November 30th, 2020 Ottawa - Undergraduates of Canadian Research Intensive Universities (UCRU) was excited to see an investment in students in Canada’s Federal economic update.
This update saw $575.3M over two years invested in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, $447.5M in Canada Summer Jobs and the removal of the interest on the federal portion of Canada Student Loans for 2021-2022. The removal of interest on the repayment of student loans for 2021-2022 will impact up to 1.4 million Canadians who have existing payments on their Canada Student Loan.
This funding comes after UCRU finished their federal lobby week asking for support in student financial aid and work-integrated learning.
"Investing in students is investing in the workforce of tomorrow", said Kristin Smith, UCRU Vice-Chair and Vice-President of Advocacy at the University of Manitoba Students’ Union. “This funding will help students access jobs as the pandemic continues and support those struggling to make repayments on their student loans.”
The Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities is a pragmatic, evidence-driven advocacy alliance of nine student associations dedicated to high-quality, affordable and accessible education, and represents over 250,000 undergraduate university students across Canada.