Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations

29 (1) For the purposes of subsection 9.2(1) of the Act, to qualify for loan forgiveness for a year, the borrower must

• (a) either

  • (i) have begun to work during the year by providing in-person services as a family physician, dentist, pharmacist, psychologist, nurse, nurse practitioner, midwife, teacher, social worker, physiotherapist, early childhood educator, dental hygienist or personal support worker in an under-served rural or remote community, or

  • (ii) have continued to work during the year by providing in-person services as a family physician, dentist, pharmacist, psychologist, nurse, nurse practitioner, midwife, teacher, social worker, physiotherapist, early childhood educator, dental hygienist or personal support worker in a community in respect of which the borrower qualified for loan forgiveness for the previous year;

• (a.1) subject to subsection (4), have worked at least 400 hours; and

• (b) apply to the Minister in the prescribed form no later than 90 days after the end of that year.

(2) The loan forgiveness takes effect on the day following the end of the year.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the results of a census of population apply six months after the day on which the census is published by Statistics Canada or on the November 1 following that day, whichever is later.

(4) The Minister may decide that a borrower who worked fewer than 400 hours but at least one hour during the year still qualifies for loan forgiveness for the year if the Minister is of the opinion that the borrower was unable to work because they

• (a) had an illness, a disability or a bodily injury or were quarantined;

• (b) were providing care or support to a family member who had an illness, a disability or a bodily injury or who was quarantined;

• (c) were pregnant or gave birth; or

• (d) were caring for their newborn or newly adopted child.