Special benefits are granted to pay the cost of education pursued UNDER AN ACTION PLAN [course of action], to a maximum of $500 per student in a 12-MONTH period.
Participants in the "Return to postsecondary studies for heads of single-parent families" (REPS) are not subject to the ceiling of $500.
EXPENSES claimed must not exceed those that the educational institution charges its GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION for the same courses.
Courses may be given not only by a PUBLIC or PRIVATE educational INSTITUTION, but also by an ORGANIZATION which, while not strictly speaking a recognized educational institution, nevertheless provides training that is necessarily geared to the labour market (e.g. course in ambulance operation, child care, hospital orderly services, truck driving, the hotel trade, etc.).
The following costs are reimbursable:
- TUITION FEES;
- the ACTUAL COST OF LEARNING MATERIALS, provided that the educational institution certifies that such materials are necessary and essential in order to pursue studies or take one or more courses;
- the COST OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES (lump sum of $35).
The MAXIMUM is CALCULATED by adding up the amounts paid as education costs during the 12 calendar months ending with the month of the payment that is about to be made.
Tuition fees:
Generally, these are the actual costs CHARGED BY the public or private educational INSTITUTION to cover the costs related to the enrolment of a student, his or her assessment and classification in preparation for admission, and the costs of the training provided.
Where a course taken at a PRIVATE INSTITUTION is available at a public institution within a radius of 50 kilometres of the student's residence, the amount reimbursed shall not exceed the costs provided for this course at the public institution.
These fees may also include the mandatory costs incurred as a result of acquiring the status of a student, such as the costs of membership in a STUDENT ASSOCIATION.
The cost of EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS:
These costs include the books, notebooks, mimeographed notes and the instruments, tools and clothing that the student requires in order to take the courses. The student must provide the list of learning materials which the educational institution certifies as being necessary and essential to the pursuit of the student's studies in order to obtain payment.
The cost of SCHOOL SUPPLIES
The cost of school supplies includes the necessary, basic material, other than learning materials, required by the educational institution, i.e., notebooks, pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. These costs are paid in one of two ways:
- Agreement with the school board or educational institution: the educational institution provides the beneficiary with the school supplies and claims the cost, under the terms of the agreement.
- Lump sum of $35.
It is important to explain to the client that this sum is provided once during the school year and is considered part of the maximum of $500 payable in a 12-month period.