How Camosun and UVic Students Can Get Tutoring Funded Through StudentAid BC

/ Post Secondary, Resources

A good tutor can change how a course goes, but the cost adds up fast. Here is some good news. If you study at Camosun College or the University of Victoria and you have a documented disability, you may qualify for StudentAid BC tutoring funding. This guide explains how it works and how to apply.

First, an honest note

StudentAid BC has no general tutoring grant for every student. Instead, the money comes through its disability programs. So you need a documented disability that creates barriers to your studies. It can be permanent, persistent, or prolonged.

That definition covers more than people expect. For example, it includes learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism. It also covers chronic health conditions and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Sensory and physical impairments count too. So if any of this might apply to you, look into it, because the amounts can be substantial.

How StudentAid BC tutoring funding works

The main program is the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment, Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE). It offers up to $20,000 per loan year for disability-related costs. Tutoring counts as an eligible service. So note-takers, readers, alternate-format materials, and specialized transportation. However, some services do not qualify, such as proctoring, photocopying, and speech therapy.

Sometimes you use up your full CSG-DSE amount. After that, a second program can help. The B.C. Assistance Program for Students with Disabilities (APSD) adds up to $10,000 per program year. That figure rises to $12,000 if you need attendant care at school. You can only tap APSD once your CSG-DSE funds run out.

Best of all, both are grants rather than loans. You do not pay them back. You simply spend the money on approved services and return anything you do not use.

What about the hourly tutoring rate?

Here is a common point of confusion. StudentAid BC does not publish one fixed tutoring rate. Instead, an officer sets the maximum they will cover when they assess your request. They base that cap on your disability, your situation, and the cost estimate your tutor submits.

In other words, the rate depends on two things. The first is what your tutor charges. The second is what the officer approves. A rate of about $60 per hour has come up for recent years. That figure may be accurate, but treat any number as an estimate that can change. So confirm the current rate with the Camosun or UVic accessibility office before you plan around it.

Infographic: Camosun and UVic students with a disability can get up to $20,000 a year for tutoring through StudentAid BC.

Why this is worth your time

Many students who qualify never apply. Some do not realize their condition counts. Others assume the paperwork is not worth it. Yet the payoff is real. You can get up to $20,000 a year that you never repay, and tutoring sits right on the approved list. Because of that, StudentAid BC tutoring funding is one of the most valuable supports students rarely hear about.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you generally need two things.

First, you need a disability that StudentAid BC recognizes. That means a permanent, persistent, or prolonged disability, verified through their process.

Second, you need to show financial need. You do this by getting approved for a full-time or part-time StudentAid BC loan or grant. Your status depends on your course credit load, not the number of courses. Also, if you have a verified disability, you can qualify for full-time funding at a reduced 40% course load.

Step by step, from documentation to reimbursement

This process has six steps. Steps 1 and 2 set up your eligibility. Then steps 3 and 4 request the tutoring funding. Finally, steps 5 and 6 cover what happens after approval.

Step 1: Get your disability documentation

First, you need proof that your condition fits StudentAid BC’s definition. You have two routes.

One route is medical verification. A qualified professional, such as a physician, psychologist, or nurse practitioner, fills in the verification section of the Appendix 8. If your documentation is more than three years old, ask your doctor to complete that section again.

The other route is a psycho-educational assessment. For a learning disability, your assessment report can serve as documentation. StudentAid BC may even reimburse the assessment cost, up to $3,500, and that amount counts toward your $20,000 total.

If you have no documentation yet, ask your campus accessibility office. They can point you to the right assessment and to providers. Also, start early, because assessments can take time to book.

Step 2: Apply for a loan and establish disability status

Next, apply for a StudentAid BC full-time or part-time loan or grant, and set up your BC Student Account. To get there, you qualify for a federal student loan and show financial need. For 2026/27, you need at least $1 of federal assessed need.

