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