Ottawa, May 14 (IANS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Wednesday to provide the Canada Emergency Student Benefit for students impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

At his press conference, Trudeau said the emergency program of 9 billion Canadian dollars (about$ 6.4 billion) will be put on the Canada Revenue Agency website to ensure the application process moves as quickly as possible, Xinhua reported.

Canadian students and recent graduates who have lost income or summer jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply to receive funding from an emergency benefit starting Friday.

Under the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, students will receive 1,250 Canadian dollars a month from May to August.

Canadian students caring for dependents or those with a disability will receive 2,000 Canadian dollars a month.

Canadian students collecting the emergency aid will be required to confirm they are looking for summer work and will be connected with a government job bank to help employers struggling with labour shortages.

The student aid package also includes wage subsidies for employers with Canada Summer Jobs, enhanced and extended research grants and increased weekly student loan payments.