Lots of talk and little action have cash-strapped post-secondary students on edge as they plead for financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individual student unions and the Canadian Federation of Students have been asking for weeks that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) eligibility be expanded to include all post-secondary students and recent graduates, regardless of their income.
“We’ve heard that more is coming soon. Unfortunately, we’re getting to the point that soon is not good enough.” said Brandon Rhéal Amyot, a student at Lakehead University in Orillia. “I don’t know how I’m going to make my rent. A lot of students don’t know how they’re going to make their rent.”
A petition calling for the expansion of the CERB had garnered almost 40,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon. It states, in part, “the $5,000-per-year income threshold that is currently attached to the CERB will leave behind many students and recent graduates who were unable to work in the last year because they were pursuing their studies.”
The federal government announced that figure would be changed to $1,000, but even that is "a patchwork fix,” Amyot said.
“They don’t explicitly state who’s included. A full expansion of the CERB would be the most efficient and effective way to support students during this crisis,” they said, noting there are 2.1 million post-secondary students in Canada — 865,000 of whom are in Ontario — and only 43 per cent of them were employed as of February. “The more things get put off, the more anxiety we’re facing.”
Amyot knows first-hand the stress this is causing for students.
“Normally, I would be getting summer work right now or doing interviews. It’s not happening,” they said.
Amyot is an organizer with the #Don’tForgetStudents movement, which is encouraging students to share their stories with that hashtag in an effort to draw attention to their plight.
“We want to encourage people to sign the petition, share their stories and contact their MPs,” they said, also issuing a direct plea to MPs and MPPs: “Join us in making sure that students aren’t forgotten.”
Lakehead Orillia students recently asked the university to take a number of steps to support them during the pandemic. Lakehead has agreed to some of those requests, including a pass/fail option for all courses, keeping residences open for those who cannot return home, and setting up a support fund for its students.
