Student Financial Assistance

The following information on the Manitoba Student Aid Program is designed to assist you in understanding the system and solving problems. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information about Manitoba Student Aid, please contact the financial aid office on your campus or Manitoba Student Aid during office hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm):

Winnipeg
Manitoba Student Aid
401-1181 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G OT3
Phone: (204) 945-6321

Brandon
Manitoba Student Aid
Provincial Building - 3rd Floor
340 9th Street
Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6C2
Phone: (204) 726-6592

In addition to the regular hours, the Winnipeg office is open until 6:00 pm every Tuesday from mid-June to the end of September.

Outside Winnipeg, you can call toll-free: 1-800-204-1685. If you are calling from out of province, dial (204) 945-2313.

A TTY phone is available for the hearing impaired, at 1-204-945-8483 (in Manitoba) or 1-866-209-0696 (within North America).

You can check on the status of your application 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling the numbers above. For general information on student assistance or to check the status of your application, you can also visit www.studentaid.gov.mb.ca.

Visit www.canlearn.ca for information about federal and provincial student assistance. The site includes a loan repayment calculator. Remember to keep records of all student loan and bank documents that you receive—you will need them in the future.

Contact Your Students’ Union or the Canadian Federation of Students for Help

If you are not able to get the assistance you need from the Manitoba Student Aid Branch, you should contact the students’ union on your campus or, if you are a graduate, you may wish to contact the provincial office of the Canadian Federation of Students:

Phone: 783-0787
Fax: 783-6001
Email: cfsmb@cfsmb.ca

Your elected representatives can help you determine where to get answers, and defend your rights in the application, cashing, and repayment process. If student financial aid rules change, you can also contact your students’ union for help.

Bankruptcy and Consumer Protection

In 1998, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act was amended to prohibit bankruptcy on student loans for a period of ten years after the completion of studies, regardless of a person’s financial circumstance. The Canadian Federation of Students challenged the constitutionality of the prohibition under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Regrettably, the courts upheld the law on the basis that student loan borrowers do not constitute a separate social group; however, the Federation continues to lobby against the ban. In June 2005, the federal government reduced from ten to seven years the prohibition on student loan bankruptcies.

If you are having difficulty repaying your student debt, it is your responsibility to contact lenders. You can contact your local students’ union office or call your Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for assistance. You can find contact information for MLAs at www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/index.html.

Community Financial Counselling Services

This non-profit organisation may also be able to help you.

Phone: 204-989-1900 or 1-888-573-2383
Fax: 204-989-1908
www.cfcs.mb.ca

Free legal advice is also available through the Poverty Law program of the University of Manitoba. The telephone number in Winnipeg is 985-8550.

Keep informed about student assistance policy because it changes often. Your students’ union and the Canadian Federation of Students are working to improve the student assistance program.