Financial aid FAQs

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 start-date the deadline to apply is apply-date.

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

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

For part-time funding, see here.

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

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.

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

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 prior to the study period start date.
   • 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 course(s) are complete, with final grades posted, it is too late to apply for funding
   • Prior to submitting your request all previous part time funded courses must be successfully completed with final passing grade(s) 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/courses that have previously been awarded credit, are not eligible for funding

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.

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

After you submit your AU Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan, your financial aid advisor will have access to your request and application for OSAP. We have a dedicated online portal that we use 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.

Ensure you have completed your Master Student Financial Aid Agreement. Also known as the MSFAA. Please also ensure your past student loans are in good standing.

Once we get notice of your student loan approval 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. September 1st 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.

No, if you complete the Student Financial Aid Course Registration Plan and apply for funding by the published deadlines, your financial aid advisor will register you in your courses and complete any provincial or territorial program information forms needed.

Tuition fees are requested directly from your student funding amount by your financial aid advisor. National Student Loan Service Centre then pays AU the tuition fees directly.

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.

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 on a 1-course registration plan and student aid application. Your financial aid advisor will automatically register you in to your second semester and request your tuition payment from your loan as the second semester approaches.

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

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

Year equivalents for graduates:
Year 1 = fewer than 12 credits completed
Year 2 = 12-23 credits completed
Year 3 = 24-30+ credits completed