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Results: 1 - 11 of 11
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Just with the limits on my time, Minister, it was in your mandate letter—
Hon. Carla Qualtrough: I know.
Ms. Leah Gazan: —so if you could follow up with my office with a response....
On the student loan repayment moratorium, we know that industries that employ young people have been hard hit during the pandemic. The service industry is one example. Young people currently have fewer job options, and those that are available are often low-paying jobs and put them at higher risk for COVID-19.
On November 25, the House unanimously adopted a motion to extend the pause on federal student loan repayments. Why have we not seen action on this? When will you pause federal student loan repayments?
View Carla Qualtrough Profile
Lib. (BC)
Helping to provide relief for students' debt obligations was, as you know, one of the first things we did when the pandemic hit. In the fall economic statement, we have committed—I think it was around $329 million, but I'll confirm—to provide immediate relief to all student loan borrowers through a one-year interest waiver, which I guess is the best way to describe it.
Again, we're looking at the way forward through our budget preparations, and I will have more to say on additional supports for students in the coming months.
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to ask a question about the student loans mentioned in the fall economic statement. $329.4 million was announced to eliminate interest on Canada student loans and Canada apprentice loans for fiscal 2021-22.
Since these programs do not apply to Quebec students, can you give us the details about compensation for Quebec students further to this announcement?
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you. I am mainly interested in how Quebec students will be compensated for this program.
My other question I have already asked. You are aware that the employment insurance claims of people who received money during their parental leave are caught up in an administrative maze. All these claims are frozen, sometimes for months, because of a lack of clear policy. That's what Service Canada agents are telling claimants. They are telling them to call their members of Parliament. We feel it's unacceptable.
Are you working with the department responsible to get clear instructions for unblocking claims so that people can receive assistance?
View Ryan Turnbull Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Ryan Turnbull Profile
2020-06-12 14:39
I'd like to ask you a follow-up question about that.
We also announced new eligibility criteria for the Canada student loans program and a doubling of the Canada student grant. Do you think that's going to have an impact on helping students go back, re-enrol and pay for that tuition in the fall?
Babacar Faye
View Babacar Faye Profile
Babacar Faye
2020-06-12 14:40
Absolutely, I think that would have an important impact. We have to ensure that is available but also that there's an equivalent or [Technical difficulty—Editor] that the amount of government aid in student loans for Canadian students is sufficient.
There is a need, I believe, for more support when it comes to just the other factors that might surround it and that might apply but might not be considered when it comes to our students. We typically have a narrow field, to use those words, when it comes to students, and we usually have the perception that students only have tuition fees to worry about. We need to expand that to consider that a lot of students also have living standards to uphold. We need to be looking at the entire cost of living for students.
We could look at promoting and pushing for a more complete approach when it comes to providing, first of all, accessibility for learning materials and other tools that may aid students in learning, but also look at rent and the ability to find places to rent. We also need to be looking beyond domestic students to international students, who don't apply for that help and don't receive that aid, and who don't apply, for example—
Bryn de Chastelain
View Bryn de Chastelain Profile
Bryn de Chastelain
2020-06-12 15:14
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, esteemed committee members and fellow witnesses. I would like to begin my statement by acknowledging that I speak to you today from Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people.
My name is Bryn de Chastelain. I am the chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, or CASA. I am also president of the Saint Mary's University Students' Association and a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in political science and economics.
CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that represents over 275,000 students at colleges, polytechnics and universities from coast to coast. Through a formal partnership with the Union étudiante du Québec, with which I will be sharing time today, we are a trusted national student voice.
CASA has been at the forefront of student advocacy efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We've been clear that students, like other Canadians, have been hit hard by the pandemic's economic and social impacts. At a uniquely vulnerable point in their lives, students have been blindsided by lost income, online classes, a summer of isolation and bleak job prospects following graduation.
Thankfully, on April 22, the federal government responded to our calls for support with a generous and significant student aid package. As a student leader, I would like to express my gratitude for this immediate and considerable support, which was extraordinarily necessary in these unprecedented times. Many students are now seeing immediate support from either the Canada emergency response benefit or the Canada emergency student benefit, which together are providing an irreplaceable stopgap for students. These benefits are helping students to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, and we thank you for that.
I would also like to highlight the generous additions to both the Canada student grants and the Canada student loans, which were also announced on April 22. These improvements will help ensure that many students in Canada can continue to access and afford their education despite COVID-19-related hardship. These supports are welcomed by students across Canada, but not everybody has access to them.
