Newfoundland and Labrador combines the lowest tuition in Canada (after Quebec resident rates) with a strong provincial student aid program: NL Student Aid bundles loans + grants + the Up Front Need-Based Grant. Memorial University — the province's flagship — runs a deep entrance + continuing scholarship program that's notably under-applied relative to the available pool.
Who this page is for
NL residents applying to post-secondary in NL or out-of-province. Mainland Canadian students at Memorial University should check institutional entrance awards — Memorial's entrance scholarships are open to non-NL residents.
Newfoundland & Labrador Student Aid
Apply at aesl.gov.nl.ca:
- NL Student Loan: provincial loan stacked on Canada Student Loan.
- NL Grant: need-based provincial grant (does not repay).
- Up Front Need-Based Grant: distributes need-based grant funding directly at start of program (no waiting for end-of-year reconciliation).
- NL Tuition Freeze Reinvestment: provincial program offsetting tuition for NL residents at Memorial.
NL Tuition advantage
Memorial University tuition for NL residents is among the lowest in Canada. Combined with the Up Front Need-Based Grant, total cost-of-attendance for in-province students sits well below Ontario / BC averages.
Memorial University awards
Memorial University runs entrance and continuing scholarships across all faculties:
- Memorial Entrance Scholarship: tiered based on Grade 12 average, multiple thresholds.
- President's First-Year Scholarship: top-of-class merit award.
- Lyle Cunningham Memorial Scholarship: targeted to academic excellence.
- Memorial Trades Awards: targeted at trades + technology programs.
- Indigenous Student Awards: dedicated stream for First Nations, Métis, Inuit students.
College of the North Atlantic (CNA)
CNA offers entrance and continuing awards across its 17 campuses. Trades + technology programs stack with federal apprenticeship grants and the NL Apprenticeship Branch funding.
Indigenous NL students
- Innu Nation / Nunatsiavut Government: dedicated education funding for member students.
- Mi'kmaq First Nations Assembly of Newfoundland: scholarship and bursary programs.
- Indspire: national funding streams with NL-eligible awards.
What our directory lists
Below: Newfoundland and Labrador-eligible scholarships, grants, bursaries, and loans currently in our directory. For the full Atlantic Canada student funding guide (covers NL + NS + NB + PEI), see the linked blog post.