For its part, the Government of Canada has invested significantly over the course of our first two mandates to help to make Canada the most talented and skilled place in the world. From Canada education savings grants to help parents save for their children's education to increases in the education tax credit to the Canada millennium scholarships for today's students to new rules for RRSPs to help Canadians finance retraining and s ...[+++]kills upgrading and to new Canada study grants for students with dependants and other similar programs.

In the general sense, this budget is an education budget with its emphasis on youth, education and training and a lot of initiatives. I just want to list a few: financial assistance to students through the Canada millennium scholarship foundation and the Canada study grants; support for advanced research and graduate students through several granting councils; helping to manage student debt loads through tax relief for interest on student loans and improvements to the Canada student loans program; helping Canadians to upgrade their sk ...[+++]ills through tax free RRSP withdrawals for lifelong learning and tax relief for part time students; encouraging families to save for education through a Canada education savings grant; supporting youth employment through EI premium holiday for youth employment and youth at risk; and, connecting Canadians to information and knowledge through the SchoolNet and community access programs.

(a)with regard to grants for studies, 50 % of the eligible costs.

The federal government has been providing direct assistance in a number of ways, including the Canada Student Loans Program, Canada Study and Access Grants, Canada Education Savings Grants and the Millennium Scholarship Foundation, set to expire and be replaced by the Canada Student Grants Program.

These include the Canada Millennium Scholarship Fund, averaging $3,000 for more than 100,000 low- and middle-income Canadians; , Canada Study Grants for over 25,000 students who are in financial need and have children or other dependents; enhanced assistance for advanced research and for graduate students through increased funding for the three granting councils; help for graduates in managing their student debt loads through tax relief for interest on student loans; improvements to the Canada Student Loans Program to help individu ...[+++]als facing financial difficulties; and Canada Education Savings Grants, a grant of 20 per cent on the first 2,000 contributions made each year to registered education savings plans to ensure that families can better save for their children's future education.

These announcements include: Tax relief for interest on student loans; extended repayment period for those in need; Canada Study Grants of up to $3,000 per year to help needy students with dependants; the new Canada Education Savings Grant to be provided to families who save for their children's education through registered education savings plans; funding increases for the three granting councils to support advanced research and graduate students; and the establishment of Canada Millennium Scholarships which will increase access to post-secondary education for students of low and moderate incomes and students of all ages.