I would particularly like to highlight the lack of support available for international students during this quarantine period. Let's not forget that international students in Canada contribute an estimated $21.6 billion to Canada's GDP and support almost 170,000 jobs. On top of that, many international students in Canada plan to stay and contribute to our economy once they have graduated. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education, 60% of international students in Canada plan to apply for permanent residency once they graduate from school. Many also continue to live and work in Canada over the summer between semesters, and the COVID-19 pandemic has robbed them of their opportunity to support themselves.
These international students are stuck in Canada with no job prospects, with groceries and rent to pay for, and with little financial support from the federal government. As it stands, international students are ineligible for the Canada emergency student benefit, meaning that those who have made less than $5,000 in the past year are left without access to desperately needed assistance. The Canada emergency response benefit is available to international students, but the Canada emergency student benefit is not, and we see that as fundamentally unfair. Many international students cannot work while in school and have lost the opportunity to do so over the summer. They need support, and we're asking the federal government to leave no student in Canada behind.
Now, despite this gap surrounding international students, CASA is strongly supportive of the federal government's overall student aid efforts thus far. Looking forward, however, we at CASA are hearing that students are still very worried about their finances and their health, as well as the quality and accessibility of the upcoming digital semester. According to a recent poll that we at CASA commissioned, 77% of students in Canada report being considerably stressed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We're stressed about what the pandemic means for our future, about the health of our loved ones and about finding employment after graduation.
Students are reporting significant financial hardship despite the relief provided by the CERB and the CESB. Close to 70% of students in Canada say their summer employment plans have been negatively affected by COVID-19. Of that 70%, four in 10 say they've lost all of their regular summer income due to the pandemic, while 43% say they will be relying more on government loans to pay for the upcoming school year, and 59% say they are just as worried about covering their living expenses in January as they are today.
Students are seeing real financial hardship on the horizon, and that's why CASA is calling on the government to consider additional support for students beyond September 2020. Specifically, we are asking the government to extend the six-month interest-free moratorium on federal student loan payments past September 30, 2020.
Now, beyond financial concerns, CASA is also hearing that many students are second-guessing whether school in the fall is even worth it, given the less-than-ideal digital environment. Our data tells us that 39% of students have considered deferring or have already deferred their fall semester. Along with this, 31% have also considered switching or have already switched from full-time to part-time studies.
Students are rightly worried about the quality and accessibility of their classes in the fall, and we think the federal government can do more to ensure that our next semester is a success.
According to the CRTC, only 64% of rural residents have access to broadband Internet fast enough to sustainably access the kind of video conferencing applications used for online learning, compared to 100% of urban residents. The OECD also ranks Canada in the top 10 of the most expensive countries for broadband Internet access when adjusted for cost of living.
In the 2019 election, the Liberals promised to ensure that every Canadian would have access to high-speed Internet by 2030. CASA urges the federal government to accelerate this timeline and move forward with immediate steps to ensure that all post-secondary students have adequate access to reliable and high-speed Internet in time for school this fall.
Finally, we know that success in a digital classroom hinges on having the suitable technology to succeed. Digital learning, while necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, will place the burden of possessing sufficient technology, like computers, on post-secondary students. According to our polling, almost 50% of students in Canada highlighted having the technology they need as a primary concern entering next semester.
That's why we're also calling on the federal government to ensure that all students have sufficient access to digital technology. Specifically, we're asking the government to commit additional funding to provide appropriate digital technology to any low-income student who needs it.
I would like to thank the committee once again for the invitation to come and testify and represent the voice of Canadian students.
I will now turn the floor over to my colleague Jade Marcil of the Quebec Student Union, and I look forward to answering your questions.
View Raquel Dancho Profile
CPC (MB)
Thank you for that.
My second question concerns financial aid for students. Many students are, of course, supported by their parents in university, but also, in addition to that, they access government student loans, which, if my memory serves me correctly, depend on the parents' earnings from the year prior. Of course, as was mentioned, many parents have taken a serious hit to their income this year. If the students weren't eligible last year because of their parents' income, it may not be the same this year going into the fall semester.
Do you anticipate there will be a significant impact on fall enrolment because of the lack of parental support or the lack of eligibility for student loans?
Mackenzy Metcalfe
View Mackenzy Metcalfe Profile
Mackenzy Metcalfe
2020-06-12 15:33
I do expect that many students will very seriously reconsider attending post-secondary education because of the costs. That is one of the reasons we are asking for students' expected income and spouses' contributions to also be waived in the 2021-22 academic year. When you apply for programs like OSAP in Ontario, you have to declare your parents' income, and those are for tax years that would not have been impacted by COVID-19.
