Repayment Assisstance Plan (RAP) Issues - Interest Relief and Interest-Free Status

Interest Relief and Interest-Free Status

Printed From: CanadaStudentDebt.ca
Category: Government Program Problems
Forum Name: Repayment Assisstance Plan (RAP) Issues
Forum Description: Rules, regulations and problems (Formerly Interest Relief and Debt Reduction)
URL: https://www.canadastudentdebt.ca/forum_posts.asp?TID=6243
Printed Date: 26/March/2026 at 10:30pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Interest Relief and Interest-Free Status

Posted By: noodles
Subject: Interest Relief and Interest-Free Status
Date Posted: 18/October/2011 at 6:15pm

Greetings,

I convocated in 2004 with a BA and have an existing student loan. I have paid back half of what I owe since then but have also used some 30 months of Interest Relief/ RAP.

I am considering a return to school and, unfortunately, amassing more student loans. However, I discovered this in the loan application handbook:

"You must not exceed the lifetime maximum of 340 weeks to receive assistance. The lifetime maximum may be extended up to an additional 60 weeks (to a maximum of 400 weeks) for full-time students enrolled in doctoral studies. Students with permanent disabilities or those who received assistance prior to August 1, 1995, may receive assistance for up to 520 weeks...The lifetime maximum for assistance includes the weeks you received student loans and any weeks you did not receive student loans but were in interest-free status."

Do periods of Interest Relief/ RAP count toward these weeks of interest-free status? Or, does interest-free status only apply to the time you are attending school, whether or not you receive loans?

Thanks for the help.

Replies:

Posted By: noodles
Date Posted: 20/October/2011 at 1:03pm

Before my original post, I had contacted my provincial student loans office. Without a definite answer to this question, I posted it here. I have since contacted the NSLSC and was told that after using 30 months of Interest Relief no new loans are issued until existing loans are cleared.

Posted By: MrBee
Date Posted: 21/November/2011 at 3:20am

That's interesting. They should be more up-front about these details.