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
AFE notifications
Confirmation of Enrollment
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.
Missing Documents
If your AFE application has no decision after the processing date has passed on AFE's website:
- 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.
- Contact AFE
- Visit or contact the Scholarships and Student Aid
Cash flow
Aid delays
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.
Exceptional Case Applications
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.
Income declaration discrepancy
At the end of each academic year, the income you reported to AFE is verified against the information you declared on your income tax form and held on file by Revenu Quebec.
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.
Remember: an AFE employee will have to review and understand your response, so make sure it is well-written and complete. This can only work in your favour!
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 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.
To prevent this from happening, always update your file via AFE's Declaration of Change (online form) as soon as you have completed your taxes. If all your numbers add up, your entry will usually not be questioned.
Please note: McGill is not authorized to provide advice to students on income tax matters, nor comment on their tax files and declarations. Students are urged to consult personal tax advisors for help.