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Unit 4 · Lesson 3

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Quebec and other provinces offer extensive scholarship and financial aid programs in French. Whether you are applying to the provincial AFE, a university foundation scholarship, or a federal program, the vocabulary is consistent: and knowing it is the first step to accessing the money that's available.

Many students leave scholarships on the table simply because they don't know the application process exists. This lesson gives you the vocabulary and the roadmap.

Key scholarship and aid vocabulary

la boursescholarship / bursary / grant
l'aide financière aux études (AFE)student financial assistance (Quebec)
le prêt étudiantstudent loan
la subventiongrant / subsidy (non-repayable)
les critères d'admissibilitéeligibility criteria
le revenu familialfamily income
en situation de besoin financierin financial need
déposer une demandeto submit an application
les pièces justificativessupporting documents
le comité de sélectionselection committee
le montant de la boursescholarship amount
renouvelable / non renouvelablerenewable / non-renewable

Where to look for scholarships in French Canada

Key sources — always check deadlines directly on official sites

Gouvernement du Québec: AFE

Need-based grants and loans for Quebec residents. Apply annually at afe.gouv.qc.ca.

Programmes fédéraux (PAFVAC, BCET)

Federal bursaries for students in financial need, including the Canada Student Grant program.

Bureaux d'aide financière universitaires

Each French-language university has its own financial aid office (bureau d'aide financière) with institution-specific scholarships.

Fondations privées

Ex: Fondation du Barreau du Québec (law students), Fondation Desjardins, Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, and many others.

Scholarship and financial aid vocabulary

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French

la bourse

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English

Scholarship / bursary / grant

Bourse d'excellence = merit scholarship. Bourse de besoin = need-based bursary. The word covers both.

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Match the French term to its English meaning

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Click a French word, then click its English match.

Complete the scholarship sentences

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Hint: Critères d'admissibilité = eligibility criteria.

Pour être admissible à cette bourse, vous devez répondre auxd'admissibilité, notamment maintenir une moyenne de 3,5/4,3.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must meet the eligibility criteria, including maintaining a GPA of 3.5/4.3.

Scholarships and financial aid quiz

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What is the AFE in Quebec?