Qualifying for the Vision Program is dependent on household and/or parental income. To qualify for the Vision Program, you must meet the same financial thresholds that currently exist to receive a Canada Student Grant.

These values will be updated in accordance with changes made by the Government of Canada. 
As of September 2025, the eligibility amounts and limits, as determined by the federal government, are:

Household size * (number of people)	For maximum assistance; total household or parental income must be equal to or less than:	Limit for eligibility consideration; if income the values are above those listed below, not eligible.
1	$37,701	$69,214
2	$52,059	$96,923
3	$65,302	$115,978
4	$75,405	$128,222
5	$84,304	$139,451
6	$92,351	$150,043
7 and more	$99,751	$159,275

_{*Household size is defined by the applicant plus two living parents, if the applicant is under 25 years of age, independent of where the applicant lives and where the parents live.}

Depending on need, applicants may qualify under one of three tiers, with Tier 1 being the highest need, and Tier 3 being the lowest. Coverage included under each tier can be seen below:

	MCAT $345USD	Prep Material (up to $300)	Application Fee $255	Casper $50 (+$18)	Seat Deposit bursary $1000	Total
Tier 1	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	Over $2000
Tier 2		✓	✓	✓	✓	Over $1600
Tier 3			✓	✓	✓	Over $1300

Review the examples of Riley, Anna, and Peter to assist in deciding if you qualify. 

Riley - Riley is 21 and is a full-time student living with his only living parent; there are two individuals in the household. He works part-time while completing his university degree. His father has an annual salary of $62,500 and Riley makes $12,000 working throughout the year. 

The total income of the household is $74,500 and Riley qualifies under Tier 2.

---

Anna - Anna is 20 years old and lives with her mother; her parents divorced many years ago. Her father’s annual salary is $55,000 and her mother makes $60,000. Anna works part-time on campus while she is in university making $15,000 annually.The total household income is $130,000. 

Anna would not qualify for the Vision Program as the household income exceeds $$115,978.

---

Peter - Peter lives with his parents and younger sister, who is finishing the last year of high school. His father is permanently disabled and receives a disability pension of $22,000 annually. Peter’s mother works full-time and makes $40,000 annually while Peter works full-time in the summer and part-time while completing his degree, making $18,500 annually. 

The total household income is $80,500 and Peter would qualify under Tier 1.

---

Please be advised that applications to the Vision Program for the 2026-2027 year to apply to medical school in summer 2027 will open on September 7, 2026. The application window will run until November 30, 2026. 

Applicants to the Vision Program must satisfy all the criteria below:

• Applicants must demonstrate strong academic potential through a competitive GPA or other evidence of academic capability (e.g., upward grade trajectory, overcoming academic challenges).

• Demonstrate a history of financial hardship:
• NOAs, or equivalent income tax documents, for the past 3 years.
• NOAs from all parents/guardians, if the applicant is under 25, or equivalent documents if the applicant’s parents/guardians do not and have never resided in Canada.
• Other government-issued documents that support financial hardship (i.e. social assistance, government housing, disability income supplement, etc.)
• Meet the definition of a Newfoundland and Labrador resident, as described on the Admissions webpage.

• Graduated high school from a public education system for secondary education.

• Received a Canada Student Loan (for Canadian citizens), or equivalent documents for applicants with Permanent Residency status (official documents that confirm that their education was financed through acquiring personal debt from your country of citizenship).

• Demonstrate a sincere desire and commitment to serve as a physician in NL     

To apply, please complete the three sections in Application Requirements via the online application. 

Apply Now

Please include the Residence History pdf as part of your application to the Vision Program. 

Decisions on applications to the Vision Program are made by a committee, led by the Social Accountability Office in the Faculty of Medicine. The Admissions Office does not take part in the decision process. Applications received will be redacted, removing any identifying information, prior to being advanced to the committee.

Eligible expenses for reimbursement must be incurred after applicants are deemed to have qualified; retroactive reimbursement is not permitted.

Incomplete applications are not considered; all required documents must be submitted to proceed to committee review.

Applying to the Vision Program is a complete and separate process than applying to the Doctor of Medicine Degree; the two applications are independent. Applicants to the Vision Program must also submit the medical school application for the cycle in which they wish to apply. Applicants who receive financial assistance via the Vision Program and then apply to the Doctor of Medicine Degree will be identified to our Interview and Admissions Committees as part of the holistic review process.

How many times can I apply for the Vision Program?

If you receive funding under the Vision Program, you must apply to medical school within three years and you cannot reapply to the Vision Program again within this period.

Within the three-year period after you qualify:

1. The MCAT exam will be covered by a maximum of two times.
2. MCAT prep materials, up to a $300 value, will be awarded once.
3. The Casper exam and application fees will be awarded a maximum of three times each.

If you receive the maximum allowances above in any three-year period, you are not eligible to reapply to the Vision Program. 

If you do not apply to medical school within three years and do not avail yourself of any exam funding for MCAT or Casper, you will need to reapply to the Vision Program.

Do I have to apply to medical school in the same year that I receive funding?

No, but you must apply to the Doctor of Medicine program within three application cycles to receive funding.

Example:

Khalid applied to the Vision Program in Fall 2026 and qualified. He must apply to medical school by the summer of 2029 (application cycle 2029-2030, Class of 2034) to have application fees covered and receive a bursary (if accepted); if he does not, he must reapply to the Vision Program with a new application to determine if he qualifies.

If I receive funding under the Vision Program, will I automatically be accepted to medical school?

No. The Vision Program only removes the financial costs incurred by preparing to apply and the application costs. Applicants must submit a separate application to medical school during the application window for the year in which they want to start studies. Memorial University uses a holistic review process to appraise applications and the unique experience of recipients of the Vision Program will be considered under this process.