Residents have until June 26 to provide feedback on proposed changes to how student financial assistance (SFA) is offered in the NWT.
Proposed changes to the regulations that govern SFA include altering loan remittance for students that withdraw mid-semester, opening SFA for up to two semesters of private pilots licence training, and expanding travel benefits to spouses.
“The changes to regulations are intended to improve clarity and fairness in the Student Financial Assistance program,” said the GNWT in a news release.
If approved, the GNWT said the updated regulations will come into effect for the 2026-27 school year.
In the NWT, beyond grants, SFA is paid in two types of loans: repayable and remissible. If a student returns to the NWT to live and work after receiving SFA, the remissible portion of their student loan can be forgiven.
Currently, students receiving SFA who withdraw from their program mid-semester could be eligible for the whole semester of their loan to be remitted. They would have to inform the Department of Education, Culture and Employment that they withdrew and have passed at least 40 percent of their course load.
Under the proposed changes, students who withdraw from their program mid-semester would be eligible for the portion of their loan up to the point that they withdrew to be remitted. If they were enrolled in courses, but withdrew and did not attend their courses, their loans for that semester could not be remitted.
The GNWT is also planning to amend regulations to allow the education department to request proof of attendance when a student informs it they have withdrawn.
Other proposed changes to the SFA regulations would clarify that SFA could be used for up to two semesters of a private pilots licence program when it is part of a pathway toward a commercial pilot licence. The semesters currently able to be covered by SFA for a commercial pilots licence program would not be affected.
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École St Patrick High School recently celebrated eight students who are participating in the first northern private pilots licence program, offered in partnership with Summit Air. This program is offered over two years while students are in grades 11 and 12.
For students attending a program outside of the NWT, the proposed changes recommend extending SFA travel benefits to a student’s spouse when the spouse lives with the student where they are studying, the GNWT said.
To submit feedback on the proposed changes, residents can email comments to the GNWT by June 26.
