Equal Access to Student Loans for Convention Refugees

Federal law and provincial regulations exclude Convention refugees from public student loan programs until they have been granted permanent resident status. These are individuals who fall within the definition of the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Without a loan, few of these Canadians-in-waiting can afford rising tuition costs. While this policy does not appear to be a deliberate exclusion of Convention refugees, it is having a negative impact on these future Canadians. The report discusses the need to “level the playing field” by giving Convention refugees equal opportunity to apply for student loans. The sole legislative change required is in the definitions section of the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. The Minister of Human Resources Development Canada would then need to get her provincial counterparts to make the same change to their regulations. The estimated cost of this expansion to student loans programs is minimal – only an additional $4 million in loans – compared to the potential benefits of the measure.

ISBN – 1-894159-91-8