Manitoba Student Aid

Planning Your Future

It's never too early to start planning your future, especially when it comes to your education. A big part of planning your education is figuring out where the money will come from.

When you're in elementary school, middle school and high school, your teachers and textbooks are already paid for by the Manitoba government. After grade 12, you have to pay for them yourself. We call this paying for tuition and books. This is where Manitoba Student Aid may be able to help you.

Our program provides money to Manitobans who need help paying for school. They are loans, that have to be paid back, but there are also grants and bursaries that don't have to be paid back.

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Funding Your Education

There are lots of other ways you can pay for school:

• Personal Funds: This includes money in savings and other bank accounts, investments and gifts.
• Registered Savings Plans: check to see if your family is investing in a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).
• Jobs: You are expected to save part of your pay from summer and part-time jobs to pay for school.
• Bursaries and Scholarships: You don't have to pay these back, so if you have the chance to apply for some, go for it!
• Community Organizations, Band Funding, Training and Employment Services, etc.

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Planning Your Education

Planning your future education brings up a lot of questions: What kind of career do I want? Where am I going to go to school? The biggest question is often: How will I pay for everything?

The links below can help you find some answers:

What kind of career do you want?

• Government of Canada, Youth – On this website, you'll find information on employment, including career choices, training, education and job offers.

Where do you want to go to school?

• School Finder – Search for Canadian universities, community colleges and scholarship options.

How much is all this going to cost?

• Student Financial Assistance Estimator
• Loan Repayment Estimator
• Parental Contribution Calculator

What are some other ways of paying for school?

• Scholarships Canada – This is an extensive database of various award opportunities for students within Canada.
• Disability Awards – Services and resources for students with disabilities..
• Aboriginal Multi-Media Society – This website contains information on career opportunities, scholarships and more for Aboriginal students.
• Indspire – A charity that provides financial awards and programs to support education for Indigenous people.

How do I make a budget and keep myself on track?

• Canadian Bankers Assocation – This is an interactive financial planning website geared toward youth.
• Opportunities Manitoba – This website provides information on awards, budgeting tips and student employment.
• Seed Winnipeg – This organization offers a variety of resources and programs to help you with budgeting, financial planning and economic development.
• Countdown Calendar ( 27 KB) – Print this form to help you plan for school.
• Student Budget ( 132 KB) – This is a printable budget worksheet.