Most financial aid at Saint Mary’s University is available through the Financial Aid and Awards Office, but the Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility (FSC) administers additional funding options for students with disabilities. These include Canada Student Assistance and Grants and the FSC Accessibility Travel Bursary. Additionally, Career and Experiential Learning administers funding for the SEI-SL Bursary.
Explore the options below for more information and eligibility criteria.
Students with disabilities who are Canadian citizens may be eligible for grant funding through the Federal Student Assistance Program. We encourage students to apply for these grants, as they may be eligible to receive up to $2,800 per academic year.
Additional grants are available that can provide funding for services such as tutoring, note-taking, and equipment like computers and assistive technology.
When you apply for a Canada Student Loan and qualify for student financial assistance, you are automatically assessed for Canda Student Grants and Loans.
The loan amount you may receive is calculated based on factors including:
To estimate the potential annual student grant and loan amounts you may receive, you can use the Student Financial Assistance Estimator.
It is recommended that you apply at least two months before the start of your program to ensure you receive your funding on time, if approved.
Students with disabilities may be eligible for the following grants:
Students with disabilities may be eligible for a $2,800 grant each year if they show a financial need of $1 on their application. Students who apply for a Canada Student Loan will be automatically assessed for this grant.
You may also be eligible for a grant of up to $20,000 for services and equipment, such as funding for tutors, note takers, computers, and assistive technology. To be eligible, you must apply for a student loan through your home province.
More information about individual province requirements can be found on the Government of Canada’s Student Loan Website.
In order to apply for this grant, you must first meet with the Accessibility Resource Assistant at the Fred Smithers Centre to determine eligibility and Provincial pathways. To arrange a meeting please email FredSmithers.Centre@smu.ca.
The Accessibility Travel Bursary is available to all students registered with the Fred Smithers Centre, regardless of their year of study.
This bursary was established to support accessible student travel for academic, co-curricular, or research purposes. Students may receive between $500 and $2,500 to help cover travel-related expenses during their degree program. Awards are distributed throughout the year.
To be eligible for the FSC Accessibility Travel Bursary, you must meet the following criteria:
Applications open once per academic year, with details shared via email to all active students registered with the Fred Smithers Centre.
The Student Employment Initiative (SEI) is an employment and experiential program under Career and Experiential Learning, in collaboration with the FSC, designed to assist SMU students with disabilities and/or accessibility needs in securing employment on and off campus.
The SEI Community Service Learning (CSL) Bursary incentivizes students with accessibility needs to accept volunteer opportunities in the CSL program. The goal of the bursary is to work towards equity, diversity and inclusion in CSL and ease barriers to participation.
To qualify for the SEI-CSL Bursary, students must meet all the following requirements:
The SEI-CSL awards up to 15 bursaries each calendar year, with a value of up to $500 per bursary.
Once enrolled in the Community Service Learning program through a participating SMU course, students who meet the SEI criteria are provided with an application form through Brightspace to complete and submit to the CSL office.
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