Post-Secondary Education Financial Assistance Program

The Post-Secondary Education Financial Assistance Program (FAP) supports the following program types:

• Bachelor’s degrees
• Master’s degrees
• Doctoral degrees (Ph.D. JD and PharmD etc.)
• Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma Programs

Important: Funding may not cover the full cost of tuition or related expenses. Students are encouraged to explore additional funding such as scholarships, bursaries and awards.

What about college diploma programs?

In an effort to maximize available funding, college diploma programs are generally supported through the MNO Employment and Training Program Application.

For more information, please email: training@metisnation.org

Applications must be submitted through the MNO Program Application Portal (https://metisnation.smapply.io/.)

Applicants are required to create and maintain their own account, as they are the primary contact for all applications communications.

If you require accommodations in order to complete the application or have questions about the application process, please email us at psesupport@metisnation.org 

There is no fee required to apply to the PSE FAP

Eligible institutions include post-secondary institutions recognized by an accrediting body such as:

• Universities Canada
• Colleges and Institutes Canada
• A recognized professional of certification body

If you are unsure, please email psesupport@metisnation.org

Yes.  Apply before the application deadline, even if you are still waiting for confirmation.

You may upload:

• OUAC or OCAS confirmation that you have applied

If you are waiting to hear back from a preferred program or institution but have an acceptance letter from another program, please attach the acceptance letter from the other program for now and we can adjust your school and program information after the deadline if necessary. 

This will ensure your complete application is in our system and eligible for consideration prior to the closing date.

If you receive an acceptance into your preferred program, please contact PSEsupport@metisnation.org to inform us of your intended change as soon as possible.

Yes. The Program is open only to Metis Nation of Ontario citizens.

Applicants who are actively in the citizenship process may apply, provided their citizenship is confirmed before the application deadline.

You must:

• Upload proof of citizenship (card or Registry letter), and
• Consent to verification through the MNO Registry

For more information on obtaining MNO citizenship please visit the  MNO Registry Webpage or call their toll-free number at 1-855-798-1006.

If you have questions about your MNO Citizenship application, please contact the MNO Registry.  You can advise them that you are applying for citizenship in order to access the PSE FAP, and your file will be prioritized.  To contact MNO Registry please email info@mnoregistry.ca or call their toll-free number 1-855-798-1006.

Yes. MNO citizens attending eligible Post-Secondary Education Institutes in Canada are eligible for consideration.  Applicants with a permanent Canadian address attending an eligible institution can be considered. Please email us at psesupport@metisnation.org for more information.

Award amounts are determined:

1. Available funding and number of applicants
2. Program level (e.g.Bachelor’s Master’s, PhD)
3.  Award amounts are dependent on course loads.Undergrad course loads are determined as a percentage of the maximum course load allowed by your school, and not by whether your school considers you a full time student. Graduate programs will be accessed if they are a part-time or full-time program.
4. Whether the applicant has dependents or identifies as a person with a disability

Your course load and enrollment status are based on course credit values, which vary by institution.  Some courses are worth 1 credit, while others are 0.5. Because there is no standardized credit system across Canadian post-secondary institutions, this information should be considered a general guide.  If you are unsure how your course load is calculated, please confirm with your school.

Funding is typically issued in two payments.

First Payment (50%)

• Summer start student payments generally begin mid-June
• Fall start student payments generally begin mid-August

Second Payment (50%)

• Typically released December-January

Processing timelines depend on when student submit required documents. Once received, payments are deposited within 4-6 weeks.

No. MNO PSE FAP funding will NOT be affected if you choose to apply for OSAP.

Students are encouraged to apply for OSAP grants.

Any OSAP loans taken are the sole responsibility of the student.

No. MNO PSE FAP funding will NOT be affected if you choose to apply for and receive supplementary scholarships, grants and bursaries.

• You will receive a confirmation email that your application was received.
• Please ensure that the email address used to set up your account is active, and belongs to you as the applicant.
• Please note: using your parents’ email address for your application is not permitted.

You may apply to the PSE FAP Waitlist

-The waitlist application will become available on our website following the application deadline of May 1^st .

– Funding is not guaranteed. Applications are reviewed if funding becomes available

– Students must respond promptly to any outreach

– Failure to respond may delay or defer consideration

If you require accommodations in order to complete the application or have questions about the application process, please email us at psesupport@metisnation.org.

Note: There is no fee to apply to the PSE FAP Waitlist

Students who withdraw or do not complete their Program in the academic period for which they received assistance will be required to repay all or a portion of the funds they received. 

• Contact your Student Support Officer as soon as possible
• Students may have to repay all or a portion of the funds they received

The funding agreement will be amended to reflect the modified course load.

It is your responsibility to inform your Student Support Officer, or email 

Contact psesupport@metisnation.org as soon as possible.

• Program changes at the same institution usually do not affect funding
• School changes may require reassessment

Students who withdraw from one or more classes in the academic period for which they received assistance will be required to repay all or a portion of the funds they received regardless of whether the student has already paid for the class at the time it is dropped. The funding agreement will be amended to reflect the modified course load.

Many students are eligible to receive funding during a co-op placement. Support amounts are determined based on factors including whether the placement is a paid term & if so, at which rate of pay, the length of the co-op term, whether there is a co-op fee, whether the term is full time or part time, and if the student must relocate for the co-op placement. Your Student Support Officer will apply a rubric to asses these factors and determine funding amounts and eligibility.

Please email us at psesupport@metisnation.org to notify us of any change to your personal information as soon as possible.

Yes. Students will receive a T4A form indicating the support amount paid to the student.

Starting in the 2026 tax year, T4s will only be sent via digital copy.

You can access them through:

•             Your CRA account, or
•             The PowerPay program

Appeals are not available if funding is declined due to:

• Ineligibility
• Lack of available funding

Appeals may be considered in other circumstances.  Contact psesupport@metisnation.org for details.

No. The Post-Secondary Education Financial Support Program does not pay back student loans for prior years of study.

Award amounts change from year to year based on the amount of available funding and the number of eligible candidates applying, with the aim of supporting the maximum number of students.

No. The PSE Financial Assistance Program will consider funding for only one program at a time.

Yes. You can apply if you are a current post-secondary education student and not funded by another MNO Education & Training program.

No. All documentation required is uploaded by you to your online application and can include unofficial transcripts or other scanned or copied documents.

The PSE FAP Application deadline is May 1^st each year and includes schooling for the following: Spring/Summer, Fall and Winter semesters taking place after the May1st application deadline.

First Payment Tasks refer to the second step of the PSE Support application which includes:

1. Signing, dating and the uploading a PDF copy of you PSE Support Agreement, which shows your installment amounts based on the course load and other information you provided during the Application round (the initial information you filled out when you applied.) 
2. Signing and uploading your MNO ‘Authorization to Release Information’ for your university 
3. Uploading an unofficial transcript or timetable showing your registered courses for the term
4. Direct Deposit information (note: account must be in the applicant’s name/Information for Tax purposes

 Second Payment Tasks refer to the third step of the PSE Support Application Process which includes: 

1. Filling out the Funding Impact survey 
2. Uploading your spring/summer term final grades (if applicable)
3. Uploading your current Unofficial Transcript
4. Uploading Unofficial Transcript or timetable showing courses you’re registered in for the next term