MB Government: Post-Secondary Students Return to Classes at Colleges and Universities

Press Release

August 25, 2021

Helping Students Reach Their Educational and Career Goals a Government Priority: Ewasko

As college and university students resume classes, the province will be reopening its in-person Manitoba Student Aid services and providing help for students who have been affected by wildfires, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today.

“We extend our best wishes to post-secondary students as they start their college or university education this fall,” said Ewasko. “Our government is committed to ensuring Manitobans have access to higher education by providing student programs and financial supports. These programs include Manitoba Student Aid, which provides interest-free student loans; the Manitoba Bursary Program, which provides up-front bursaries to Indigenous students and low-income students; and the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative, which leverages institutional fundraising by providing matching provincial dollars for student awards.”

Last year, Manitoba Student Aid provided $254 million through federal and provincial student loans, grants and bursaries, helping 17,106 Manitoba students access funding for post-secondary education. The Manitoba Bursary budget has increased by $1.8 million to approximately $17 million for 2021, providing grants to lower-income students.

In addition, the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative is a highly successful program that disbursed $15 million to 14 institutions and organizations to leverage philanthropic support for scholarships and bursaries, providing an estimated $30 million to Manitoba students in 2020-21, the minister noted.

Manitoba Student Aid will reopen its in-person services on an appointment basis, beginning Sept. 7. Providing in-person services, as well as online and phone options, will better serve the needs of its clients. Manitoba public health guidelines such as mandatory masks, self-screening before entering the facility, physical distancing and proper sanitation measures will be followed for the health and safety of staff and clients. The province is also prioritizing Repayment Assistance Plan applications for students who have been affected by wildfires and are having difficulty making loan payments.

“Manitoba Student Aid provides valuable services and supports to students, and last year responded to 66,073 inquiries through phone, email and online,” said Ewasko. “Results from the 2021 client satisfaction survey indicated that almost 80 per cent of clients had overall positive impressions of Manitoba Student Aid and were happy with the services they received.”

The government has also enhanced and modernized client services by providing more digital options for students such as developing an electronic version of the Repayment Assistance Plan application, which streamlines the application process for clients and improves internal processing times, and enhancing the Manitoba Student Aid website to further improve user experience.

“Our government is proud to support meaningful student aid. These efforts help support the government’s Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy vision, where Manitobans will have the right skills, talent and knowledge to succeed in their careers, enjoy a high-quality life, strengthen communities and grow our economy,” added the minister.

Information on Manitoba Student Aid, and its in-person services on an appointment basis, can be found online at www.edu.gov.mb.ca/msa/.

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For more information:

• Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
• Media requests for general information, contact Communications Services Manitoba: 204-945-3765.
• Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Communications and Stakeholder Relations: 204-290-5374.

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