The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is proposing significant changes to the Student Financial Assistance Program to increase benefits and reduce barriers. The public is invited to provide feedback on these proposed changes by May 31, 2023.

The proposed changes reflect feedback received through a client satisfaction survey and an internal review focused on aligning the Student Financial Assistance Program with calls for increased access to post-secondary for Indigenous Peoples made within the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada Calls to Action, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final Report and Calls for Justice, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Proposed enhancements include:

• Increasing benefit levels,
• Improving access for Northern Indigenous students,
• Removing the semester limit and expanding remissible loans for all NWT residents (loan limit of $60,000 still applies), and
• Removing barriers to accessing post-secondary education.

The public is invited to review the regulations and a plain language summary of the proposed changes to the regulations and provide feedback to ece_income_security@gov.nt.ca by May 31, 2023.

Quote(s)

“The GNWT recognizes the importance of education and the need to support students in achieving their post-secondary goals.  The proposed changes to the Student Financial Assistance Program are intended to remove barriers and enhance benefits for our students. These are important new supports for students working to change their futures through access to post-secondary education”

• R.J. Simpson, Minister Education, Culture and Employment

Quick facts

• Proposed changes include increasing benefit levels, removing semester limits for Northern Indigenous students, expanding the Remissible Loan to all NWT residents, and more.

Related links

• Have your say: Student Financial Assistance regulations
• Plain language summary of proposed Student Financial Assistance changes
• Student Financial Assistance Program  

For media requests, please contact:

Briony Grabke

Manager, Public Affairs and Communications

Department of Education, Culture and Employment

Government of the Northwest Territories

briony_grabke@gov.nt.ca

867-767-9352 Ext. 71073