The COVID-19 pandemic continues, and post-secondary students in Canada remain disproportionately susceptible to its broad socioeconomic and mental health impacts. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and Quebec Student Union (QSU) know that students across the country have had their financial and social lives upended, with health restrictions and persistent virtual learning now paired with rising inflation and surging prices for food and housing.
But as difficult as the past two years have been for students from coast to coast to coast, post-secondary students agree that now is the time to look forward and build for the future. With over 2 million post-secondary students across the country, we will play a critical role in Canada’s economic recovery. Recognizing this, we are excited to share our ideas on how we can work together to build a stronger post-secondary system and a brighter tomorrow.
Asks:
- Maintain current funding levels to Canada Student Grants past the 2022-23 school year, permanently doubling grant maximums for eligible students from $3,000 to $6,000 per academic year.
- Initiate a pan-Canadian strategy on mental illness detection, prevention, and intervention for post-secondary students.
- Increase funding for student scholarship programs by $120 million on a recurring basis, thus re-establishing the importance of student scholarships within the overall envelope of the Canada Research Granting Agencies.
- Establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish a national network to share information and best practices per Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 66.
- Allow international students to participate in co-op programs without requiring them to apply for an additional permit.
