Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am presenting highlights the concerns of Canadians about the government's attack on vocational institutions. Budget 2025 proposed restricting eligibility for the Canada student grant for full-time students to those attending public or not-for-profit institutions, excluding many students at regulated career colleges.
These are reputable institutions that provide important vocational training, providing skills to young people that align with the needs of the labour market, and yet the government is changing the situation such that any program at a university entitles one to make an application for student grants if they meet the financial need criteria, whereas no students would be eligible if they are at vocational institutions, outside of narrowly prescribed exceptions. This creates unequal treatment among students based on the type of institution they attend rather than the value or demand of their chosen field of study. For many in-demand careers, including in the skilled trades and in health care fields including, for instance, traditional Chinese medicine, the training is offered through regulated career colleges.
Removing grant eligibility risks reducing access to affordable training for students, particularly those from low and middle-income backgrounds, and limiting support for these programs may worsen existing labour shortages in critical sectors of the Canadian economy.
Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to reverse the proposed changes, to ensure equal and fair access to student financial assistance for all students regardless of institution type and to support training pathways that align with labour market needs, including skilled trades and other high-demand professions.