Severe Permanent Disability Benefit
Purpose
Previous postsecondary students with a severe permanent disability and outstanding student loans may be eligible for the Severe Permanent Disability Benefit.
If you apply and are approved for this benefit, your outstanding student loan balances could be cancelled.
Who is eligible?
This benefit is only for borrowers with a severe permanent disability.
For Ontario purposes, a severe permanent disability is any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment – or a functional limitation – that:
- prevents you from performing the daily activities necessary to pursue studies at a postsecondary school level and to participate in the labour force; and
- is expected to remain with you for your expected life.
You may be eligible for the benefit for Ontario purposes if your severe permanent disability is preventing you from working and/or taking post-secondary studies on a full- or part-time basis.
You must also meet the following requirements:
- You reside in Canada; and
- You have one or more of the following loans in repayment status:
- Ontario Micro-credential Student Loans; or
- Ontario Student Loans.
You may also be eligible for the benefit for Canada Student Loans or Part-Time Canada Loans purposes. Federal eligibility requirements for the Severe Permanent Disability Benefit differ from Ontario eligibility requirements. See the Employment and Social Development Canada website for details on federal eligibility for this benefit.
How to apply
You only need to complete one application for the Severe Permanent Disability Benefit to have your outstanding student loans from Ontario and/or Canada considered for cancellation. Based on the different provincial and federal eligibility requirements for this benefit, it is possible that you could qualify to only have your outstanding student loan balance(s) from Canada or your outstanding student loan balance(s) from Ontario cancelled through this benefit.
Applications are available from the National Student Loans Service Centre. See the Employment and Social Development Canada website for details on the application process.
Checking your application status
Contact the National Student Loans Service Centre for information on the status of your application.