AFE Loan for Studies Abroad (Prêt pour études à l'étranger)

What you will need

• ✓ Online application via afe.gouv.qc.ca (select studies-abroad / études à l'étranger stream)
• ✓ Acceptance letter or proof of enrolment from the host institution
• ✓ Program description sufficient for recognition review (course outlines, credential awarded, duration)
• ✓ Quebec residency proof
• ✓ Confirmation that your host institution is on AFE's recognized list — or willingness to wait for individual program review
• ✓ Bank account details (Canadian dollar account; AFE does not deposit to foreign banks)

About this award

If you're a Quebec resident pursuing post-secondary study at an institution outside Quebec — whether that's the University of Toronto, Dalhousie, a US university, or a recognized European program — the Prêt pour études à l'étranger lets you keep your AFE student-aid eligibility while you're abroad. Without this program, leaving Quebec for school normally means leaving AFE behind (no other provincial aid system covers Quebec residents, since Quebec is opted out of federal Canada Student Loans). The program is loan-only in most cases — the bursary portion of standard AFE may or may not extend to the abroad program depending on whether the host institution is recognized as equivalent. The Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur maintains a list of pre-approved foreign institutions and exchange programs; if your destination isn't on the list, AFE will review your specific program for recognition (this adds processing time, which is why studies-abroad applications run longer than standard domestic AFE). Common use cases include CEGEP graduates accepted to anglophone universities outside Quebec (UofT, McGill via formal exchange, Dalhousie, Memorial), Quebec graduate students taking up named PhD positions at US/UK universities, and Quebec students on formal exchange programs at recognized partner institutions.

Who qualifies

You qualify if (1) you meet AFE's general residency and immigration criteria (deemed Quebec resident for student aid purposes; Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person), (2) you are enrolled in a recognized program outside Quebec — this can be in another Canadian province or internationally, and (3) the host program has been recognized by the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur as equivalent to a Quebec credential. Some institutions are pre-approved (formal McGill/UQAM/U Laval exchange partner lists, US flagship universities, major UK/EU universities); others require individual review. International students and those without Quebec residency are not eligible. The program covers undergraduate and graduate study; some specialized college-level programs may also qualify if the host institution and program are recognized.

This is what the award's own page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm with the provider before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
• ✓ Open to graduate or undergraduate students
• ✓ Resident of Quebec

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's own page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

3. 3

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's own page will have it.

More details