Two great resources for answers to questions you may have:
AFE's Student Financial Assistance brochure on the full-time loans and bursaries program. It includes a useful glossary of terms
Upon graduation (or when you interrupt your studies), you will have to consider the repayment of your loan debt. The Scholarships and Student Aid Office regularly offers workshops on this topic through the Frugal Scholar Program.
The Quebec government pays the interest on your loan while you are considered a full-time student. The interest starts accruing on your loan at the beginning of the first month following your last day of full-time studies. You may choose to repay your loan in part or in full upon graduation, but you also have the option to wait until 6 months after the end of your studies to start repaying your debt and add the interest that has accumulated over the 6 months to your overall debt.
If you have any specific questions about repaying your debt, you may want to call your bank's Student Loan Centre.
If you are a full-time student who fell into repayment with AFE because you have not applied for financial aid this year, contact our office. We will confirm your status to AFE, which will stop the interest accruing on your loan.
TIP: if your budget allows, making payments as soon as you finish your studies is a good way to save money on interest charges.
Resources
Here are some resources that can help with your loan repayments:
- Repayment section of AFE's website
- Student Loan Centre associated with your financial institution to discuss repayment options
- Loan Remission Program: if eligible, you could have 15% of your student loan cancelled
- Deferred Payment Plan: If you find yourself in financial difficulty, you may be eligible for having your payments delayed without interest.