Eligibility criteria – Closed

Status: Closed

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Student CERB debt reduction

The CESB closed to retroactive applications on September 30, 2020. You can no longer apply for this benefit.

To be eligible for the $1,250 CESB payment, post-secondary students, and recent post-secondary and high school graduates, were required to meet the following conditions:

You did not apply, receive, nor qualify, for the CERB or EI benefits for the same eligibility period
You were one of the following, when you applied:
- Canadian citizen
- registered Indian
- permanent resident
- protected person
  
  Who is considered a protected person
  
  An individual who is recognized by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a person in need of protection.
You were studying in Canada or abroad, when you applied
One of the following was true, when you applied:
- You are or were enrolled in a post-secondary educational program (at least 12 weeks in duration) that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate
  Recognized post-secondary educational institutions
  
  Courses taken at a university or college level, or secondary level vocational training in Quebec:
  - Educational institutions listed on:
    - Master List of designated educational institutions
    - Master List of certified educational institutions
    - Quebec’s directory of educational institutions and programs (universities, colleges, and secondary level vocational training)
  - Indigenous institutions recognized by their province or territory
- You completed or ended your post-secondary studies in December 2019 or later
- You completed or expect to complete high school or equivalency in 2020 and applied for a post-secondary educational program that starts before February 1, 2021
One of the following was true, when you applied:
- You are unable to work due to COVID-19
  Who is considered "unable to work" due to COVID-19
  
  Students who may be:
  - self-isolating or in quarantine
  - ill or have underlying health conditions
  - caring for others who are ill or vulnerable to COVID-19
  - caring for dependants while schools or daycares are closed
  - studying abroad and waiting to be repatriated by the Canadian Embassy, or only allowed to work on campus, but cannot find work
- You are actively looking for, but cannot find work due to COVID-19
- You are currently working during the COVID-19 pandemic, but you expect your income from employment and self-employment to be $1,000 or less (before taxes) during the 4-week period you are applying for

Eligibility criteria for the benefit top-up

If you met all of the conditions above, you may also have been eligible for an extra $750 (total benefit amount of $2,000) for each 4-week period.

Additional support was available, if at least one of the following was true, when you applied:
- you have a disability as defined for this benefit
  
  What is considered a disability
  
  Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.
- you have at least one child under the age of 12 or other dependants
  Who can be claimed as a dependant
  - A child (adopted child, stepchild, or foster child) who is under 12 years old and is completely dependent on the student, student’s spouse, or common-law partner for support, care, and upbringing
  - A person with a disability who is completely dependent on the student, student’s spouse, or common-law partner for support, care, and upbringing

Verifying your eligibility

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will verify that you were eligible to receive the CESB. In cases where claimants have received a payment and are later found to be ineligible, they will be contacted to make arrangements to repay any applicable amounts. Canadians can also report suspected CESB misuse through the CRA’s Leads program.

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Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB)

Eligibility criteria – Closed

Eligibility criteria for the benefit top-up

Verifying your eligibility

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