VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced a change to the student loan program, allowing people to apply for financial assistance for courses lasting a minimum of 34 weeks.
Under the current program, students must take post-secondary programs that last at least 60 weeks.
Harper says that left out people training for jobs such as forestry technician, home inspector and paralegal because those courses take less time to complete.
He says the change means people will have a better opportunity to upgrade their skills for well-paying jobs.
The new Canada Student Grants program is slated to begin in 2016, and the government says it will benefit about 42,000 more students every year.
Harper says people returning to the work force can also consider careers that require less than a year's training.
