The provincial government will be giving up to $8.6 million for the 2018-2019 school year in additional student loans, according to a news release.
The release said the province will be also be making the following changes to Manitoba Student Aid:
- Adding a fixed student contribution rate for student loans and grants. This means students pay a set amount between $1,500 and $3,000 per academic year based on income;
- Creating a Skills Boost pilot program to top-up adult students with $200 per month;
- Excluding First Nations band funding during the student financial assessment, which will make more Indigenous students eligible for grants.
“We welcome these changes to Manitoba Student Aid, which will help us provide more support directly to more students,” said Dr. Steven Robinson, interim president of Brandon University, in the news release.
“As enrolment at Brandon University continues to climb, it’s more important than ever to invest in student supports, such as bursaries. This is excellent news for students.”
Every student who applies to student aid is considered for Manitoba Bursary, which is a grant of up to $2,000 per school year for low-income students. There’s also the federal Canada Student Grant, which gives up to $3,000.
The province is adding $2.7 million to Manitoba Bursary by taking underused bursaries and grants and distributing them more fairly among students.
Of the $2.7 million, $1 million will be divided among approximately 750 low-income Indigenous students for this school year. The top-up grants will be between $500 and $1,500.
The other $1.7 million will be used to increase eligibility to approximately 150 students from Manitoba’s private religious institutions and 900 out-of-province students from Canada. As well, $870,000 of these funds will be used to add bursary amounts to student aid recipients as a result of the fixed contribution rate.
The provincial government is implementing these changes to the application process for Manitoba Student Aid and Manitoba Bursary to help more low-income and Indigenous students can access funding, said Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart in a news release.
“We’re introducing a simplified user-friendly service model that is more predictable so students can save and budget accordingly,” said Wishart .
“With easier access to loans and bursaries, we expect more students to enrol in post-secondary education, which opens doors to success. Plus, students can continue to work while they’re in school, as we will no longer scale back loans or bursaries because of employment.”
