Prime Minister Trudeau announced an aid package for post-secondary students as a result of the challenging summer jobs market that many students rely on for living and school expenses. The new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) is a $9 billion program that includes:
- $1,250 a month from May to August ($1,750 each month if the student takes care of someone else or has a disability)
- $1,000-$5,000 through a new Canada Student Service Grant for eligible students who volunteer this summer in the fight against COVID-19
- $75 million to increase support specifically for First Nations, Metis Nation, and Inuit students
The new student benefit will be available to post-secondary students and recently graduated students with a monthly income of $1,000 or less.
Many students were not eligible for the $2,000 per month Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) as the requirements included earning at least $5,000 in the last year and losing their source of income as a result of COVID-19.
Students who are enrolled in a post-secondary program in September or graduated after December 2019 are eligible.
The CESB program is in addition to the Government of Canada approving the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program for 70,000 students and providing employers with a full subsidy of the student wages. In prior years, for-profit employers were only eligible for a 50% wage subsidy.
Parliament has not yet approved the CESB plan.
