Question Period Note: Canada Student Grants

Making post-secondary education more affordable for students from low- and middle-income families.

• The Government of Canada has taken action to make post-secondary education more affordable and student debt is manageable even as the costs of education continue to rise.

• We have already increased the amount of Canada Student Grants by 50 per cent and have made more students eligible for the them.

• As a result of our investments, over 450,000 students from low- and middle-income families are receiving up to $3,000 per year in support they do not need to repay, and students with children and students with disabilities receive even more.

• Our platform commitments will go even further to help low- and middle-income Canadians afford the growing costs of post-secondary education.

• The Canada Student Loans Program provides targeted grants and needs-based loans to help students access post-secondary education and offers the Repayment Assistance Plan to borrowers with financial difficulty.

• Canada Student Grants are targeted to students from low- and middle-income families, students with disabilities and low- and middle-income students with dependents.

• As a result of investments made in recent years, in 2017-18, approximately $1.4 billion was provided in grants to 490,000 students:
o over 450,000 students from low- and middle-income families received up to $3,000;
o more than 45,000 students with disabilities received an additional $2,000; some of them also received up to $8,000 in grants for services and equipment;
o over 40,000 students with dependants received additional grants.

• For adult learners, the Government introduced Skills Boost in 2018; it is a three-year pilot project targeted to adults who wish to return to school after spending several years in the workforce that includes top-up grant funding of $1,600 per school year. Approximately 85,000 adult learners have already received the top-up grant.

• Through Budget 2019, the Government of Canada made the six-month grace period interest free and lowered interest rates on Canada Student Loans to prime, from prime plus 2.5, as of November 1, 2019.

• Through Budget 2019, the Government of Canada increased the cap on Canada Student Grants for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities from $8,000 to $20,000 effective August 1, 2019.

• The Liberal Party election platform also committed to a 40 percent increase to full- and part-time grants that will give students with up to $1,200 more per year.

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