Canada tables Budget 2024

The Government of Canada tabled its budget for 2024 yesterday afternoon. The first point of interest in the budget was housing, particularly student housing: The budget included the removal of GST on new student housing, the creation of the Apartment Construction Loan program, and a note that former federal government offices could be acquired for student housing projects. Student grants, loans, and special support programs have also received more funding this year and Canada has expanded its student loan forgiveness program to include more health care and social service professionals. On the research front, new investments were made into research in areas such as AI and agriculture; the development of research infrastructure; and into funding for Canada’s graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and Indigenous researchers. The budget also includes a $243M investment into pathways to PSE for the next generation of First Nations university and college students.