Students may be eligible for $1,250 a month
T he Prime Minister announced today that students and recent graduates who have had their education and job prospects affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to receive the new Canada Emergency Student Benefit.
The benefit will give eligible post-secondary students $1,250 a month from May to August.
Those who are taking care of someone else or have a disability may be eligible to receive $1,750 monthly.
College and university students currently in school, who are planning to start school in September, or who have graduated in December 2019 will be eligible. Students currently working and earning less than $1,000 per month will also be able to apply.
The benefit is a part of a $9 billion package meant to assist young people affected by the ongoing pandemic.
“If you’re a post-secondary student right now, if you’re going to college in September or if you graduated in December 2019, it’s there for you even if you have a job but you’re only making up to $1,000 a month. The period covered by the benefit will start on May 1st and your payments will be delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency. We’ll be working with opposition parties to move forward on legislation to put this new benefit in place.”
— Justin Trudeau
“As young people, what you’re going through matters,” said the Prime Minister in his daily coronavirus briefing. “We want to make sure that you’ll be OK. So today I’m announcing our plan to support students right across the country. We’re launching the Canada Emergency Student Benefit to provide immediate help. At the same time, we will create new student jobs and double student grants, among other things. All of these measures will add up to approximately $9 billion for students.”
Also announced today was the creation of an additional 76,000 jobs for young people. These jobs will be in sectors currently affected by, or responding to the pandemic, or that need additional support.
Canada will be investing $291 million to extend scholarships, fellowships, and grants for three or four months to keep research projects and work placements going.
Canada will also be expanding eligibility for financial assistance and raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020–21 from $210 to $350.
To support active volunteers who are responding to COVID-19 this summer, a new Canada Student Service Grant of between $1,000 and $5,000 will be available for student volunteers who are working in programs related to COVID-19.
More than $75 million will be invested in supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Nation students.
Canada Student Grants and The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents will be doubled for 2020–21.
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