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 post-secondary institutions on behalf of eligible students with disabilities
- Defines eligibility based on qualification for the existing disability tax credit under the Income Tax Act
- Classifies the tuition payments as grants, meaning they do not need to be repaid
- Exempts the tuition grant amounts from being counted as taxable income under the Income Tax Act
- Allows the government to set additional conditions for receiving the payment through regulations
Gotchas
- Eligibility is tied to the existing disability tax credit, which has been criticized as difficult to qualify for and not representative of all people living with disabilities
- The specific conditions for receiving payments will be set through regulations, meaning key details of the program are not defined in the bill itself
- The bill does not specify a funding cap or budget, so the total fiscal cost is unclear and would depend on how many students qualify
- Treating payments as grants rather than loans removes repayment obligations, but the bill does not address other costs of post-secondary education such as housing, books, or living expenses
- As a Private Member's Bill, it faces a lower likelihood of becoming law without government support
Who's Affected
- Canadians with disabilities who qualify for the disability tax credit
- Post-secondary students with disabilities currently unable to afford tuition
- Designated educational institutions (colleges, universities, etc.)
- Federal government (responsible for administering and funding the program)
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Eligibility is tied to the existing disability tax credit, which has been criticized as difficult to qualify for and not representative of all people living with disabilities
- The specific conditions for receiving payments will be set through regulations, meaning key details of the program are not defined in the bill itself
- The bill does not specify a funding cap or budget, so the total fiscal cost is unclear and would depend on how many students qualify
- Treating payments as grants rather than loans removes repayment obligations, but the bill does not address other costs of post-secondary education such as housing, books, or living expenses
- As a Private Member's Bill, it faces a lower likelihood of becoming law without government support
Summary
Bill C-217 proposes that the federal government cover tuition fees for Canadians with disabilities who are enrolled in a designated post-secondary educational institution. To qualify, a person must be eligible for the disability tax credit under section 118.3 of the Income Tax Act, which recognizes individuals with severe and prolonged physical or mental impairments. The tuition payments would be treated as grants, meaning recipients would not have to repay them. 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 being neither in school nor employed. The severity of the disability increases this risk further. The goal is to remove financial barriers and improve access to post-secondary education for this group. The bill also amends the Income Tax Act to ensure that tuition amounts paid under this program are not counted as taxable income for the recipient, so students would not face a tax bill as a result of receiving this assistance.
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Vibes
0 responses