Matthew Gerrits
View Matthew Gerrits Profile
Matthew Gerrits
2020-05-11 17:18
Thank you, Ms. Town.
Through the chair, thank you to the committee. It is an honour to be here today. WUSA is one of nine members of Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities, or UCRU, which represents over 250,000 students across Canada. Last month, I had the privilege to work on a report drafted by UCRU that detailed our members' concerns about financial situations and recommendations for student support in response to COVID-19. I will detail some of my thoughts here today on the government's response where Ms. Town has not already covered them.
We have heard concerns from one of our member institutions about support for indigenous students, and we are hoping more information will be made available to provide clarity to them about what supports might be available. Currently, it is unclear to students whether support programs for indigenous students are complementary to the CESB or whether they are exclusive. More information about this and other programs, including the Canada student service grant, will be key as students plan out their summer.
Students are also concerned about the rising cost of tuition, especially as post-secondary programs are administered online. Years of decreases to public funding of post-secondary education by provincial governments has led to an increased financial vulnerability of institutions to drops of enrolment, especially international enrolment, a condition that we fear this crisis may bring. The vulnerable institutions are diverse in size and in geography. Therefore, we ask that the federal government collaborate with the leadership of post-secondary institutions, as well as provincial ministers of higher education, to explore what role the federal government may play to ensure universities' finances can weather this pandemic.
Students are concerned about being able to afford to continue school in September. For that reason we’d also like to mention that we see the increases to the Canada student grant program as stepping into that gap for most students in need, and we are incredibly grateful that these increases were included in the student aid package. However, student aid usually uses the previous year’s tax data, which may not account for how the income of a student’s parents or guardians may have been affected by COVID-19. We ask the government to investigate how to account for this in the fall 2020 Canada student grant disbursements.
Finally, an area of concern is with regard to eligibility requirements, which prevent students from accessing CESB if they have income even slightly in excess of $1,000 per month. In the event that CESB must be extended, which we hope will not be required, we suggest the government investigate a phase-out of the benefit for students earning above $1,000 in a more gradual fashion, while holding steady or increasing the $1,250 base amount.
On behalf of UCRU, I would like to convey our thanks for the government’s action, which we understand to be the largest one-time financial investment in student aid in history and proportional to the crisis that students face. We also hope that action can be taken on these outstanding priorities of international student inclusion, efficient and timely rollout, clear communication of information and coordination to support our post-secondary institutions. We have also provided some additional detail in our joint brief, which is still under translation and will be distributed to members in the coming days.
Thank you very much for your parliamentary service during this time, and for listening to students’ concerns. Both Ms. Town and I look forward to your questions.
View Carla Qualtrough Profile
Lib. (BC)
Thank you very much, and thank you to all committee members for being here.
I am pleased to join you today to give you an update on measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic as they pertain to my portfolio.
Thank you for permitting me to participate by telephone. I've been having some challenges integrating my accessibility software with virtual meeting software, which means I can't always read what's on my screen when I'm in a meeting. It's sometimes doable, but not when I need to manage documents and participate meaningfully, so thank you very much.
I'm accompanied here today by the ESDC officials you have already been hearing from. I understand Graham, Lori and Benoît are with us.
Before I begin, I would like to thank the committee for its study on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your work is essential in our democratic process.
It has been some time now that Canadians have been adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic gripping our country and the world. During that time, Service Canada and CRA employees have expended a monumental effort to respond to this crisis.
To give you a sense of the scope of this effort, we need to look no further than the 13.4 million payments made to date under EI and the Canada emergency response benefit. This figure is a reflection of the real need of Canadians during this time and our staff’s dedication to public service and our country.
Let me tell you a little more about the Canada emergency response benefit.
The CERB was created to assist Canadians in unprecedented circumstances. Our employment insurance program was really not designed to respond to a global pandemic. It does not cover all the situations that our workers are facing during this public health crisis.
Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency therefore formed a team and, in a few weeks, they developed and implemented a simple, quick approach to applications. They are now quickly and efficiently paying out the Canada emergency response benefits to Canadians each day.
For eligible Canadian workers, the CERB provides temporary income support of $500 a week for up to 16 weeks. It applies to workers who have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19. It also supports working parents who are staying home to care for children because of school and day care closures.
However, when we launched the benefit on April 6, some Canadian workers expressed concern about eligibility. We listened and on April 15 made it more inclusive.
