Saturday, March 15, 2008

Federal Budget Delivers National System of Student Grants

Federal Budget Delivers National System of Student Grants

Replaces Unaccountable Private Foundation

Canadian Federation of Students

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

OTTAWA-- Students welcomed the creation of a national system of grants, announced in today’s Federal Budget. The grants program is being introduced as the Millennium Scholarship Foundation mandate comes to an end.

“The government has taken a positive step towards improving access to post-secondary education,” said Amanda Aziz, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “By implementing a national system of grants, the government has responded to a long standing call by students and their families.”

The 2008 budget provides $350 million for grants to low- and middle-income students starting in 2009, with the total funding rising to $430 million by 2012. The grants will be $2,000 (low-income) and $800 (middle-income) per student per year and provide grants to approximately 245,000 students per year.

The Canadian Federation of Students has been calling for an accountable and transparent replacement for the Millennium Scholarship Foundation since the Foundation’s creation in 1998.

“Today’s announcement marks the end of Canada’s tenure as one of the few western industrialised nations without a national system of grants,” said Aziz, “it was long overdue.”

Founded in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s largest student organisation, uniting more that one-half million students from ten provinces.

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