Manitoba reopens student aid office

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This article was published 25/08/2021 (1505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba is reopening its student aid office for in-person visits and prioritizing repayment assistance plans for pupils affected by wildfires who are struggling to meet loan payments ahead of back-to-school season.

Advanced Education Minister Wayne Ewasko announced Wednesday the kiosks at 1181 Portage Ave. will start taking student appointments on Sept. 7 — 18 months after the doors were closed to the public because of COVID-19.

All visitors will be required to follow public health guidelines on screening, masking, and physical distancing.

Online and phone appointments will remain an option for accessing services, said Ewasko, during a news conference at the Robert Fletcher Building.

“Every year, there’s far too many barriers to post-secondary education — but especially over the last year, the need for student aid has been emphasized,” said Emily Kalo, chairwoman of the Manitoba Alliance of Post-Secondary Students, at the event.

Kalo said the resumption of in-person services is welcome news for students from marginalized and non-urban communities who have faced challenges accessing funding virtually.

The alliance is focusing its advocacy efforts around international student health-care coverage, ensuring the province consults students in developing post-secondary policies, and making sure all students know holistic Access programs exist in 2021-22, she said.

When asked separately Wednesday about student concerns that they are paying more for tuition despite remote and blended learning, both Ewasko and Kalo indicated all Manitobans are braving the pandemic together.

“At the same time, we know that Manitoba has the third-lowest tuition in all of Canada, actually, the lowest in Western Canada, and we’re trying hard to make sure that we’ve got affordable education — but we want to make sure that we’ve got the strong programs to back it up. That money has to come from somewhere,” said the minister.

Last year, Manitoba Student Aid provided $254 million in federal and provincial student loans, grants and bursaries to more than 17,000 students.

The in-person office on Portage Avenue had 15,000 appointments during the year before the pandemic.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie