FAQ

McGill's monthly confirmations of enrollment for students receiving AFE are performed according to the information appearing on school transcripts. If this information is incorrect, contact your Faculty/Department immediately. You can find the latest confirmation we sent AFE on Minerva under Financial Aid & Awards Menu / Government Aid for Students-Confirmation of enrolment.

If your AFE application has no decision after the processing date has passed on AFE's website:

1. Review your application and determine if you have sent all the required supporting documents. Important: AFE will not begin assessing a student’s file until it has received all the required documentation.
2. Contact AFE 
3. Visit or contact the Scholarships and Student Aid 

If you have applied for government aid but have not yet received it in time to pay your fees, you should consider applying for a Tuition Payment Deferral via Minerva’s Financial Aid/Awards menu.

If you have reached AFE’s debt limit or the maximum number of months of eligibility for loans and bursaries, you may book an appointment with our Quebec Financial Aid Counsellor. We will review your file and the possibility of an Exceptional Case application. If it is determined that an Exceptional Case application is the best way to proceed, we will help you assemble the required documentation and send your application to AFE. Please note that it is important to start this process as early as possible in the summer before the start of the academic year that will be impacted. For more information, please see the Appeals/Remedies page of AFE’s website and refer to the Guide for Presenting an Exceptional Case Application to the Examination Committee for Exceptional Cases.

You must report the income you have received or expect to receive between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. If you cannot provide the exact amount, give an estimate as accurate as possible. On several occasions during the school year, you will have the opportunity to confirm or update the income you reported.

In January, you will receive a notice from AFE asking you to fill out the Confirmation of Financial Resources form to update or confirm the income you reported in your application for financial assistance. Please also note that you can notify AFE of changes in your income at any time by submitting a Declaration of change form through AFE’s Online Services.

Important! If you fail to submit the Confirmation of Financial Resources form, your financial assistance installments will be suspended.

At the end of each academic year, in May, the income you reported on your AFE application is checked against the information held on file by Revenu Québec.

Income Discrepancy

When there’s an income declaration discrepancy between AFE and Revenu Québec, AFE may send you a letter asking you to justify the discrepancy in your income.

It’s important to read the letter carefully as it provides detailed information on the discrepancy and provides a list of supporting documents that you will need to provide. If there is a discrepancy, your financial assistance instalments may be adjusted accordingly, and you may have to repay an overpayment.

Letter from AFE

You may receive a letter from AFE asking for explanations regarding discrepancies between the two declarations.

Read the AFE letter carefully. It provides precise instructions on what is required and how to proceed. If you duly provide information, and if you provided correct information to AFE during the year, the inquiry into a false declaration will be dropped from your file.

Common reporting mistakes

The two most common mistakes students make relate to:

The amount or type of aid or income received. Types include bursary, grant, stipend, salary or fellowship. If you are unsure which of these you are receiving, speak with your supervisor.

Line 154 of your Revenu Quebec tax form, which regroups all “other income” you may have received.
As explained on the tax form, line 154 includes: 

• scholarships;
• bursaries;
• any income supplement from the government;
• withdrawals from RRSPs; and
• all other taxable income not reported elsewhere on your return.

Be prepared to provide supporting documentation to explain a cited discrepancy.

AFE might request that you provide them with a letter from your bursary issuer. You will find one on Minerva under Financial Aid/Awards/Award Confirmation Letter. Please note that you will likely have to request two letters to cover a full tax year.

Consequences of a false declaration

Important! If you obtained financial assistance from AFE as a result of a false declaration, you may become ineligible for AFE's Loans and Bursaries Program for two years. This period may be extended until the overpayment has been paid back in full. Consequently, given we cannot replace Government aid funding, a false declaration would render you ineligible for McGill Loans and Bursary program as well.

To prevent this from happening, ensure to update your reported income by submitting a declaration of change form through AFE’s Online Services. If all your numbers add up, your entry will usually not be questioned.