How to Apply for Medical or Parental Leave From Canada Student Loan Payments

Who can apply for Medical and Parental Leave?

This federal student-loan benefit is designed for borrowers who temporarily stop studying because of a medical problem, a mental-health problem or because they have welcomed a child.

To qualify, you must generally:

• have a Canada Student Loan;
• be a full-time or part-time student, or be in your six-month non-repayment period;
• have a last day of school on or after October 1, 2020;
• have withdrawn from studies or taken a leave and informed your school;
• meet the specific medical or parental condition for the leave you are requesting.

If you used this benefit before, returned to school and now need another new leave, you must have been back in studies for at least 30 calendar days.

What qualifies for Medical Leave?

Medical Leave can be used when a medical problem prevents you from continuing your studies normally. The federal regulations define medical leave as a leave resulting from a medical problem that, in the opinion of a medical professional, would significantly interfere with your ability to pursue your program of studies.

This expressly includes mental-health reasons.

You do not submit a detailed medical history to the student-loan program. Instead, the official medical attestation asks an eligible health-care professional to confirm that you meet the medical eligibility condition.

Who can sign the medical attestation?

The official application describes a medical professional as a member in good standing of a recognized medical or health-care profession, including a mental-health-care profession, in the province or territory where that professional practises.

For a mailed medical-leave application, complete section A of the Medical Professional Attestation for a Medical Leave and have the medical professional complete and sign the professional section.

The government does not charge for the leave application, but your medical professional may charge a fee for completing the attestation.

What qualifies for Parental Leave?

Parental Leave is available after you become responsible for a child through:

• the birth of your child;
• finalization of an adoption;
• commencement of legal guardianship of a child;
• commencement of tutorship of a child.

You must provide the relevant date in your application and attest that you meet the parental-leave conditions. The application also states that supporting documentation may be requested to confirm current or past eligibility.

When do you have to apply?

The application has two time limits, and you must satisfy both.

You must apply within 6 months after the end of your most recent period of studies and no later than 12 months after the medical issue or becoming a parent.

For parental leave, the relevant event is the birth or adoption of the child or the date you become the child's guardian or tutor. For medical leave, the regulations use the date specified by the medical professional.

Before submitting the application, tell your school that you are taking leave from your studies.

Do you need this leave if you will return to school within six months?

Not necessarily. When you finish or leave school, a Canada Student Loan normally enters a six-month non-repayment period.

The Government of Canada states that if you expect to return to school in less than six months, you do not need to apply for Medical and Parental Leave solely to avoid payments during that period. Instead, confirm your enrolment when you return to school so the NSLSC knows you are studying again.

The special leave is particularly relevant when you need the protected payment-free period associated with a qualifying medical or parental absence and may need to extend it beyond the initial six months.

How do you apply online?

The fastest application route is through the National Student Loans Service Centre. Open the Government of Canada Medical and Parental Leave service and follow the link to sign in to the NSLSC through My Service Canada Account.

Use your secure account to submit the application or request an extension. Follow the instructions displayed in your account for any supporting documentation required for your type of leave.

Can you apply by mail?

Yes. If you prefer a paper application, download and complete the Medical and Parental Leave Application.

If you are applying for medical leave, include the separate Medical Professional Attestation completed by the appropriate health-care professional.

Mail the completed documents to:

National Student Loans Service Centre
P.O. Box 4030
Mississauga, ON L5A 4M4

If you cannot download the forms, the Government of Canada instructs borrowers to contact the NSLSC to request a paper application.

How long does the first leave last?

An approved leave lasts 6 months.

The leave begins on the first day of the month following the month in which you stopped being a student for the relevant purpose. The current program also confirms that you do not have to make loan payments between your last day of school and the beginning of the formal leave period.

During the covered leave, no payment on principal or interest is required on the student loans to which the leave applies.

Can you extend the leave beyond six months?

Yes. You can extend the leave in additional six-month periods if you continue to need medical or parental leave or become entitled to another qualifying leave.

You may extend it twice:

• from 6 months to 12 months;
• from 12 months to a maximum of 18 consecutive months.

For each extension, apply no earlier than 30 days before the current leave ends and no later than 30 days after the current leave ends.

There is no lifetime limit on how many qualifying leaves you may have, but one continuous leave cannot exceed 18 months. If you return to studies between leaves, you must study for at least 30 days before becoming eligible for another new leave.

Can you change from medical leave to parental leave or vice versa?

Yes. A borrower may become eligible for a different type of leave during an existing leave period.

If you change from medical leave to parental leave, provide the date you became a parent through birth, adoption, guardianship or tutorship. If you change from parental leave to medical leave, a medical professional must complete and sign the Medical Professional Attestation.

Changing the reason for the leave does not reset the continuous maximum. Medical and parental periods combined cannot exceed 18 consecutive months.

Which student loans does the leave cover?

The program applies to Canada Student Loans. The current Government of Canada program page also states that it applies to the provincial student-loan portion for borrowers from:

• New Brunswick;
• Newfoundland and Labrador;
• Saskatchewan;
• British Columbia;
• Manitoba.

If your provincial or territorial student loan comes from somewhere else in Canada, contact that province or territory directly to find out what payment relief applies to the provincial portion.

Does the leave cover both full-time and part-time loans?

If you were a full-time student immediately before withdrawing, Medical and Parental Leave applies to both your full-time and part-time student loans that are covered by the program.

If you were a part-time student, the leave applies to your part-time student loans. Any full-time loans you have follow their normal six-month non-repayment period and subsequent repayment rules.

What happens after your leave ends?

If you return to school, tell the NSLSC and confirm your enrolment so your loan can continue in payment-free in-study status where you qualify.

If you cannot return to school when your Medical or Parental Leave ends, the Government of Canada states that you continue without required loan payments for another 6 months after the leave ends. Repayment starts after that period unless another applicable student-loan measure applies.

You can return to school before the approved leave ends. There is no penalty for returning early.

Is this the same as Repayment Assistance?

No. Medical and Parental Leave and the Repayment Assistance Plan serve different situations.

Medical and Parental Leave is for eligible borrowers who temporarily leave their studies for a qualifying medical, mental-health or parental reason while they are still students or in the six-month non-repayment period.

The Repayment Assistance Plan is a separate program for borrowers who are in repayment and need their required monthly payment reduced or temporarily set at zero based mainly on family income and other eligibility rules. If you are already well into repayment rather than temporarily leaving school, Medical and Parental Leave may not be the correct program.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving school without informing your educational institution.
• Applying after the 6-month deadline measured from the end of your most recent study period.
• Waiting more than 12 months after the qualifying medical or parental event.
• Submitting a medical-leave application without the required medical-professional attestation.
• Assuming a medical professional must disclose detailed diagnosis information when the official attestation is focused on whether the condition interferes with studies.
• Missing the extension window of 30 days before to 30 days after the current leave ends.
• Assuming a new parental or medical reason automatically starts a fresh 18-month entitlement during an existing continuous leave.
• Assuming every provincial or territorial student-loan portion is automatically covered by the federal leave.
• Returning to school without confirming enrolment with the NSLSC.

What legal rules protect the payment-free period?

The Medical and Parental Leave provisions are set out in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations. The regulations define the leave as a period during which, because of qualifying medical or parental leave, no amount of principal or interest is required to be paid on the covered student loan.

The regulations also establish the six-month initial period, the application deadlines and the extension mechanism to 12 and then 18 months. Current federal regulations are available through the Justice Laws Website.