Applications for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit are now open

Applications for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) are now open online.

The benefit is part of a $9 billion support package for students who are facing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CESB aims to help students continue their studies, secure, and retain summer employment, pay their bills, and save tuition for the fall.

The student benefit ensures that $1,250 is given per month to students from May through August and $2,000 for students with dependents and those with disabilities.

The CESB is will reach approximately one million students.

In order to apply online you either sign with with your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account or you can call a toll free number at 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041 and provide your social insurance number and postal code.

The CRA will also set up a direct deposit or cheque method of payment.

Applications must be submitted before September 30, 2020.

Helping Canadians is our #1 priority.

We’ve been getting many questions asking about the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (#CESB). You can find out more about #CESB and see if you’re eligible here: https://t.co/2Lg8rPPwq8 #CdnTax pic.twitter.com/3jvP3MKGV3

— Canada Revenue Agency (@CanRevAgency) May 15, 2020

The student benefit package was first announced in April.

At the time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that many students will not know what their futures hold in the coming months.

“We’re going to make sure that you have support, too,” Trudeau said at the time.

• See also:
  • Everything you need to know about the Canada Emergency Student Benefit
  • Everything you need to know about the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
  • How to apply for EI and Canada’s coronavirus emergency fund

Each eligibility period is a four-week block with a specific start and end date. So, when you apply, you will receive a payment for the specific eligibility period you applied for.

But, students can only apply for one eligibility period at a time. If the financial situation continues, they must re-apply for another four-week eligibility period.

The program is available for students who are enrolled in a post-secondary education program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate, as well as for students who graduated no earlier than December 2019.

It is also available for high-school graduates who have applied for and will be joining post-secondary programs in the coming months and any Canadian students studying abroad who meet one of the criteria already mentioned.

But students must prove that they are seeking work in order to receive financial assistance.

For post-secondary students, the eligibility periods are: 

• May 10 to June 6, 2020
• June 7 to July 4, 2020
• July 5 to August 1, 2020
• August 2 to August 29, 2020

For students who have completed or intend to complete high school this year:

• Before June 7, 2020: your high school completion date must be before the start of the first eligibility period you are applying for
• after June 7, 2020:  you can only apply for 2 eligibility periods, starting from the July 5 to August 1 eligibility period