Students on loans will now receive more grants from the federal government
The grant increase applies only to students from lower and middle income families
For many post-secondary students, back to school means filling out student loan applications.
But this year, some students will be receiving a bigger chunk of money. The best part is they will not have to pay all of it back.
The grant comes from the federal government and is for students from lower and middle income families.
The increase is about 50 per cent and depends on factors such as course load and socioeconomic status.
"I think if we look at tuition in isolation, it is a meaningful step, but we also have to look at it in a broader context," said Jermain McKenzie, President of the University of Regina Students Union.
"Given the fact that especially right now when students at the University of Regina have faced a four per cent increase in their tuition, that this is definitely welcomed news and it will be a meaningful assistance for many students," said McKenzie.
But he does not think it's enough.
Students are paying upwards of $6,000 for tuition and that does not factor in textbooks or living expenses.
"There is a lot of stress around finances with students and I think we've seen this play out in many ways, especially the increasing mental health cases we are seeing across campuses," he said.
McKenzie said that conversations about student loans and the rising cost of post-secondary education need to keep happening, especially because of the push for higher education.
He said that while this grant increase is good news, he hopes that the government will work towards doing more.