Category: Finance

B.C. Provincial Tuition Waiver Program Promotional Materials

As part of StudentAid BC’s expansion of the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program (PTWP) for former B.C. youth in care in 2023, they have shared a set of promotional materials to help increase awareness and access to the program.

The following promotional materials are now available:

✔️  8.5×11 inch poster for your office poster boards
✔️  Graphic for sharing on your social media channels
✔️  Digital sign for digital displays
✔️  YouTube video highlighting StudentAid BC programs for Former Youth in Care
✔️  Rack card to share with former children and youth in care you are connected with (sample below)

The poster, social media graphic and digital sign can be downloaded via the links above and are available on the Forms Library on the StudentAid BC website.

High quality versions of the poster and rack card are both available for order (free of charge). Complete this order form and submit by March 8, 2024, and the requested materials will be mailed to the addressee in Spring 2024.

Feel free to share this email and links with your networks to help former B.C. children and youth in care learn about and access the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program.

If you have any questions related to the above information, please contact tuitionwaiver@gov.bc.ca.

WoodGreen Rent Smart

On behalf of WoodGreen Community Services, we are excited to announce that we will be offering a winter session of Rent Smart starting in late February, 2024, co-facilitated by Will McCarty from our own Youth Housing Navigation and Subsidy Support Program, Stella Rose and Karen Hawes from our Financial Empowerment team and Karly Wilson, a housing lawyer and collaborator from the Don Valley Legal Community Services.

There are 6 modules in all, covered over the course of three sessions on topics designed to help young people identify and sustain housing in Toronto and the GTA. They are as follows:

1. Identifying and securing housing

2. What to look for in your search and how to view and inspect a unit

3. How to assess affordability

4. Considering types of housing (individual vs joint tenancies)

5. Types of agreements (standard leases vs subletting arrangements)

6. Landlord engagement – tips and tricks

7. Effective communication

8. Credit reports

9. Human rights and discrimination

10. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)

11. Rights, responsibilities and expectations under the RTA

12. Making a budget and filing taxes

13. What financial benefits are there to help?

14. Evictions and the Landlord Tenant Board

Please note that these sessions are open to all, regardless of age or background, but with a focus on youth aged 16-30 years old.

Those who complete all three sessions will receive a certification demonstrating their provincial tenancy knowledge. While participants are more than welcome to attend single sessions, all three must be completed in order to receive their certificate.

Please find the Information for These Sessions Below:

Time: Session Dates: Locations Details:

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday February 21st Part 1 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday February 28th Part 2 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

6:00PM – 8:00PM Wednesday March 6th Part 3 815 Danforth Ave – 1st floor

Attached you will find our flyer. If you have any questions regarding this training, please feel free to use the contact information on the flyer and we will respond as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

Erik

Apply for Education or Employment Help Through Youth Opportunity Fund 

The Youth Opportunity Fund is available to youth who were in permanent care in Canada or who are (or were) eligible for their provincial or territorial extended care program. You can receive funding for a wide range of supports that can help you accomplish educational or career related goals.  

Youth Opportunity Fund could help cover: 

  • Tutoring services  
  • Academic bridging programs 
  • Application fees for graduate programs 
  • And more! 

Eligibility requirements: 

  • Youth who were or are in permanent care in Canada 
  • Youth who were or are eligible for their provincial or territorial extended care program (e.g. Agreements with Young Adults, Continued Care and Support for Youth, Support & Financial Assistance Agreement) 

Learn about the National Transformation Project by watching the video below: 

If you are interested in learning more, contact Jasmine Yiweza at jyiweza@cafdn.org. 

Struggling to Keep Track of Your Finances? Try Making a Budget

A budget is a great way for you to organize your finances and plan for the future. It is important to know where your money is going, what your income is, and what your living expenses are. Though it does sound overwhelming, the outcome can be very positive. If you learn how to budget, you can learn how to save, which means you will have more opportunities to spend your money on the things most important to you. Budgeting doesn’t have to be scary, that’s why we’ve got great resources for you!

Let’s look at Government of Canada’s “Making a Budget” to learn why creating a budget is important:

A budget is a plan that helps you manage your money, know your income, track your spending, and save. Making a budget can help you balance your income with your savings and expenses and can guide your financial goals.

Here are some additional reasons why a budget is important:
  • You can set spending limits
  • Save regularly to pay off debts
  • Reduce costs and save money
  • Save for things important to you
  • Feel in control of your money
  • Reduce stress

These are the top free resources for Budgeting according to CNBC:

  • Try Mint for your mobile device (check out a beginner tutorial for Mint here)

Try the resources above to make a budget right for you. Google Sheets requires you to manually input your spending, but Mint does not. 

*The information above was sourced from Making a budget – Canada.ca and Best Free Budgeting Tools of 2022 (cnbc.com).