Post-secondary students in Richmond and the rest of BC are eligible for new provincial grants.
“The new BC Access Grant will break down financial barriers and enable thousands more students to get a college or university education in their chosen fields,” said Premier John Horgan.
More than 40,000 low- and middle-income students will be eligible for the needs-based grant, available starting this fall.
When students apply for financial assistance from StudentAid BC, they will automatically be assessed for eligibility.
Eligible students in programs under two years in length will receive up to $4,000 per year. Those in programs two years or longer will receive up to $1,000 per year, but may also be eligible for federal full-time student grants of up to $3,000 per year.
The government is investing $24 million in new funding over the next three years. They are also reinvesting $37 million in existing grant programs that don’t cover up-front costs for post-secondary education.
Students will receive grant money at the beginning of their studies, to enable them to pay tuition and buy textbooks and other necessary supplies.
This is the first time that funding has been available to students in programs under two years in length. This change nearly doubles the number of students eligible for financial support.
“Students have been calling for this moment for almost two decades,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “The new grant will open doors to post-secondary education for thousands of British Columbians who were shut out for far too long.”
“The youth of today are our future,” added Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
For more on the BC Access Grant, visit https://studentaidbc.ca/news/grants-scholarships/new-bc-access-grant.
Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Richmond Sentinel