The Commissioner of the French Language, Benoît Dubreuil, believes financial aid should be increased with a loan system to facilitate the French language training of immigrants.
To this end, he proposes “the creation of a loan program for participants in full-time French courses, modelled on the student financial aid program.”
Currently, financial aid for French language training amounts to $230 per week, for a total of approximately $10,000 for a full year of study (44 weeks), the commissioner indicated in his most recent report tabled Wednesday in the National Assembly.
“A loan with an annual value of $15,000, added to the current financial aid of $10,000, would allow participants to generate an annual income of $25,000. This amount would be close to the low-income threshold and similar to the income earned by working 44 weeks at minimum wage,” the document states.
This enhanced financial assistance “would allow more participants to temporarily withdraw from the workforce to pursue intensive French language learning.”
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It would be reserved for full-time students, but the commissioner believes it should be considered to extend it to those enrolled in “intensive part-time” French language programs.
The commissioner also proposes expanding access to financial assistance “to all participants in full-time French language training, that is, making eligible individuals born in Canada.”
“It is clear that a significant segment of non-Francophones, even among non-immigrants, currently struggle to find the time necessary to learn French,” the commissioner wrote.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
