A student filed a complaint about Student Financial Assistance (AFE), which refused to recognize his major functional disability.
Yet, according to the medical certificate provided by his physician, he met all the requirements for obtaining this status.
Students with a major functional disability may qualify for the Allowance for Special Needs Program. What’s more, the loan amount is issued as a bursary. For more information, see the Student Financial Assistance brochure.
AFE studied the document, but a physician’s note muddled the issue. AFE rendered its decision without asking any further questions.
The Québec Ombudsman convinced AFE to contact the physician in order to understand the note. Unfortunately, he could not be reached.
The student therefore opted for another solution that the Québec Ombudsman proposed. He obtained a medical certificate from another physician.
Based on the new document, AFE recognized the student’s major functional disability.
The Québec Ombudsman ensures that your rights are upheld in your dealings with Québec public services. Are you dissatisfied with the services of a Government of Québec department or agency? Or with those of a health and social services network institution (2nd level of recourse)? File a complaint by calling 1-800-463-5070 or using our online complaint form.
