Manitoba Student Aid

Designation is the formal process that post-secondary educational institutions and their programs go through to be considered eligible for the student financial assistance programs of the federal and provincial governments. Educational institutions and their programs must be designated (approved) by Manitoba Student Aid (MSA) before students can receive financial assistance.

To be designated, an educational institution must offer programs of study at the post-secondary level, as defined in the Canada Student Loans Act, The Manitoba Student Aid Act and their attendant regulations. The Designation Office must first examine the educational institution before considering the program.

You must go to an approved or designated school and be in a designated program to be eligible for funding from Manitoba Student Aid.

Find out whether your school is designated and what to do if it’s not.

Search here to see if your school or program is designated   >

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My school or program isn’t designated. What do I do?

If your school or program has not been designated by Manitoba Student Aid, you cannot receive student aid for it until it is has been designated. This requirement is in place to protect you and make sure schools and the government are accountable to each other.

If your school is not designated please contact your institution (e.g. Financial Awards Office or Registrar's Office) to request they apply for designation by completing the Designation Application: Educational Institution and Program ( 453 KB) or the Designation Application: Educational Program ( 257 KB). Your institution must then email the completed application and all supporting documents to msadesigna@gov.mb.ca.

• the school's accreditation
• the program requirements
• school's entrance requirements

This process can take between 4 to 8 weeks to complete, so please leave time when you apply. Unfortunately, if your school or program is not or cannot be designated, you will not be given student loan for that school or program.

For more information, please read the Manitoba Student Aid Designation Policy ( 112 KB).