Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS)

Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS) provides financial support to eligible Nunavummiut attending designated post-secondary institutions and academic programs.

Eligibility

In order to receive FANS you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• Be a resident of Nunavut (live in Nunavut) for at least 12 months before applying for FANS;
• Enroll in a program that is at least twelve weeks in duration at Nunavut Arctic College or another a designated post-secondary institution;
• Be a full-time student (carry at least 60% of a full course load) as defined by your institution;
• Be studying towards a certificate, diploma or degree;
• Demonstrate satisfactory progress and attendance.

Student Categories

The FANS program recognizes three categories of students. These are:

• Nunavut Beneficiaries: If you are a Beneficiary under the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, you are eligible for basic and supplementary grants, which you do not have to pay back. You are also eligible for needs assessed loans.
   
• Nunavut Residents with Nunavut Schooling: If you are a Nunavut resident with some or all of your elementary or secondary schooling in Nunavut, you qualify for one year of a basic grant for each three years of school that you successfully completed in Nunavut, which you do not have to pay back. You are also eligible for primary, secondary and needs assessed loans.
   
• Nunavut Residents without Nunavut Schooling: If you are a resident of Nunavut, but have not attended school in the territory or have fewer than three years of schooling in the territory you are eligible for loans only. You are entitled to a primary loan to cover one year of post-secondary education for each three years that you have been a resident of Nunavut. You must return to live and work in Nunavut to have these loans forgiven. Secondary loans must be repaid in full.

Types of Assistance Available

Basic Grant:

The Basic Grant is to help students with the costs associated with tuition, school fees and travel costs. The Basic Grant is up to a maximum of $3428 per semester as well as the actual costs of airfare to and from your home community and the closest gateway city to your institution or to the Nunavut Arctic College campus you will be attending. This includes your spouse and dependents.

Supplementary Grant:

The Supplementary Grant is for Nunavut Land Claim Beneficiaries to further assist with the costs associated with tuition, travel costs and settling in a new community. This Grant is on a scale which increases with the number dependents in a household.

*Dependents are children, stepchildren or adopted children under the age of 18 OR children under the age of 21 who are attending secondary school on a full-time basis OR dependents with documented permanent disabilities.

Primary Loan:

This loan is provided to students to help with costs associated with rent, food and clothing. It is issued annually to eligible students. This loan is available to students who have lived in Nunavut for three or more years. You must return to live and work in Nunavut to have these loans forgiven.

Secondary Loan:

This loan is provided to new residents of Nunavut. It is to help with the costs of living associated with rent, food and clothing. This loan must be repaid in full.

Needs Assessed Loan (NAL):

This loan is granted based on demonstrated financial need. You may apply for a NAL at an time during the school year but you cannot receive a NAL for past semesters/years of study. You must apply before the end of the current semester. A new application must be made for each instance you want to apply for a NAL.

Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities:

This grant is intended to help with the extraordinary costs associated with post-secondary studies for those with permanent disabilities. You can apply to this grant at any time during the academic year. You must provide a medical or learning ability assessment by a certified medical professional describing the manner in which your disability impacts on your ability to participate in post-secondary studies. This grant allows up to $8,000.00 for equipment and services directly related to your training or up to $1,000.00 for each full credit distance/correspondence course.

Distance/Online/Correspondence Course Reimbursements:

FANS reimburses students who have successfully completed post-secondary online distance education or correspondence courses. You must be a Nunavut resident for three years before you register for a course and you have to submit original receipts, official transcripts showing a passing grade and a statutory declaration stating that you are not in receipt of reimbursement from your employer or another source.

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