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Bill C-28

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SUMMARY

This enactment would implement reforms to the Canada Student Loans Program, make amendments to the Canada Student Loans Act and provide for its repeal by order in council when it eventually becomes spent.

The responsible Minister will be authorized to enter into agreements with lenders for risk-sharing in respect of financial assistance that the lenders provide to students. The enactment provides for the calculation of the maximum dollar amount of some types of loans and of other forms of financial assistance, for a maximum global dollar amount of outstanding student loans, and abolishes the existing provincial loan allocation formula. The Minister will have the power to give directives to each ``appropriate authority'' on how they are to perform their functions, and to enter into agreements with the provinces to harmonize the financing and administration of federal and provincial student financial assistance programs. Alternative payments will be made to provinces that choose not to participate in the Canada Student Loans Program.

The enactment provides authority to do the following by regulations: to establish a scheme, for any province, of loans that are repayable on an income-contingent basis; to provide for subsidized or unsubsidized loans that may or may not be subject to needs-testing, financed by the private sector or directly by the federal government; to allow borrowers special interest-free or interest-reduced periods; to give grants to specified classes of persons; to provide deferred grants to eligible students with high debt loads; and to provide financial assistance to part-time students.