Now, workers, including the self-employed, can earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the benefit. The benefit also now applies to workers who’ve recently exhausted their EI regular benefit payments and are unable to start working again because of COVID-19. This helps many seasonal workers, including fishers and those in the tourism industry, who may not have their usual seasonal work to return to as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
I understand that some Canadian workers who are eligible for the CERB and who are going on maternity leave in a few weeks or months have questions with regard to how their claims have been processed. We are in the process of reconciling these cases and will make sure that no one is disadvantaged and that everyone has access to their proper maternity benefit entitlements when they need them.
Before going on, I'll quickly share the latest CERB numbers. As of April 23, we have received 9.65 million applications from 7.12 million people. We have processed 9.51 million of these applications which, by my math, equals about 98.5% of applications having been processed. The total amount of payments made is $22.4 billion.
I mentioned seasonal workers, and I’d like now to speak about temporary foreign workers and Canada’s food supply. Temporary foreign workers have been integral to Canada’s food production since the 1960s.
For example, last year approximately 60,000 temporary foreign workers came to Canada to work in agriculture and food-processing jobs, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to bring in the workers needed to meet Canada’s food security needs. In response, we have implemented emergency changes to the temporary foreign worker program to make it easier and faster for employers to hire and retain these workers.
In the meantime, we're also working closely with provinces and territories, employers, foreign governments and other stakeholders to safeguard the health of workers and of all Canadians. This includes regulatory amendments, which came into force on April 20 and which are now being enforced through inspections by Service Canada compliance officers.
It is also true that, although temporary foreign workers are an integral part of our economy, many Canadians are now without work. I would like to assure members of the committee that there are still jobs for Canadians who want to work in the agriculture and agri-food sector. With our partners, we are currently trying to find ways to better communicate these employment possibilities to Canadians.
I'll have a word now about students and youth.
Our government is committed to providing targeted support for individuals and vulnerable groups, such as students. That is why we announced comprehensive support for post-secondary students and recent graduates, representing an investment of approximately $9 billion.
Young people are facing a serious set of challenges in this difficult time, be it interrupted studies, reduced work opportunities, or disruptions to summer co-op or internship plans. Many of Canada’s post-secondary students are worried about how they will be able to afford tuition, food and rent if they can’t find summer work. That’s why our government is introducing a four-month Canada emergency student benefit. Students who are not eligible for the CERB and meet the criteria for this new benefit will be able to apply to receive $1,250 per month between May and August. Students with disabilities and students with dependants could receive an additional $500 per month. This benefit is designed to reach the vast majority of existing and newly graduated post-secondary students.
In addition, we are expanding eligibility for the Canada student loans program for September. We are also doubling the value of Canada student grants and increasing the cap on Canada student loans from $210 to $350 per week of study.
I understand that many young Canadians will be anxious about their job prospects this summer and that they will be looking for opportunities in healthy and safe work environments. The temporary changes that we recently announced to the Canada summer jobs program are only the beginning.
Earlier this week, we announced that we will expand existing federal employment programs to create up to 76,000 jobs, placements and other training opportunities to help students find employment and develop valuable skills this summer and over the coming months. This includes expanding the student work placement program by creating more paid work placements across critical service sectors like health care, food and agri-food, retail and e-commerce.
We're also introducing flexibilities to the youth employment and skills strategy, creating placements for young Canadians in critical sectors, such as community service.
We're investing in bringing important wraparound services online through the support for student learning program, and services like mentoring and tutoring for vulnerable young people to make sure they are not further marginalized by COVID-19.
We believe these measures and others made as part of Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan will help young people weather the negative economic impacts of the pandemic while ensuring their health and safety.
Finally, I'd like to speak about what our government is doing to address the concerns of persons with disabilities during this pandemic.
We recognize that some groups are significantly and disproportionately impacted by this crisis. For some Canadians with disabilities, underlying medical conditions put them at greater risk of serious complications related to COVID-19. Others face discrimination and barriers in accessing information, social services and health care.
On April 10, I released a statement outlining our government's unequivocal commitment to the rights of every citizen and the value of every life, including the right to equal access to medical treatment and care. This is in keeping with our commitment to Nothing Without Us and in line with the principles and objectives of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Accessible Canada Act.
In addition, in this same spirit and to support Canadians with disabilities, we established the COVID-19 disability advisory group. This group is offering advice to the government on real-time, lived experiences of persons with disabilities during this crisis. Areas of particular focus are equality of access to health care and support, access to information and communications, mental health and social isolation, and employment and income support.
My Cabinet colleagues and I are ready to take other steps to protect Canadians and the economy. This means continuing to support workers and businesses now and in the coming transition back to the normal operation of the economy, as soon as that happens.
I'd now be happy to take your questions.
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