Nova ScotiaThe Canadian Teachers’ Federation is pushing the federal government to implement a long-promised expansion to its student loan forgiveness program that would offer teachers working in rural and remote areas additional financial relief.Loan relief for educators working in rural areas first promised in 2024 budgetCBC News · Posted: Sep 28, 2025 9:39 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoIn the 2024 budget, the federal government promised to expand its student loan forgiveness program to include teachers working in rural and remote areas. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)The Canadian Teachers’ Federation is pushing the federal government to implement a long-promised expansion to its student loan forgiveness program that would offer financial support for teachers working in rural and remote areas.Once implemented, the program is expected to offer up to $30,000 in loan forgiveness over five years for teachers who choose to work in smaller communities after graduation.”Those are the areas where we can’t get people to teach, so the potentiality of having people in university choosing their career and saying … if I choose teaching, I’m going to be able to get some loan forgiveness … It was great news,” federation president Clint Johnston said in an interview with Information Morning Nova Scotia last week. Although the expansion was announced in the 2024 federal budget, it has yet to come to fruition.That’s why Johnston says the federation is urging its members to contact their federal representatives and demand an update.”It was pretty clear that the intent would be to have it for this year, that was our understanding,” he said”The vast majority of teachers are looking at an assignment for September, so there’s quite a bit of disappointment when it doesn’t land.” Teachers in limboNova Scotia Teachers Union president Peter Day said finding teachers willing to work in rural areas is a real challenge, especially in more specialized subjects like music, French, math, and the sciences. “I’m from Cape Breton and I see it all the time,” he said. “Our rural communities are really in desperate need.”According to Day, the government’s delay in expanding loan forgiveness is only making matters worse”I know for a fact people were talking to us and saying I’m going to wait and see when that loan forgiveness lands and then I might go take one of those rural positions,” said Day.In an email, Employment and Social Development Canada affirmed the government’s commitment to expand the list of professions eligible for the Canada Student Loans forgiveness benefit. It said the first phase of the regulatory process to amend its current student loan regulations is already done, but the final regulatory step needs to be completedIn the draft of the amendment, which was published in the Canada Gazette earlier this year, the proposed start date was listed as Nov. 1.In addition to teachers, the expansion is also expected to include early child educators, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, midwives, social workers, psychologists, personal support workers and physiotherapistsWith files from Information Morning Halifax
Canadian teachers push feds to make good on promise to expand student loan forgiveness