After that, complete Sections 1 and 2 of the Appendix 8 Disability Programs Application. Attach your documentation. Then have a school official, such as your accessibility advisor, sign their section.

Finally, upload the signed Appendix 8 to your StudentAid BC dashboard. Once your status is set, you usually skip the medical documentation in future terms. From then on, you only send the service request.

Step 3: Request tutoring funding for the term

Now ask for the actual funding. Meet your accessibility advisor first, and confirm that tutoring fits your needs. Then have your tutor complete a cost estimate. It should list their qualifications, hourly rate, and hours, plus a reason tied to your courses. After that, your school sends the request to StudentAid BC. Keep in mind that you repeat this every term you want funding.

Step 4: Watch the deadlines

Timing matters here. Send your service request well before your study period ends. If it arrives after your study end date, StudentAid BC may not process it, and the funding will not come through. So get everything ready a few months before the term starts. That way your funding is in place before classes begin.

Step 5: What to expect after approval

Once you are approved, a few things happen. First, you get a notice of assessment that confirms your amounts. Then your school usually administers the funds. For equipment, Assistive Technology BC handles this instead. Either way, the administrator can hire the service worker or apply the funds for you. After that, you work with your tutor through the term.

Step 6: Reconcile at the end of the term

Finally, you reconcile at term’s end. Submit a Service Provider Receipt form to show how you spent the funds. Then return any unused money to StudentAid BC, by cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance. Usually you finish this step before you can request funding again later.

If you study at Camosun College

Your contact is the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL). Here is the path.

First, apply for Permanent Disability (PD) status with StudentAid BC. Submit the Appendix 8 with your medical documentation. Camosun also offers short tutorial videos that walk you through it.

Next, show financial need by getting approved for a full-time or part-time loan or grant.

Then, for first-time service funding, book a phone appointment with your CAL Instructor. The instructor explains eligibility, helps with the request, and signs Section 3 of the Appendix 8.

After that, ask your tutor to complete the Service Provider Cost Estimate Form. It should list their qualifications and rate. Email it to calfunding@camosun.ca, and remember to do this every term.

Finally, handle repeat requests carefully. If you received funding in a prior term, send receipts and any unused funds back to StudentAid BC first. Only then can you make a new request.

Questions? Email calfunding@camosun.ca. Try to connect with CAL about four months before classes start.

If you study at the University of Victoria

UVic runs two connected pieces. The Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) handles your registration and funding. The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) provides the tutoring itself.

The LAP pairs you with graduate-level tutors and learning strategists. They train in modern learning theory and strength-based strategies. LAP services do cost money. However, if you hold a BC student loan and a permanent or chronic disability, you can apply to cover those costs through StudentAid BC.

Here is the path. First, register with CAL and set up your disability status, using the Appendix 8 steps above. Next, get approved for a StudentAid BC loan to show financial need. Then talk to your CAL advisor about LAP funding, or check UVic’s CSG funding pages. After that, work with an LAP tutor or strategist through the term.

Finally, expect one invoice after the term. The LAP emails it to you and covers all your sessions. It also completes the Service Provider Receipt Form for you. You then submit that form, with any unused funds, to reconcile your grant.

Questions? Email UVic’s LAP at learning@uvic.ca. You can also start at the Accessible Learning funding page below.

Quick-start checklist

  • Confirm you have, or can document, a qualifying disability
  • Apply for a StudentAid BC full-time or part-time loan or grant
  • Download and complete the Appendix 8 Disability Programs Application
  • Gather medical documentation or a psycho-educational assessment
  • Contact your school’s accessibility office (Camosun CAL or UVic CAL) early, ideally a few months ahead
  • Get a cost estimate from your tutor, then submit your service-funding request each term
  • Keep receipts, and return any unused funds at the end of the term

Helpful links

StudentAid BC

Camosun College

University of Victoria

This post is a general guide, not official financial-aid advice. Program amounts, eligibility, and forms can change, so confirm details with StudentAid BC and your campus accessibility office before applying.