C-217 (45-1) - Post-Secondary Education Financial Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act
Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Jun 19, 2025
Progress
This bill would have the federal government pay tuition fees for Canadians with disabilities enrolled in post-secondary education.
Key Changes
- Requires the federal government to pay tuition fees directly to designated educational institutions on behalf of eligible students with disabilities
- Classifies the tuition payment as a grant (non-repayable) to the student
- Eligibility is tied to qualifying for the existing disability tax credit under section 118.3 of the Income Tax Act
- Allows the government to set additional conditions for receiving the payment through regulations
- Exempts the tuition grant from being counted as taxable income under the Income Tax Act
Gotchas
- Eligibility is linked to the disability tax credit, which has its own application and approval process through the Canada Revenue Agency — not all people with disabilities automatically qualify
- The bill allows the government to set conditions for payment through regulations, meaning important eligibility details would be determined later and are not fully defined in the bill itself
- The bill does not specify a funding cap or budget limit, so the total fiscal cost is unclear and would depend on how many students qualify and apply
- The bill does not address other costs of post-secondary education beyond tuition, such as housing, textbooks, or disability-related accommodations
- This is a Private Member's Bill, meaning it faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support
Who's Affected
- Canadians with disabilities who qualify for the federal disability tax credit
- Post-secondary students with disabilities seeking financial assistance for tuition
- Designated educational institutions (colleges, universities, and other qualifying schools)
- Federal government (responsible for administering and funding the program)
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Eligibility is linked to the disability tax credit, which has its own application and approval process through the Canada Revenue Agency — not all people with disabilities automatically qualify
- The bill allows the government to set conditions for payment through regulations, meaning important eligibility details would be determined later and are not fully defined in the bill itself
- The bill does not specify a funding cap or budget limit, so the total fiscal cost is unclear and would depend on how many students qualify and apply
- The bill does not address other costs of post-secondary education beyond tuition, such as housing, textbooks, or disability-related accommodations
- This is a Private Member's Bill, meaning it faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support
Summary
Bill C-217 proposes that the federal government cover tuition fees for Canadians with disabilities who are enrolled at a designated educational institution. To qualify, a person must be eligible for the disability tax credit under the Income Tax Act (section 118.3), which recognizes individuals with severe and prolonged physical or mental impairments. The tuition payment would be treated as a grant, meaning it does not need to be repaid. The bill was introduced in response to data showing that about one in four Canadians aged 15 and over has a disability, and that youth with disabilities face a significantly higher risk of not being in school or employed. The severity of the disability increases this risk further. The goal is to remove financial barriers that prevent Canadians with disabilities from accessing post-secondary education. The bill also amends the Income Tax Act to ensure that any tuition paid under this program is not considered taxable income for the recipient, so students would not face a tax burden as a result of receiving this benefit.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses