Athlete Assistance Program (AAP)

• Monthly living and training allowance per carded athlete: $2,175 for Senior Card (SR1, SR2, SR, SRH), $1,305 for Development Card (D, DH).
• Tuition support of up to $5,500 per carding cycle, with a lifetime cap of $27,500 for eligible post-secondary education; deferred tuition is available for up to five cycles and usable within seven years of the last carding date.
• Supplementary AAP Support up to $16,410 per carding cycle (excluding specific categories such as relocation, new parent, and retirement support).
• Excellence Living and Training Allowance or Child Dependent Allowance up to $7,380 per cycle for qualifying carded athletes with annual income below $75,000, with step-down amounts for incomes up to $79,999.
• Retirement Assistance: one-time maximum of $5,000 for eligible athletes, and Relocation Assistance: up to $750 per move (maximum of two moves per athlete's career).

• The applicant must be a National Sport Organization (NSO) with a high-performance sport program that meets Sport Canada's minimum standards and receives funding through the Sport Support Program (SSP) and a quota from the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP).
• The NSO must offer a clearly articulated national team program based on year-round training principles, including appropriate training and competition opportunities for carded athletes.
• The NSO must publish and apply AAP-compliant, sport-specific carding criteria for nominating athletes for AAP support.
• The NSO must formally monitor and evaluate nominated athletes' training and competition programs, ensuring ongoing compliance with AAP requirements.

Who is eligible?

• Canadian National Sport Organizations (NSOs) with high-performance sport programs funded by Sport Canada
• High-performance Canadian athletes nominated by their eligible NSO

Who is not eligible

• This program is not open to companies or organizations; it is specifically intended for individual athletes nominated by their National Sport Organization.
• Businesses, corporations, or entities not engaged in high-performance sport as recognized by an eligible National Sport Organization are not eligible.

Eligible expenses

• Monthly living and training allowance for approved athletes.
• Tuition fees for approved courses at eligible Canadian publicly-funded post-secondary institutions (up to an annual and lifetime maximum).
• Deferred tuition support for eligible athletes to pursue post-secondary studies after their athletic career (up to specified maximums).
• Supplementary allowances, including Excellence Living and Training Allowance for top performers, Child Dependent Allowance, and Training and Competition Allowance for Paralympic athletes with high support needs (amounts determined by income).
• Relocation assistance for moving to or from a designated National Team Training Centre (limited to specified transportation and accommodation expenses).
• Support for new parents to help cover eligible travel costs for a support person attending NSO-required training camps or competitions (subject to maximums and conditions).
• Retirement assistance for transition support (one-time, subject to eligibility and maximum amount).

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada (applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and participate in National Sport Organization high-performance programs funded by Sport Canada)

• Compliance with the criteria for granting patents approved and distributed by the national sports organization (NSO), in accordance with the requirements of the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP).
• Satisfaction of the objective criteria established by the NSO for the selection of athletes recommended for program support.
• Conformity of the recommendations with the policies and procedures of the AAP during the review by Sport Canada.

• Over 1,900 athletes across more than 90 sport disciplines receive AAP support each year.
• The financial support received from the AAP is non-taxable in Canada.
• Athletes receiving assistance are referred to as "carded athletes," and the funding process is known as "carding."
• Supplementary support options are available, including allowances for excellence, child dependents, high support needs for Paralympic athletes, relocation, new parents, and retirement assistance.