The exceptional review process relating to child support payments is now in effect.
Who is concerned by the exceptional review process?
This process is intended for any person who wishes a reassessment of his or her student contribution in relation to an application for financial assistance filed between the 2006-2007 and 2009-2010 award years. As part of this process, the child support payments that person received will be excluded from the income considered by Aide financière aux études.
To find out if you eligible
Eligibility requirements
The exceptional review process relating to child support payments is intended for persons who meet all the requirements below. To be eligible, that person must:
- have filed an application for financial assistance no later than December 23, 2009.
- have received student financial assistance for one of the following award years:
- 2006-2007
- 2007-2008
- 2008-2009
- 2009-2010
- have received child support payments for at least one dependent child during the period concerned by the application for financial assistance.
- have received child support payments of more than $1200 a year during the period concerned by the application for financial assistance.
The pre-completed form
At the beginning of August, a pre-completed application for review form will be mailed to the last known address of all persons who filed an application for student financial assistance for one of the award years mentioned above and who reported child support payments.
If you have not received a pre-completed form by the second week of August, but you believe that you meet all the eligibility requirements and you wish to file an application for review, you can do so.
Updating your contact information is important!
If you have changed address since you last filed an application for financial assistance, we invite you to update your personal information in your on-line student file.
You can do so quickly and easily under the tab Your information of On-Line Access to Your File!
How to file an application
If you receive a pre-completed form by mail
If you receive a pre-completed form by mail, you must:
- read the instructions carefully and provide all the information requested. In particular, based on the amount indicated, you must specify the portion of child support intended solely for your dependent child.
- sign and date the form in section 3.
- mail your form and the letter of accompaniment in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. If you use another envelope, send it to the address below:
Aide financière aux études
1035, rue De La Chevrotière
Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5
The letter of accompaniment was sent to you with the pre-completed form. It contains a bar code that will enable Aide financière aux études to identify you. Failure to include the letter could result in processing delays.
If you do not receive the pre-completed form by mail
If you have not received a pre-completed form by the second week of August, but you believe that you meet all the eligibility requirements and you wish to file an application for review, you can nevertheless apply for a review. To do so, contact the client services of Aide financière aux études, who will send you the form Application for review – Child support payments.
Our client services
Québec City area : 418-643-3750
Montréal area : 514-864-3557
Elsewhere in Canada and the United States (toll free): 1-877-643-3750
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
After you file your application
Acknowledgement of receipt
If you send us an Application for review – Child support payments form, duly completed, we will send you an acknowledgement of receipt by e-mail. You will be able to consult it in the Notices section of On-Line Access to Your File!
Aide financière aux études must first determine your eligibility. We will then process your application in a timely manner and inform you of our decision.
Request for additional information
While it is processing your application for review, Aide financière aux études may require you provide some supporting documents to validate the information you declared. It will inform you in writing if any additional information is needed.
Decision
After we have completed our analysis of your application for review, you will be notified of the decision rendered in your case. If you have provided a valid e-mail address, we will notify you by e-mail and you will be able to access the decision on AFE's Web site in the Notices section under On-Line Access to Your File! If not, the decision will be mailed to you to your last known address.
When we have completed our analysis of your application for review, you will be notified by e-mail that you can consult the decision in the Notices section of On-Line Access to Your File
When we have completed our analysis of your application for review, you will be notified by e-mail that you can consult the decision in the Notices section of On-Line Access to Your File!
If your application is approved
If your application is approved, the loan and bursary amounts awarded for each award year concerned will be posted in the Review – Child support payments section under the tab Your file of On-Line Access to Your File!
If you are not eligible for a review
If you are not eligible for a review, we will provide the grounds for our decision.
Caution regarding the loan and bursary amounts awarded
Please note that your file may have been updated during the review process. An update could affect the amount of financial assistance awarded, if applicable.
If an additional loan is disbursed to you, it will be added to your debt. If you are awarded an additional loan but you do not wish to have it added to your student debt, you must contact the student loan centre of your financial institution.
Note that any additional assistance awarded as part of this exceptional review process could be considered additional income within the framework of certain government programs of which you may be the beneficiary. Moreover, an additional bursary must be reported in your income tax return.
Exceptional cases
If you are in default of payment with your financial institution
If you are entitled to additional assistance following a review of the child support considered and you are in default of payment with your financial institution, the additional assistance will not be disbursed until you have contacted the person in charge of your file with the Service des réclamations (claims service) of Aide financière aux études to put your file in order.
If you have a file open with the Service du recouvrement of Aide financière aux études
If you have a file open with the Service du recouvrement (debt collection service) of Aide financière aux études and you are entitled to additional assistance in the form of a bursary, that assistance will be recovered and applied to your account. If you are entitled to an additional loan, disbursements will be suspended.
If this situation applies, please consult your statement of account in On-Line Access to Your File!
Caution regarding the loan and bursary amounts awarded
Upon consulting your on-line student file, if you still require additional information regarding the decision following your application for review or regarding the amounts of assistance awarded, we advise that you first consult the personnel of the financial assistance office of your educational institution.
