MP Sidhu supports Government of Canada efforts to make post-secondary education more affordable for part-time students Français
MISSION, BC, March 12, 2018 /CNW/ - Jati Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, today highlighted expanded access to Canada Student Grants for part-time students and Skills Boost, a new plan giving adult learners the support they need to succeed in the workforce.
Making post-secondary education more affordable for Canadians is how Canada will continue growing its middle class and strengthening the economy. When Canadians have the opportunity to go to school or access training while better balancing family responsibilities, they are better placed to both find and keep good jobs.
Skills Boost includes several measures announced in Budget 2017 that will be available for the school year beginning this fall as part of a $287.2 million three-year pilot project. Students eligible for the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students and who have been out of high school for at least 10 years will receive an additional $1,600 per school year ($200 per month) in top-up funding.
An estimated 43,000 low- and middle-income Canadians will benefit from the top-up funding in the 2018–19 academic year. Further, for the first time, working and unemployed Canadians whose employment situation has significantly changed from the previous year can see their current income used to assess Canada Student Grant eligibility. This means a person who experiences a drop in income will not disqualify automatically for assistance based on their previous year's earnings.
Through a new $1,600-per-year Canada Student Grant and new flexibilities for Employment Insurance, going back to school will be within reach for 43,000 more Canadians in the middle class, as well as those working hard to join it. As well, starting this academic year, nearly 10,000 more part-time students from low- and middle-income families will benefit from up to $1,800 in non‑repayable grants per year and up to $10,000 in loans. Additionally, access to grants for part-time students with children will be expanded, allowing them to benefit from up to $1,920 per year in grants.
Expanded access to Canada Student Grants for full-time and part-time students and students with dependants helps more Canadians afford post-secondary education. These measures will benefit Canadian women in particular, who often strive to improve their career prospects while balancing family responsibilities. Women represent nearly two thirds of the Canada Student Loans Program's part-time recipients and nearly four out of five recipients of the Canada Student Grant for students with dependent children.
Quote
"These new measures, especially the support for students from low- and middle-income families and grants for students who have children, send a clear signal of this government's commitment to education and accessibility. This will make a huge difference for many people here in Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon and throughout the country."
– Jati Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon
Quick Facts
The Government of Canada is investing:
- $107.4 million over four years, starting in 2018–19, and $29.3 million per year thereafter, to expand eligibility for Canada Student Grants for students with dependants.
- $59.8 million over four years, starting in 2018–19, and $17 million per year thereafter to expand eligibility for Canada Student Grants for Part-Time Students and to increase the threshold for eligibility for Canada Student Loans for part-time students.
Expanded access to Canada Student Grants for students with dependants, starting in the 2018–19 academic year, allows more:
- full-time students with children to receive up to $200 per month per child; and
- part-time students with children to receive up to $1,920 per year in grants.
Related Products
Backgrounder: Canada Student Loans Program
Associated Links
Student Financial Assistance
Budget 2016: Growing the Middle-Class
Budget 2017: Building a Strong Middle-Class
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
For media enquiries, please contact: Emily Harris, Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P., Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, [email protected], 819-654-2346; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]; Seamus Heffernan, Manager, Office of Jati Sidhu, M.P., 604-814-5710, [email protected]
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