On Wednesday (April 22), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $9 billion package of economic support for post-secondary students and recent graduates affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ever since the announcement of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which provides $2,000 per month for people who have stopped working or lost income due to COVID-19, the federal government had been promising additional financial support for students who are not eligible for that benefit.
“Right now, you might be worried about how to make ends meet,” Trudeau said. “You probably can’t work your normal job, and that might be a big problem for rent or for groceries. So we’re bringing in the Canada Emergency Student Benefit to help.”
The Canada Emergency Student Benefit would provide $1,250 per month for eligible students, or $1,750 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities.
The benefit would be retroactive to May 1st and available until August, and would be delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency.
As with the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, recipients of the Canada Emergency Student Benefit would be able to earn up to $1,000 per month without effecting their eligibility for the benefit.
Trudeau also announced the new Canada Student Service Grant, which will provide between $1,000 and $5,000 to students who choose to volunteer over the summer.
The new measures will come into effect after legislation is introduced and approved in Parliament.
The federal government is also expanding existing its federal employment, skills development, and youth programming to create up to 116,000 jobs, placements, and other training opportunities to help students find employment.
Other measures in the $9 billion package include:
- doubling the Canada Student Grants, including grants for students with dependents or disabilities, for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21
- broadening the eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student’s and spouse’s contributions in 2020-21
- enhancing the Canada Student Loans Program by raising from $210 to $350 the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21
- providing an additional $75.2 million in 2020-21 for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students pursuing post-secondary education
- providing $291.6 million to federal granting councils to support students and post-doctoral fellows by extending expiring federal graduate research scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships, and to supplement existing federal research grants.
