Post-secondary students who lend a hand at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games will be getting some help of their own when it comes to their student loan payments.

The province says volunteering students won’t have to make their prestudy financial payment in recognition of them not picking up paid work during the summer break that year.

Meanwhile, those graduating from full-time courses who help out will have the usual six-month grace period before they have to start paying back their loans doubled to a year.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities says the program will help about 4,500 students volunteering with the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

Brad Duguid, minister of training, colleges and universities, says volunteering at the Games will help students make a lasting impact on their communities, build valuable skills for the future and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

A total of 20,000 volunteers will be involved with the sporting events, billed as the largest ever in the province.