The Education Act defines an independent student as someone who is:
- 18 years of age or older, or
- 16 years of age or older, and
- (a) living independently as determined by a board in accordance with section 6, or
- (b) Who is party to an agreement under section 57.2 of the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
Education Act - Section 6
- In determining whether a student is living independently for the purposes of this Act, a board may consider the following:
- whether the student or the student’s parent has made a statement in writing indicating that the student is living
independently; - the student’s living arrangements;
- whether the student is financially independent or contributes financially to his or her maintenance;
- whether the student is responsible for the making of significant decisions regarding matters such as health care;
- any other factor the board considers relevant.
- whether the student or the student’s parent has made a statement in writing indicating that the student is living
- Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Act, an independent student is entitled to exercise all the rights and powers and receive all the benefits and is subject to all the obligations under this Act that the student’s parent would be entitled to exercise or receive or would be subject to, and the student’s parent shall not exercise those rights, receive those benefits or be subject to those obligations.
Claiming Independent Student Status
If you wish to claim status as an Independent Student under the definition of the Education Act, please indicate this when completing the Student Registration Form.