Post-secondary students and their parents who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of flooding may be eligible for additional funding through Manitoba Student Aid (MSA). This announcement was made by Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Erin Selby.
“We recognize that some students and their families may be severely affected by this year’s flooding, so we have taken steps to help them reduce the financial stress of paying for college and university this year,” said Selby. “Manitoba Student Aid staff will review applications from flood-affected students and consider their disaster-related financial hardship in making their decisions.”
The minister said Manitoba Student Aid will offer several measures to help post-secondary students affected by flooding such as:
• Reassessing the student’s file using the parents’ 2011 estimated income when they have experienced a flood-related crisis. This will reduce the required parental contribution and may increase the amount of the student’s loan and grant awards.
• Reducing the expected parental contribution, based on the family’s extraordinary expenses incurred due to flood prevention, property damage and relocation.
• Reducing the expected pre study income contribution if the student is unable to earn and save money because of flooding.
“As our province continues to work together to battle the 2011 flood, we hope to help students and their families manage the costs of their post-secondary education,” said Selby. “We will continue to monitor the status of students and families affected by flooding and revise the student aid assessment process as needed.”
Selby said flood-affected students and families can get more information about how Manitoba Student Aid may be able to help by calling the toll-free line at 1-800-204-1685. Information will be made available on the provincial website within the next few days.
