Repaying my student loans

About the grace period

The six months after you leave full-time study is called your grace period. During the grace period, the interest of your loan will accumulate, but you are not required to make payments.

Make sure your lenders have your current contact information. If your loan involves the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) (all but NU, QC, NWT), you will be emailed an invitation to log in to your NSLSC secure account to find details on your repayment – the amount you owe, when and how to make payments, and your rate of interest. If you don’t receive an email, contact them to ensure they have your latest email information.

The grace period is a good time to review your payment information and modify the terms if you need to. You will also be able to contact your lender after repayment begins to discuss or modify your repayment terms.

Repayment

After your six month grace period ends, you will automatically enter repayment and payments will be withdrawn from your bank account at the end of each month, unless you indicate otherwise.

To find out how much your payments will be ahead of time, use the CanLearn Loan Repayment Estimator.

The date you leave full-time study is the date you last attended school and not the date of your graduation ceremony. If you withdraw part way through your study period, you will enter repayment six months from the date of your withdrawal.

If you were previously a full-time student and are now returning to part-time study, you will enter repayment six months after leaving full-time study. You may be eligible for part-time student loans, if you need further financial assistance.

Help with repayments

If you have trouble with repayment, there is help available:

The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) for Canada Student Loans adjusts payments and interest accrual to make payments manageable for approved loan holders. You can’t apply for RAP during your grace period.
Know your next steps with the Student Loans and Graduation guide (pdf) so you can stay on track.

Repaying US loans

Read the repayment information on the US Department of Education website for complete details on the repayment process for students with US loans.

Repayment for Parent PLUS and Graduate PLUS loans begins on the date the loan is fully paid out.

If you withdraw part way through your study period, your repayment start date will be based on the date of your withdrawal and not the original semester end date.

When you enter repayment you’ll be required to complete exit counselling.

If you have questions

If you're an undergraduate student, please contact your Enrolment Services Advisor directly. To find your advisor’s contact information, log into your Student Service Centre (SSC) and select “UBC Contacts” under Personal Info.

Graduate, postgraduate, and all other students can contact an Enrolment Services Advisor by calling 604 822 9836 or submitting a question through the online form.