Before
Your Studies

• Overview
• Allowable expenses
• Contribution
• Payment
• Assessment

During
Your Studies

• Overview
• In Québec
• Outside Québec
• Appeals
• Interruption

After
Your Studies

• Overview
• Repayment
• How to proceed
• Interest rates
• Postponement

If you are filing an application for a special needs allowance, you must:

1. Print the form Application for a Special Needs Allowance - Preschool, elementary and secondary education which is available under Print forms in the Items of Interest section, and fill out sections 1 to 4.
2. Meet with one of the following persons to enable him or her to evaluate your child’s special needs and to fill out section 5 of the form Application for a Special Needs Allowance - Preschool, elementary and secondary education:
   • A therapist (occupational therapist, speech therapist, audiologist, psychologist, neuropsychologist or psychoeducator) with a rehabilitation centre or an educational institution
   • A therapist (occupational therapist, speech therapist, audiologist, psychologist, neuropsychologist or psychoeducator) in a private practice. Please note that the specialist’s fees will not be reimbursed.

   In that section, the specialist will write a recommendation explaining how access to certain material resources is essential in the home to offset the effects of your child’s disability and enable your child to pursue his or her studies adequately.

3. Have section 6 of the form (medical certificate) filled out by a general physician or a medical specialist to certify your child’s disability.
   
   The information provided in this section will enable Aide financière aux études to make an informed and equitable decision.
4. You must have section 3, Studies and Confirmation, filled out by the principal of the school attended.
5. Obtain a price quote for the material resources your child requires to pursue his or her studies.
6. Mail or fax us the form Application for a Special Needs Allowance - Preschool, elementary and secondary education and include the price quote.
7. Send us the invoice confirming payment of the material resources no later than 60 days following receipt of the allowance instalment.
   
   You must fax your document to us at 418-528-0318 or mail it to us at the following address:
   
   Aide financière aux études
   Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
   1035, rue De La Chevrotière
   Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5

In the event of an application for the authorization of equipment repair or replacement, you must:

1. Print the form Application for the authorization of equipment repair or replacement, which is available under Print forms in the Items of interest section of our Web site, and fill out sections 1 and 3.
2. Have section 2 of the form filled out by an authorized person with the administration of the educational institution and section 4 filled out by the dealer that sold you the device, in the case of a computer, or by an authorized person with the technical assistance service of the rehabilitation centre in the case of a communication aid device.
3. If your equipment cannot be repaired or if the cost of the repairs exceeds 60% of the initial purchase cost or the current replacement cost, fill out section 5 of the form.
4. Mail or fax us the form Application for the authorization of equipment repair or replacement, which must include a cost estimate for the repair or a price quote for the remplacement of the device that your child needs to pursue his or her studies.
5. Send us the invoice confirming payment of the repair or replacement of the device no later than 60 days following receipt of the allowance instalment.
   
   You must fax your document to us at 418-528-0318 or mail it to us at the following address:
   
   Aide financière aux études
   Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
   1035, rue De La Chevrotière
   Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5

Please note that you must write the student’s name and permanent code on each document that you send to Aide financière aux études.

All information gathered will be treated confidentially and will only be consulted by the persons who are responsible for this file with Aide financière aux études.

• Specialized software
  Software that, for example, allows children with a severe visual impairment to gain access to books in electronic form (e.g. XDI) are reimbursed.
  
  
• Computer access device
  Only substitutes or alternatives to a standard keyboard (e.g. keyboard with large letters), a standard mouse (e.g. mouth pointing device), and a standard screen (e.g. software to enlarge cursor or pointer) are reimbursed.

• Desktop or laptop computer
  If your child requires a desktop or laptop computer at home to pursue his or her studies, he or she could be entitled to a maximum allowance of $2 000 for that purchase. However, that allowance can only be granted once in a student’s lifetime. In addition, he or she must not have received a loan or bursary from Aide financière aux études for the purpose of purchasing a computer or computer equipment.
  
  
• Additional peripherals
  Only the additional peripherals that are related to a computer acquired under this program and purchased at the same time as the computer will be reimbursed in addition to the amounts provided for above, on the condition that they are required to offset the effects of your child’s disability.
  
  
• Communication aid device
  A communication aid device is reimbursed for non-vocal persons who have particular difficulty in making themselves understood. The device must enable the user to construct a message with symbols or pictograms, which are subsequently translated into an auditory message or a text.
  
  A communication aid is reimbursed only once over the course of a student’s lifetime.
  
  

The coverage provided by the manufacturer’s guarantee takes precedence over any authorization for the repair or replacement issued by Aide financière aux études (AFE). Consequently, before filling out this application, you must be sure that the equipment repair or replacement is not covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee or that the guarantee is expired.

Expenses incurred to repair a device (desktop computer, laptop computer or communication aid device) or to replace one may be reimbursed only if that equipment was acquired under the Allowance for Special Needs Program.

In that case, you must fill out the form Application for the authorization of equipment repair or replacement form, duly completed. For the repair to be authorized, the estimate must be less than 60% of the value of the device at the time of purchase. If it is more costly to repair the device, you can request it be replaced. The same applies if the repairs cost more than the current replacement cost or if the device cannot be repaired.

Note that our prior approval must be obtained before expenses for the repair or replacement of a device will be reimbursed. However, the expenses incurred to obtain an estimate will not be reimbursed.

For a computer, the cost estimate for repairs must be made by the dealer that sold it, pursuant to the related guarantee, or by any other dealer if the guarantee is not applicable. The repairs must be carried out by the dealer that provided the estimate.

For a communication aid device, you must obtain a cost estimate for repairs from the technical assistance service of the rehabilitation centre or a recognized facility. The repairs must be carried out or requested by the technical assistance service that provided the estimate.

Following the payment of the required amount, you have 60 days to send us the invoice confirming payment of the device’s repair or replacement.