Saskatchewan Regulations 40/2026 amend The Saskatchewan Student Direct Loans Regulations under The Student Assistance and Student Aid Fund Act, 1985, primarily revising eligibility criteria for student financial assistance in relation to studies undertaken at private and international educational institutions. The amendments introduce a more structured and restrictive framework governing when students enrolled in private training schools, particularly those located outside Saskatchewan or outside Canada, may access Saskatchewan student direct loans.

A key change is the amendment to section 4, which is renumbered and expanded to introduce a new exception. Beginning in the 2026–27 loan year, full-time students enrolled in programs at designated private for-profit educational institutions outside Canada may become eligible for Saskatchewan student direct loans even if they are ineligible for Canada student direct loans. This adjustment creates a narrow eligibility pathway for international private education programs, but only where provincial criteria are met, signalling a selective expansion of support beyond the federal loan framework.

The regulation significantly revises section 4.01, which governs eligibility for students enrolled in private Canadian training schools outside Saskatchewan. The substituted provision introduces differentiated rules for online and in-person programs, alongside transitional protections tied to prior funding history. For online programs, starting in the 2024–25 loan year, full-time students are generally ineligible for Saskatchewan student direct loans or other financial assistance unless they are in the final year of a two-year program and had already received assistance in the first year of study. This establishes a continuity requirement, limiting support to students already within an established funding stream and nearing program completion.

For in-person programs, starting in the 2026–27 loan year, eligibility is similarly restricted. Students are not eligible for financial assistance unless they received Saskatchewan student direct loans or other assistance in the 2025–26 loan year for the same program. This ensures that funding is largely restricted to continuing students rather than new entrants into out-of-province private training institutions.

Despite these tightened restrictions, subsection 4.01(3) introduces an important exception. Beginning in the 2026–27 loan year, students enrolled in either online or in-person programs at private Canadian training schools outside Saskatchewan may still qualify for financial assistance if the Minister determines that the program will help meet Saskatchewan’s labour market demand or address a labour shortage, or if the program leads to a regulated profession under provincial legislation. This provision preserves ministerial discretion and allows flexibility to support strategic workforce development needs, even where general eligibility rules would otherwise exclude the student.

Saskatchewan (40/2026) June 30, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.