Understand the Recently Announced Federal Relief Measures for Students

Understanding the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) and other recently announced federal student relief measures:

What is the CESB?

The CESB would provide $1,250 per month for eligible students from May through August 2020, and $1,750 for students with dependents and those with permanent disabilities.

What is the CSSG?

Students who volunteer for essential services will be eligible to receive up to $5000 of post-secondary education costs. Eligibility and application details will be available through the to-be-launched I Want to Help platform.

Who’s eligible?

Post-secondary students currently enrolled or going back to school in Fall 2020
Recent Graduates since December 2019
Students who are ineligible for the CERB or EI

International Students:

Are not currently eligible for CESB but are eligible to receive Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) if they have lost income due to the pandemic.
CSSG eligibility details haven’t been released yet.
The 20 hr/week limit is lifted till August 31, 2020 for those working in essential services like health care, infrastructure, food or critical good supply and more.

Other Relief Measures Announced:

$291.6 million to extend graduate student scholarships, fellowships and grants for the next three to four months
76,000 additional jobs in sectors providing essential services.
$75 million pledged for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students
Plans to double Canada Student Grants to up to $6,000 for full-time students and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21.
Proposed raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 to $350 from $210 for the Canada Student Loans Program

How Do I Access These Benefits?

CESB will be delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency. Applications details will be shared once available
CSSG details will be available through the I Want to Help platform once launched
Information on grants and loans are available through UWinnipeg Awards office at awards@uwinnipeg.ca