Government grants, loans and funding for youth and students

Ranked programs

23 open, ongoing or intake-based programs, best score first.

1. Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (employer and group sponsor milestone payments)

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Pays employers and group sponsors at apprentice milestones: registration, each in-class level, and certification.

   OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $17K
   51

   Top pick

2. Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and Canada Learning Bond (CLB)

   Employment and Social Development Canada

   Federal grants paid into a child's RESP: the CESG matches contributions, and the Canada Learning Bond adds money for lower-income families.

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $7K
   45

   Strong

3. Canada Student Grants and Loans

   Employment and Social Development Canada / provincial student aid

   Grants and loans for post-secondary students of low and middle incomes, students with dependants and students with disabilities.

   OngoingFederalGrants
   41

   Strong

4. Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) - Green Jobs

   Natural Resources Canada, delivered through STIP - Green Jobs delivery organizations

   Funds employers to hire, train and mentor youth in energy, forestry, mining, earth sciences and clean technology roles for up to 12 months.

   OpenFederalOther incentives
   38

   Strong

5. Farm Credit Canada - Young Farmer Loan

   Farm Credit Canada (FCC)

   Preferential-rate financing to purchase agriculture-related assets for qualified producers under 40.

   OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $2M
   37

   Worth a look

6. Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI)

   Mitacs

   Matches partner funds to place students, postdocs and recent graduates in business-strategy and innovation projects at Canadian organizations.

   OngoingFederalGrantsUp to $15K
   37

   Worth a look

7. Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

   Ministry of Colleges and Universities (via OSAP)

   Covers tuition, books, compulsory fees and other education costs for students in priority postsecondary healthcare programs (nursing, paramedic, medical laboratory) in...

   OpenOntarioGrants
   36

   Worth a look

8. Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program

   Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

   Provincially funded pre-apprenticeship training of up to 52 weeks, delivered by colleges and community agencies, with an 8 to 12 week work placement, for people who want...

   OngoingOntarioGrants
   35

   Worth a look

9. Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

   Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by employer delivery partners (e.g., Technation, ECO Canada, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Magnet)

   Wage subsidies to employers that hire post-secondary students (co-op, internship, practicum) in work-integrated learning placements. Employers apply year-round through...

   OngoingFederalOther incentivesUp to $5K
   34

   Worth a look

10. Ontario Co-operative Education Tax Credit

    Ontario Ministry of Finance / Canada Revenue Agency

    Refundable credit for employers that hire post-secondary co-op students in qualifying work placements.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesLimit $3K
    32

    Worth a look

11. NOHFC Workforce Development Program (internships)

    Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)

    Funds internship salaries for Northern Ontario employers.

    OngoingOntarioOther incentivesUp to $35K
    30

    Worth a look

12. Mitacs Globalink Research Award

    Mitacs

    Funds senior undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for 12 to 48 weeks of research with a host supervisor, inbound to Canada or abroad from Canada...

    OngoingFederalGrants
    28

    Worth a look

13. Starter Company Plus

    Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (via Small Business Enterprise Centres)

    Training, mentoring and a grant for people starting, expanding or buying a business.

    OngoingOntarioGrantsUp to $5K
    28

    Worth a look

14. Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral program (CGRS D)

    CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (Canada Research Training Awards Suite)

    A tri-agency doctoral scholarship supporting a high-quality research training experience for students pursuing a doctoral degree in health, natural sciences and...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $40K
    27

    Worth a look

15. Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's program (CGRS M)

    CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (Canada Research Training Awards Suite)

    A tri-agency scholarship that supports high-calibre master's students across health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities so they can...

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $27K
    26

    Worth a look

16. Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur

    Mitacs

    Funds internships for college, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral entrepreneurs to grow their startup, with Mitacs and the startup each contributing equally.

    OngoingFederalGrants
    26

    Worth a look

17. Canada Apprentice Loan

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Interest-free loans for apprentices in Red Seal trades to cover tuition, tools, equipment and living costs during technical training.

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $4K
    24

    Long shot

18. Futurpreneur Core Startup Program (also Black and Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Programs)

    Futurpreneur Canada with BDC

    Equity-free start-up loan for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39, with up to two years of one-to-one mentorship. Black and Indigenous streams offer tailored mentorship.

    OngoingFederalLoansLoans up to $75K
    24

    Long shot

19. Ontario Creates Futures Forward Program

    Ontario Creates

    Early-stage development funding for emerging interactive and linear content creators who complete the Futures Forward workshop.

    OpenOntarioGrantsUp to $20K
    24

    Long shot

20. Team Canada Strong Youth Placements

    Employment and Social Development Canada

    Funds organizations to deliver paid, entry-level construction and trades work placements for youth aged 15 to 30, supporting pathways into apprenticeships.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $30M
    23

    Long shot

21. Ontario Trillium Foundation: Youth Opportunities Fund - Youth Innovations (Test and Scale)

    Ontario Trillium Foundation

    Grassroots funding for youth-led groups and youth-adult partnerships to pilot (Test) or grow (Scale) projects that improve youth wellbeing, prioritizing Indigenous and...

    Intake-basedOntarioGrantsUp to $150K
    22

    Long shot

22. Canadian Space Agency - CubeSat Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS) 2026

    Canadian Space Agency

    Grants to Canadian post-secondary institutions to design, build and operate CubeSats aligned with Space Strategy for Canada priorities.

    OpenFederalGrantsUp to $650K
    20

    Long shot

23. NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

    NSERC (jointly administered with CIHR and SSHRC)

    Awards that give undergraduates paid research experience in an academic setting to nurture an interest in research careers and encourage graduate studies. The program...

    Intake-basedFederalGrants
    19

    Long shot

Questions

How many programs for youth and students are open right now?

Of the 42 programs for youth and students in our database, 21 are open or ongoing and 2 take applications only in intake windows. The rest are closed, paused or of unknown status, so they are not ranked on this page. Counts reflect our last check on Oct 27, 2026; programs can change without notice.

What is the largest published amount among these programs?

Team Canada Strong Youth Placements publishes the largest figure on this page, shown as "Up to $30M". Published figures are program maximums, caps or limits, not what an applicant should expect to receive; many programs pay a share of eligible costs and amounts depend on your project and eligibility.

Which programs for youth and students rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Apprenticeship Achievement Incentive (51, Top pick), Canada Education Savings Grant and Canada Learning Bond (45, Strong), Canada Student Grants and Loans (41, Strong). The score combines the size of the published amount, how much work an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify.

Do I have to pay this money back?

It depends on the program. Grants and incentives are generally not repaid, loans always are, and some contribution agreements are partly or fully repayable, so read the terms of each program. Among the 21 open or ongoing programs here, 14 are in our Grants category, 3 are loans and 4 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

14 of the 21 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 7 from the Ontario government. Both levels can usually be combined, but many programs have stacking rules that cap total government funding for the same costs, so check them before you apply.

Is this an official government website?

No. Grants & Loans Finder is an independent research tool. Each program page links to the official source, and applications are always made with the government agency or lender that runs the program.