Deadline extended to use personal education credit
Decision made by Supreme Court of British Columbia
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 22, 2014
NUNAVUT
Former residential school students who received Common Experience Payments (CEP) now have more time to apply for, redeem, and use the $3,000 personal education credits available to them.
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt announced Dec. 17 the decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia to grant Canada's request for an extension to the Oct. 31 application deadline, as well as the April 2015 deadline for use of the credit.
"As the original deadline approached, I said we were going to work with our partners in the agreement to seek an extension to the deadlines. I am pleased that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has accepted our request to extend the personal credits deadlines so that eligible Common Experience Payment recipients or their family members have more time to access funding to which they are entitled and that supports education opportunities," stated Valcourt in a news release.
Once the court order is signed by all parties, new deadline dates will be determined but the court decision allows for a two-month extension from the date of the court order to submit an application for personal education credits, according to the release.
Aug. 31 is the new deadline for CEP recipients, or their family members, to complete courses or programs for which education credits are used.
The government news release also attempted to clarify the wide range of programs for which the credit could be used. Much of the confusion around the credit had to do with recipients not being aware of the full range of use available to them.
"Education credits can be used for programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, indigenous institutions of higher learning, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and services which relate to the preservation, reclamation, development or understanding of native/Inuit history, cultures, or languages."
