University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) students will be better served this year with the opening of a student loan office on campus September 7. UPEI students will have increased and better access to the various programs that are administered by the PEI Student Loan office. The new office is a pilot project between the Department of Education and UPEI.
"Opening a student loan office at UPEI is an opportunity for the Department of Education to enhance service and provide easier access for UPEI students," said the Honourable Chester Gillan, Minister of Education. "This pilot project will also facilitate the process of applying for student loans and other programs this office administers."
While student loans will continue to be processed at the central Student Financial Services office, located in downtown Charlottetown, establishing a satellite office allows UPEI students to access similar financial services on campus. For example, UPEI students can visit the new Student Financial Services office for:
- information on applying for student loans;
- picking up or dropping off student loan applications and relevant documents;
- assistance with the preparation of loan appeals;
- advice on student financial matters;
- information on Canada Millennium Scholarships;
- information on Canada Study Grants (available to high need part-time students, female doctoral students, students with permanent disabilities and students with dependents), and
- information on the PEI Debt Reduction Program.
"We want UPEI to be a student-centred campus," says UPEI President H. Wade MacLauchlan. "This joint initiative with the Department of Education is another example of how we are working to improve the student experience on campus."
The new student loan office will open Tuesday, September 7 and will remain open for approximately 5 weeks. The pilot project will be evaluated in late fall and if demand warrants, a similar service will be provided to UPEI students at the beginning of the January semester.
Students can visit the PEI Student Loan office, located in the UPEI Robertson Library, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4 pm. Students may contact the office at 894-2800 or 566-0488, or by fax number at 628-4319.