43e législature223Réponse du gouvernement déposée16 novembre 2020e-2680e-2680 (Administration et services gouvernementaux)ChristopherWordenLindsayMathyssenLondon—FanshaweNPDON17 juin 2020 à 14 h 15 (HAE)16 août 2020 à 14 h 15 (HAE)28 septembre 202016 novembre 202017 août 2020Pétition au <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">gouvernement du Canada</Addressee>Attendu que :Les étudiants de cycle supérieur font fait à des obstacles bien particulier en raison de la crise de la COVID-19, tels que la perte de poste d’assistants à la recherche, des retards dans l’achèvement des programmes et la diminution des débouchés sur le marché du travail;Les étudiants de cycle supérieur sont censés payer des frais de scolarité toute l’année (sans interruption pendant l’été);La plupart des étudiants de cycle supérieur sont plus âgés que les étudiants de premier cycle et vivent hors campus, où ils font face au même coût de la vie que les autres travailleurs au Canada;La plupart des étudiants de cycle supérieur ne sont pas admissibles à la Prestation canadienne d’urgence;La Prestation d’urgence canadienne pour les étudiants (PCUE) s’adresse uniquement aux étudiants qui sont citoyens canadiens ou résidents permanents et qui gagnent moins de 1 000 $ par mois, bien que ce montant soit insuffisant pour faire face au coût de la vie, sans compter le fardeau supplémentaire des frais de scolarité;La PCUE ne fournit pas de soutien à la plupart des étudiants de cycle supérieur, qui sont nombreux à ne pas y avoir droit, soit parce qu’ils ont un revenu supérieur à 1 000 $ par mois, soit parce qu’ils sont des étudiants étrangers sans statut de résident permanent;Prendre un congé pour éviter de payer les frais de scolarité d’été perturberait de façon insoutenable le revenu, les études et les travaux de recherche de nombreux étudiants de cycle supérieur;Le seul programme s’adressant aux étudiants étrangers les obligerait à occuper des emplois de première ligne à haut risque alors qu’ils tentent de terminer leurs études.Nous, soussignés, étudiants de cycle supérieur du Canada , prions le gouvernement du Canada d’élargir les critères d’admissibilité de la PCUE afin de l’étendre aux étudiants étrangers et aux étudiants qui gagnent plus de 1 000 $ par mois et de collaborer avec les gouvernements provinciaux afin de mettre en place des allègements pour les loyers résidentiels.
Response by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability InclusionSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): IREK KUSMIERCZYKThe Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) provided emergency financial relief to students and recent graduates who were unable to work, or unable to find work, due to reasons related to COVID-19. It was also available to those who were working but not making more than $1,000 (before taxes) over the four-week period for which they applied. The CESB was available from May 10 to August 29, 2020 and provided more than $2.93B of financial relief to over 708,000 eligible recipients.Parliament approved the Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act to introduce CESB and its eligibility parameters, which mirrored those of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP). While international students did not qualify for the CESB, the Government of Canada recognized the needs of international students living in Canada and has taken action to support them. Notably, international students were eligible to receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), provided they met the eligibility criteria including they were residing in Canada at the time and earned a minimum of $5000 in the last 12 months or 2019.  In February, approximately 40 percent of students in Canada were working, which included international students. This indicates that a significant number of students were in fact eligible to receive the CERB. Adjustments were also made to allow international students to work more while they are studying.The Government of Canada also introduced other measures to benefit students. All students, including graduate students, who are repaying their Canada Student Loans (CSLs) or Canada Apprentice Loans benefitted from a six-month interest-free repayment moratorium that came into effect on March 30, 2020 and ended September 30, 2020. This interest-free repayment moratorium automatically paused the student borrower’s repayment requirements and stopped interest from accruing on their loans. With the moratorium now lifted, students in repayment who are continuing to experience financial hardship may be eligible to enroll in the CSLP Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).Furthermore, The Government of Canada announced significant increases to grant and loan support for the 2020-21 school year, so that students facing challenges due to COVID-19 can access and afford post-secondary education. These changes include:
  • Canada Student Grants were doubled for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students. While these grants are only provided to undergraduate students, graduate students can benefit from the increase to the Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents, which were also doubled.
  • No contribution is expected from students and their spouses in determining the amount of financial aid a student can get in recognition that many students and families struggled to save for school this year.
  • The weekly cap on CSLs was increased from $210 to $350 per week of study.
In addition to the measures mentioned above, the Government of Canada increased existing distinctions-based support for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students pursuing post-secondary education, and extended expiring federal graduate research scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships.
COVID-19ÉtudiantsPandémiesPrestation canadienne d’urgence pour étudiants