1.20 - Students

This policy will assist in determining eligibility for clients attending post-secondary institutions.

Students assessed as eligible for assistance must:

• Have dependents aged less than 19 years in the household as well as an approved case plan which confirms that the chosen post-secondary education is a viable career path.

SD will not use case plans from other provinces

An individual pursuing a second degree is not eligible unless the case plan supports the second degree in order to become employed in a specific occupation.

• Be certified as Blind, Deaf or Disabled
   

Accredited educational institutions are universities, community colleges, and private vocational training institutions that are designated by or registered with the Canada Student Loan program.

One month of assistance per academic year may be approved to students who are not clients if one of the following conditions is met:

1. the applicant must be independent as defined by Student Aid, and have depleted all available resources with no prospect of receiving additional funding.
2. the applicant must, if a dependent as defined by Student Aid, have parents with income of less than $30,000 per year, and have depleted all available resources with no prospect of receiving additional funding. Parental income information must be provided in order to complete the screening process. NOTE: Wages for parents who are self-employed are calculated as are those of clients who are self-employed, i.e. a business expenses deduction of up to 50% may be applied.

Assistance is issued by overriding the rate as NB Case will determine these applicants are not eligible for assistance when the school type is indicated as being Post Secondary. Special benefits can not be approved.

Non SD clients who are students have access to the Day Care Assistance Program just like any other individual.

Students who apply for assistance between academic years will have eligibility assessed as any other applicant.

Students applying for assistance as they have not yet received their student loan are not eligible. They should be directed to a financial or educational institution for an advance on the loan.

Scholarship and Bursaries are One-Time only payments and subject to the Lump Sum policy (see Section 2.6).

Applicants and clients are required to access Student Aid for educational expenses which could include tuition, student fees, books, instruments, transportation, typing costs etc. Confirmation of all such income is mandatory. Any money received that is assessed to be over the maximum allowed for expenses such as tuition and books will be calculated as monthly income during the period of education they were meant to cover.

Note:  For dependents who are day students (full or part-time) in attendance at an accredited educational institution, Student Aid is totally exempt.  If the student does not attend or return to school, any unreturned money will be calculated as monthly income during the period of education they were meant to cover
 

• Relocation expenses may be approved by the originating office if the client is in one of the priority groups and if it is consistent with the case plan.
• If ties remain to a specific region while a client is attending classes elsewhere in the province (ex: client attends school elsewhere while children remain in home region), the home region should maintain the case. Therefore, the site address for the client must be within the home region, although the mailing address could be the client's address while attending school.
• When wages from a summer job will make the household ineligible for assistance, a Health Card may be considered under Section 4(4) if the case plan indicates the client will be returning to studies in the fall.

The Departments of Education and Training and Employment Development are responsible for providing funding for the basic needs of clients who do not have any dependents aged less than 19 years. This funding may come in the form of a loan or a grant.

Clients who do have dependents aged less than 19 years, are required to access Student Aid for educational expenses which could include tuition, student fees, books, instruments, transportation, typing costs, and child care. SD will consider the provision of assistance, non-educational Special Benefits and supplemental child care.

Supplemental child care may be provided if the need is greater than the allowable limits from Student Aid yet still within the Departmental child care rates.

Dependents on open cases who are enrolled in approved courses remain part of the family household when calculating assistance; regardless of the location of the educational institution.

Dependents who are enrolled in approved courses are considered part of the applicant's family household when determing eligibility for assistance.

Students who are not clients are not to be included in the economic household of their room-mates, unless Student Aid will grant funding at the married rate for the non-client student and the applicant/client. If Student Aid funding is available at the married rate, eligibility is determined as such.

Most post-secondary institutions provide compulsory health insurance coverage for the student, which for an extra fee, may include dependents. Coverage should not be duplicated. That is, students who are SD clients should only have services through our Health Card which are not part of their student health insurance coverage.

Students assessed as eligible for assistance who have defaulted on previous student loans and who have been refused further Student Aid, are only eligible for assistance. SD will not pay educational costs and/or other Special Benefits.

Basic assistance may be approved up to the basic rate for a student assessed as eligible for assistance attending Intersession or Summer Session if the course is in agreement with the case plan and all sources of funding, including Student Aid have been pursued.

Special benefits may be approved for a student assessed as eligible for assistance attending Intersession or Summer Session only if the course is required to either gain admittance to, or graduate from a post-secondary institution.

Head of Household and/or Partner:

A head of household and/or a partner who is a student (full or part-time) is subject to the same wage and wage exemption calculations as all other employed clients.

For students who are clients whose wages from a summer job will make them ineligible for assistance, a Health Card may be considered under Section 4(4) if the case plan indicates the client will be returning to studies in the fall.

Dependents:

Wages, Student aid and/or EI benefits for dependents who are day students (full or part-time) in attendance at an accredited educational institution, are totally exempt.

During a normal school break, not to exceed 4 months, these earnings are exempted when determining the eligibility of the household. If the student does not return to school after the break, the income will begin to be treated.