Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday announced a new $9 billion package aimed at supporting young people during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The standout provision is $1,250 a month for students and recent graduates. That amount increases to $1,750 a month for students with a disability or who are taking care of someone else.
Those eligible include College and university students currently in school, planning to start in September, or who graduated in December 2019.
In addition to income, the government said it will ensure students receive work support. That includes creating 76,000 in understaffed sectors, such as farming. Trudeau also announced Canada Student Service Grant, which awards students between $1,000 and $5,000 for volunteering in the fight against COVID-19 fight. The money will be contributed toward their fall tuition.
First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Nation students, specifically, will receive $75.2 million in financial support.
“COVID-19 has meant that there aren’t as many jobs out there for students, and without a job, it can be hard to pay for tuition or the day-to-day basics,” Trudeau said, which is true even without a pandemic. “You might normally have turned to your parents for help, but right now mom and dad are stretched, too.”
The funding still needs legislation and to be signed into a bill. Presumably, it will be available by May.
