursary you can expect.
If you receive an external scholarship (private foundation, Tri-Agency, university entrance), it counts as income in the AFE need calculation and can reduce your loan and bursary dollar-for-dollar above a protected exemption — talk to the AFE office at your institution before accepting multiple sources.
AFE bursaries are generally exempt from income tax when you're enrolled full-time.
Loan interest qualifies for the federal student loan tax credit once repayment begins.
If you're a CEGEP student transitioning to a Quebec university, AFE follows you to the university — you don't need to reapply just because your school changed.