N.S. offers one-time grant for students to pay for textbooks

Nova Scotia is spending $16.2 million to help post-secondary education students pay for things like textbooks through a one-time grant.

According to a Thursday news release, the grant will offer $1,350 to eligible applicants that will not need to be repaid. Nearly 12,000 students from Nova Scotia universities, community colleges, or private career colleges are eligible for the grant.

“I know from talking to students that affordability is a key issue for them,” said Brian Wong, minister of advanced education, in the release. “I have also heard from students that the cost of books can be a real challenge, and I’m proud to take action on solutions that will make a real difference.”

The release says the one-time grant is open to post-secondary students who are Nova Scotia residents who receive provincial student assistance or who would have qualified for provincial assistance if there had not been an increase in federal assistance this year.

Eligible students will be notified through their MyPATH account. The grant will be deposited in January of halfway through students’ study periods. Students can use the grant as they choose.

The release also notes an agreement with the four Atlantic provinces will fund the Atlantic Open Educational Resources program for three years to “reduce textbook and learning material costs for all Nova Scotian students studying in the province.”

The program is estimated to have saved Nova Scotian students more than $580,000 in textbook costs over the last few years.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.