Manitoba Student Aid
Students registering for the CGA Program of Professional Studies are eligible to apply for Manitoba Student Aid under the part-time student provisions of the Manitoba Student Aid Program (MSA).
Financial assistance available through this program includes both Canada and Manitoba Student Loans, of up to a total cumulative balance of $4000, and non-repayable grants of up to $1200 for high need students. Part-time students with dependents may be eligible for additional grants. Further, students who receive loans may be eligible to apply for interest relief. Applications for interest relief are available from the financial institution that administers their loan. Qualification for these awards is normally dependent on gross family income levels. Award amounts are based on costs directly attributed to enrollment in the CGA program.
Students interested in applying for a grant/loan can visit the student aid website at www.manitobastudentaid.ca (or French version at www.aideauxetudiants.gov.mb.ca) or contact their closest Student Aid office for further information and a part-time student loan application form:
Winnipeg Office:
401 – 1181 Portage Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3G 0T3
(204) 945-6321
| Westman Regional Office:
Provincial Building 3rd Floor
Brandon, MB R7A 6C2
(204) 726-6592
| All Other Regions:
Toll Free:1-800-204-1685
|
Completing the Forms
First, students must enroll online for all courses they wish to take in the academic year through CGA Manitoba. Students who are applying for Student Aid will chose the “Student Aid” payment method at the end of the online enrollment before it is submitted. The online enrollment system can be found through the
www.cga-manitoba.org website under “Online Enrollment”.
Second, a Part-time Student Loan and/or Special Opportunity Grant Application form(available from Manitoba Student Aid, Student Financial Assistance office or the Student Aid website at
www.manitobastudentaid.ca) should be filled out and submitted to the CGA Manitoba office by the student. Section E of the Student Loan Application must be completed by the CGA office. To ensure timely service, CGA asks that you phone the office at 1-877-452-4262 ext. 201 to set up a signing appointment before you come down. Students must then forward the completed student loan application to the Student Aid office for processing, which will normally take up to five weeks.
Once notification of a loan has been received, the Certificate of Eligibility loan authorization form must be returned to the CGA office for confirmation of enrollment.
The CGA Association cannot sign this form more than three working days prior to the stated “Not to be advanced before” date. Tuition Fee Payment and Distribution of Course Materials
CGA course materials are normally only made available to students upon full payment of all applicable fees and once processing of the application for enrolment has been completed. However, to accommodate students waiting for student loans, CGA Manitoba will initiate the enrollment process upon receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility. If the Certificate of Eligibility will not be received in time for the course start date, the student has the option of paying the student fees in full. CGA will then direct Student Aid to advance the loan directly to the student once the Certificate of Eligibility is received.
The Manitoba Student Aid Program does not accommodate CGA’s post-dated payment option.
In consideration of the lengthy student loan processing period, students are advised to apply early for their loans. Students will be responsible for any administrative fees assessed by the Association for late payments.
Student Obligations
Recipients of MSA are required to adhere to all provisions of the loan repayment schedule as determined by MSA. Students who do not make payments as requested will be in default of their loans. As a result, their credit rating and ability to receive future loans will be adversely affected. Further, MSA loan default status may affect a student’s membership standing with CGA Manitoba.
Students must demonstrate a commitment to their course of studies as a condition of maintaining eligibility for the Canada and Manitoba Student Loan programs. The minimum standard of commitment for the Manitoba Student Aid program is generally assessed as satisfactory completion and submission of at least 60% of the CGA course assignments and/or lesson quizzes. In addition, for MSA purposes, a student must complete a minimum 20% course load and at least 7 hours per week of study (though to succeed in a course students generally need to average 15-20 hours of study per week of study).