Canadian Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) Applications Open Tomorrow, May 15

Starting tomorrow, May 15, eligible UWinnipeg students will be able to apply for the Canada Emergency Student benefit through their Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Account.

While the CESB will offer much needed support to many students who had been left out of the CERB, there are still ways to improve this vital program. International students, who make up 12.5 per cent of UWinnipeg’s student population will still be left out.

The amount of $1250 per month is also considerably less than the $2000 per month that applicants receive through CERB. The reduced amount is not enough to cover education and living costs for students unable to work or find work due to the pandemic.

The UWSA appreciates the financial support from Ottawa and hopes that both the federal and provincial governments will take steps to ensure that the CESB is available to all students and is on par with the CERB.

About the Canada Emergency Student Benefit

The CESB will provide financial support to recent graduates and post-secondary students who are unable to work or find employment due to COVID-19, or are not earning over $1000, and who are not eligible for either the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or Employment Insurance (EI).

The benefit will provide $1,250 every four weeks for eligible students or $2,000 every four weeks for eligible students with disabilities or those with children or other dependents. The CESB is available from May 10 until August 29, 2020. Applications will be accepted until September 30, 2020.

Applications for the CESB will open Friday, May 15, 2020. To get ready to apply, the CRA encourages eligible students to take three important steps:

Step 1: Register a profile with the CRA. If you have never filed an income tax return with the CRA, you may not have a profile with them. Call 1-800-959-8281 to activate your SIN with the CRA.
Step 2: Register for My Account as this is the fastest and easiest way to apply for the benefit.
Step 3: Enroll for Direct Deposit with the CRA through My Account or your financial institution to get your CESB within 3 days of applying. Alternatively, you must ensure your mailing information is up-to-date in My Account to receive a cheque by mail within 10 business days.

Please visit the CESB website here to make sure that you qualify and have all the documents necessary to submit your application.