Program eligibility

The Allowance for Special Needs Program is intended for you if you have a major functional disability or another recognized disability.

It allows you to benefit from various types of support related to your disability (e.g. specialized services, paratransit services, housing allowance, material resources) that are necessary for pursuing your studies in:

  • secondary school, in vocational training
  • secondary school, in adult education
  • college
  • university

The Program awards you financial assistance only for the types of support that are not reimbursed under other programs.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have refugee or protected person status.
  • Be a person considered as a Québec resident.
  • Be admitted to a recognized educational institution and study at the secondary school, vocational training, adult education, college or university level.
  • Be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits or 76 course hours per study period or term or a minimum of 20 course hours per month. If this is not the case, only specialized services and transcription in Braille will be reimbursed.

Types of disabilities

A major functional disability is recognized if it is permanent and significantly limits academic activities. It can be:

  • a severe visual impairment
  • a severe hearing impairment
  • a motor or organic impairment that causes significant and persistent limitations

The other recognized disabilities are:

  • limited hearing capability (minimum threshold of 25 decibels)
  • paralysis
  • paresis
  • language or speech impairment

These disabilities must be diagnosed by a healthcare professional and be recognized by the Program.

General notice

Application for an Allowance - Important

Before submitting an application for an allowance, you must meet with the person responsible for integrating persons with disabilities at your educational institution.

Last update: August 2, 2023

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