After high school: college, training, apprenticeship and work.
Grade 12 is a transition, not an ending. Help the young person build a realistic plan for education, work, money, housing and continued support.
Part of our School & Education resource series. See the main School & Education guide for the wider topic and related resources. Following a guided route? Return to the Teen years & turning 18 route.
Information reviewed September 2026. Services, program rules and eligibility can change, so use the linked source for current information.
There is more than one successful path after Grade 12.
A young person may move directly into university or college, begin an apprenticeship, work while deciding what comes next, upgrade courses, take adult education or combine work and training. The best plan is one the young person understands and can actually carry out.
Start planning before graduation.
- What does the young person want to do next year?
- Do they meet the admission requirements?
- What applications have deadlines?
- Where will they live?
- How will transportation work?
- What identification and banking do they have?
- What financial aid, disability support or transition service may apply?
PEI Student Aid
PEI Student Financial Services administers provincial and federal student loans, grants and bursaries. Applications are made through the MyPath portal, and students should apply for the academic year in which their studies begin.
Grants and bursaries can reduce what the student needs to borrow.
PEI's annual Student Financial Services timetable lists federal student grants, the Island Advantage Bursary and Community Service Bursary along with loan disbursement and application dates. Students with disabilities may also qualify for disability-related student grants.
PEI Student Financial Services timetable
Apprenticeship is post-secondary education too.
For trades, a young person may enter apprenticeship through paid work combined with technical training. PEI Apprenticeship registers apprentices and coordinates in-school training. Training assistance can depend on registration and Employment Insurance eligibility.
PEI Apprenticeship in-school training
SkillsPEI can help with employment and training.
SkillsPEI provides employment-assistance programs, Work Experience PEI, job fairs, Training PEI, Career Connect, apprenticeship information and other labour-market supports. Services are available through offices in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince.
Career Connect may help some students receiving EI.
Career Connect allows eligible PEI residents with an active Employment Insurance claim to continue receiving EI while attending approved full-time post-secondary training. Eligibility is specific, so ask SkillsPEI before relying on it.
If the young person was involved with Child Protection.
Do not assume that every youth who lived in kinship care qualifies for Youth Extended Services. PEI's YES program has specific eligibility tied to being in the Director's care. Check the young person's legal status and ask the responsible worker before graduation.
Read Turning 18: Transition to Adulthood
Teach the practical skills hidden inside “independence.”
Money and paperwork
- Bank account and debit card.
- Budgeting.
- Tax filing.
- Student aid and deadlines.
- Reading a lease or employment document.
Daily adult life
- Booking appointments.
- Transportation.
- Laundry and meals.
- Medication management.
- Asking for help before a problem becomes a crisis.
Do not treat 18 as a finish line.
A young adult may still need the caregiver as a stable home base while learning to manage school, work, money and relationships. Independence can grow gradually without removing connection.
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