Funding for tutoring, learning strategist, and notetaking services
This guide is for BC students. Here is information for other provinces.
Learn how Canada Student Grant (CSG) funding for services works, what your responsibilities are, and how to use your funding successfully
How does it work?
Tutor and strategist services
Funding is approved as a budget of available hours per service. Think of your approved services as separate budgets.
Examples*:
-
- Tutor in PSYC 201 (30 hours/term)
- Tutor in PHYS 102A (10 hours/term)
- Learning Strategist (15 hours/term)
Students are responsible for:
- knowing their approved hours (per service)
- keeping track of the hours they use
- paying for any services beyond their approved hours
Notetaking services
Funding is approved as a fixed dollar amount per course.
Examples*:
-
- Note-taker in PHYS 102A ($250)
- Note-taker in CHEM 101 ($250)
Students are responsible for:
- ensuring they have notetaking funding approved for each course they need a note-taker.
Students registered with CAL who have a notetaking accommodation will be invited to the CAL Full-serve Notetaking Program each term.
*Important: the above are just examples of approved service amounts, verify your funded amounts on your approval letter in your StudentAid BC student account.
What are my responsibilities?
Ensure you are comfortable with these key responsibilities:
Before funding is approved
- Inform your Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) Accessibility Advisor early each term you’d like to apply for CSG services funding. Applications should be submitted at least four weeks before your study end date (typically the last day of final exams). Funding requests cannot be submitted after your courses have ended.
- Respond promptly to requests from CAL staff for information needed to complete your application (e.g., your student loan number, your mailing address).
- Confirm your funding application includes all the services you would like funded:
- Learning strategist services (if desired)
- Every course for which you’d like tutoring or notetaking
After funding is approved
- Verify which services you were approved for, and for how many hours. This is confirmed on your Services Approval Letter, which gets uploaded to your StudentAid BC student account. Important: Inform your CAL Accessibility Advisor right away if you are using services beyond what is confirmed on your approval letter.
- Track your scheduled tutoring and strategist sessions, and don’t go over your approved hours, unless you decide to cover additional sessions out of pocket. The LAP rate for tutor & strategist sessions is $50/hour.
After term ends
- Pay for all services used, including any scheduled sessions beyond your approved hours.
- Return detailed service provider receipts. The LAP will prepare a receipt for all of your services on behalf of your LAP tutors/strategist/notetakers. See our Invoice Payment & Funding page for more information on payment & receipts.
- Acquire a personal cheque from the bank, or a money order, and mail it to StudentAid BC (SABC) payable to the Minister of Finance, unless no unused funds remain.
What's on my approval letter?
Your approval letter tells you:
-
- How many tutoring hours you have (per course)
- How many learning strategist hours you have (SABC uses the term “academic strategist”)
- Which courses you can use notetaking for
- The date range in which you can use services, which are typically the start and end dates of the course
In the example approval letter below,
-
- Marie’s approved services & hours are:
- 30 hours for Tutor – PSYC 201 (2 hrs/week x 15 weeks = 30 hours)
- 15 hours for Academic Strategist ($750/$50 = 15 hours)
- Notetaker for PHYS 102A ($250)
- Marie can use services within the “Study Period” listed: May 6, 2026 to Aug. 21, 2026
- Marie’s approved services & hours are:
My CSG Checklist
Use this checklist to help track your main CSG services funding tasks
(For equipment funding, please check in directly with your CAL Accessibility Advisor)
Before funding is approved (Months 1–2 of term)
☐ Tell my CAL Accessibility Advisor I would like to apply for CSG services funding
☐ Respond to CAL requests for information (e.g. my student loan number and mailing address)
☐ Confirm my application includes all the services I’d like funded (strategist, all tutors, all notetakers)
After funding is approved (Months 3–4 of term)
☐ Verify I’m approved for all services I’m using, with special attention to approved hours for tutoring & strategist services (check my approval letter in my SABC student account, or ask my CAL Accessibility Advisor)
☐ Keep track of all tutor and strategist sessions that count toward my approved hours. (Ask the LAP how many hours you’ve used anytime: learning@uvic.ca)
After the end of the term
☐ Pay my LAP invoice*
☐ Request my service provider receipt from learning@uvic.ca* and complete the steps to return it to StudentAid BC
☐ If I have unused funding, obtain and mail a personal cheque or money order to return the remaining funds
(*and any private service providers)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CSG funding?
Throughout this guide, “CSG” refers specifically to the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE). You can apply for services (i.e. tutors, strategist, notetakers) as well as equipment (assistive technology) through this grant. Students from outside BC apply via their provincial student aid office, with the help of their CAL Accessibility Advisor. There are also other related non-repayable grants your CAL Accessibility Advisor can help you apply for at the same time.
Am I eligible for CSG funding?
To be eligible for CSG funding, you must:
- Be approved for a student loan in the term you wish to use services/equipment.
- Establish disability status with StudentAid BC (SABC). Students can complete the Disability status application at any time through the Forms section of their Student Account (process details here). Verification typically takes up to six weeks, so it’s a good idea to submit this application at the same time as – or even before – your student loan application. You typically only need to establish disability status once.
- Work with your CAL Accessibility Advisor to apply for funding. This includes providing your student loan number and current address, and confirming the details of all services you would like funding for (common services include tutoring, learning strategy, and notetaking).
When is the deadline to apply?
Applications should be submitted at least four weeks before your study end date (typically the last day of final exams). Funding requests cannot be submitted after your courses have ended.
Contact your CAL Accessibility Advisor early each term you’d like to apply for tutor, strategist, or notetaking funding.
How will I receive the funds?
Every term you apply for CSG and are approved, you’ll be mailed a cheque.
You can verify the mailing address you have on your UVic record anytime on your Personal & account profile in your Online Tools.
My student loan is from another province, what should I do?
After applying for your student loan through your home province, reach out to your UVic CAL Accessibility Advisor about applying for services & equipment funding. Here are the links to all student aid offices in Canada.