($8.6M Funding). The provincial government is streamlining the application process for Manitoba Student Aid and Manitoba Bursary to help more low-income and Indigenous students access funding. Based on changes by the federal government to the Canada Student Loan program, the province is implementing the following changes:

• a fixed student contribution rate for student loans and grants,
• a three-year Skills Boost pilot program to top-up adult learners with $200 per month, and
• an exclusion of First Nations band funding as part of the student financial assessment so more Indigenous students are eligible for grants.

Students who apply for Manitoba Student Aid are automatically considered for Manitoba Bursary, an upfront grant up to $2,000 per school year available to low-income students, as well as the federal Canada Student Grant of up to $3,000. The province is increasing Manitoba Bursary by $2.7M for a total of $13.2 million this academic year by redirecting underused bursaries and grants to be distributed more equitably among students. This includes a top-up grant ($500 to $1,500) to approximately 750 low-income Indigenous students this upcoming school year