July 03, 2008

In Budget 2008 our government announced significant improvements to federal support to students. For the first time, all Canadians who want to attend university, college or a trade school will be able to, regardless of their financial situation. The most noteworthy changes include:

• The new Canada Student Grant Program will provide $250 each month in grants for students from low-income families and $100 a month for students from middle-income families. Students with dependants under 12 years of age will also qualify for an additional monthly grant of $200.
• The new Repayment Assistance Plan is an optional program for students facing difficulty in meeting their student loan payments. This new program is more responsive to a borrower’s economic circumstances and will link monthly loan payments to a student’s ability to pay. Individuals will now make affordable payments based on their income and debt levels.
• The new Service Delivery Vision means that we will develop a modernized service administration of the loans programs to help students to manage loans and grants, from research to repayment. The use of electronic services will allow students to self-manage their loans online.

Contact us...

Our address is: suite 105, 1410 11th Ave SW Calgary, T3C 0M8 or phone (403) 244-1880. Our e-mail address is Richardson.L@parl.gc.ca.