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

Of the 31 federal programs for youth and students in our database, 14 are open or ongoing and 1 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 11, 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 federal programs for youth and students rank highest?

Right now the top three by our score are Canada Education Savings Grant and Canada Learning Bond (45, Strong), Canada Student Grants and Loans (41, Strong), Science and Technology Internship Program - Green Jobs (38, 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 14 open or ongoing programs here, 9 are in our Grants category, 3 are loans and 2 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.

Are these federal or Ontario programs?

14 of the 14 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 0 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.

Federal government grants, loans and incentives for youth and students

We track 14 federal programs for youth and students that are open or ongoing right now, plus 1 that take applications in intake windows. 3 of the open or ongoing programs publish a figure of $100K or more. They are ranked below by our 0 to 100 score, which weighs how much a program pays against how hard it is to win; last checked Oct 11, 2026.

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Ranked programs

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

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

How we rank

Each program gets a score from 0 to 100 that asks how much money you can realistically get for how little work. It blends the largest published amount (loans count for less because they are repaid), how much effort an application takes, how likely an eligible applicant is to succeed and how many people qualify. Closed programs score zero and programs without a published dollar figure get a neutral value, never a guess. Scores are editorial estimates, not predictions of approval.

Questions

How many federal programs for youth and students are open right now?: Of the 31 federal programs for youth and students in our database, 14 are open or ongoing and 1 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 11, 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 federal programs for youth and students rank highest?: Right now the top three by our score are Canada Education Savings Grant and Canada Learning Bond (45, Strong), Canada Student Grants and Loans (41, Strong), Science and Technology Internship Program - Green Jobs (38, 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 14 open or ongoing programs here, 9 are in our Grants category, 3 are loans and 2 are other incentives such as tax credits and rebates.
Are these federal or Ontario programs?: 14 of the 14 open or ongoing programs here come from the federal government and 0 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.

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Estimates; confirm on the official page. Independent research tool, not a government website. Data last checked Oct 11, 2026. Grants & Loans Finder.