Canada Emergency Student Benefit: Your Guide

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) program on Apr. 22, 2020.

The new benefit aimed to provide financial support to Canadian students and young people who were negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The CESB also sought to fill the support gap for students not covered by the country’s other COVID-19 benefits programs. The program ran for four months and ended on August 31, 2020.

The following information is based on early media reports about the CESB.

Who is eligible for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit program?

Post-secondary (college and university) students who had been in school, were planning to start school in September 2020, or those who graduated from school in December 2019 were eligible for the CESB if they had lost work or could not find work due to the pandemic.

Working students that were earning less than $1,000 per month were also able to apply for the benefit if their hours had been cut due to COVID-19.

How much did the Canada Emergency Student Benefit provide?

Postsecondary students who qualified for the CESB received $1,250 a month from May to August 2020.

The amount increased to $1,750 per month if you were caring for somebody, or if you are a person with a disability.

The Canada Revenue Agency handled payments for the program.

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When can I apply for the CESB benefit?

On May 13, 2020 Trudeau announced that students and recent graduates would be able to apply for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit on Friday, May 15 2020.

We expect the Government of Canada to make more information available online in the days to come.

READ MORE:
• Do I qualify for the CERB?
• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Facts
• Employment Insurance and COVID-19
• Employment Rights during coronavirus

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