Canadians across the country deserve and expect reliable health care. That's just as true in urban cities as it is in rural and remote communities where far too many people face steep barriers to care. Ending that divide requires investing in the people who deliver essential services, no matter where they live.
That is why, today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Steven MacKinnon, announced that the Government of Canada moved one step closer to permanently expanding the reach of Canada Student Loan forgiveness to include more health care and social services professionals working in rural and remote communities.
Proposed changes to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations and Canada Student Loans Regulations, pre-published today in the Canada Gazette, Part I, will allow early childhood educators, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, midwives, teachers, social workers, psychologists, personal support workers and physiotherapists to be eligible for student loan forgiveness.
These changes are expected to increase the number of loan forgiveness beneficiaries by about 8,000 starting in 2025-26 and by up to 19,000 in 2034-35. It is estimated that over 10 years, more than 27,000 professionals would be encouraged to move to rural and remote areas due to this benefit.
Canadians are invited to provide comments on the proposed regulations in the Canada Gazette until March 17, 2025.
The expansion to these 10 additional occupations builds on other recent improvements to support underserved rural and remote communities, including a 50% increase to the maximum amount of forgivable Canada Student Loans for doctors and nurses and amending the definition of an underserved rural or remote community to include all rural areas and population centres of 30,000 residents or fewer.
