About the Supports for Student Learning Program
The Supports for Student Learning Program (SSLP) funds expert organizations to provide services and open up opportunities to students. These supports, provided outside the classroom, make it easier for students to stay in school, continue their studies and gain new skills that will help them succeed in their education.
Making sure students have the supports they need in their education to help guide them towards their future success is a priority for the SSLP. To do this, the SSLP funds many flexible and inclusive supports, such as:
- tutoring sessions
- mentoring programs
- mental and social wellbeing services
- bursaries and scholarships
- opportunities to study or work outside Canada
Students served
Not all students have equal access to educational resources and support systems. Research shows that youth with an education can transition more easily into good jobs. The pandemic has also shown that the need to help students is high and will continue after the pandemic.
The SSLP aims to reach students who may face greater barriers to education. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Indigenous students
- visible minority and racialized students
- students living with disabilities
- students living in a low-income household
- students identifying as 2SLGBTQ+
How the SSLP helps students
The SSLP funds a range of national and local youth-serving organizations. These organizations offer programs to help students succeed.
Budget 2021 announced $118.4 million over 2 years, starting in 2021 to 2022. This is expanding the SSLP and helping to ensure that students do not face greater challenges because of the pandemic.
This new funding builds on past funding for the SSLP and its related programs, such as:
- Goal Getters, under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy
- emergency funding in response to COVID-19, which began in 2020
- the Outbound Student Mobility Pilot, as part of Canada’s International Education Strategy, which creates opportunities for students to study and work abroad and build the skills they need
This suite of supports plays an important role. It helps remove barriers and creates opportunities that empower Canadian students, so they can achieve their education goals and make their promising futures a reality.
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