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Fund and grow your team

Hiring a co-op student can pay off in more ways than one

Offset the cost of hiring by up to 70%

Hiring a co-op student is a financially smart solution. Wage-subsidy funding can offset the cost of hiring by up to 70%* for some Canadian organizations. There are a number of grants, tax credits and funding programs that can subsidize, and help cover, the cost of hiring co-op students.

As part of providing the highest level of service to our employer partners, we will help you navigate funding opportunities offered to a broad variety of sectors.

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Discover the many funding options available

The Co-operative Education Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit based on salaries paid to co-op students from qualifying co-operative education programs at Ontario universities or colleges. Ontario businesses can claim 25% of eligible expenditures (30% for small businesses) for up to a maximum credit of $3,000 per student, per four-month term.

All of the following co-op and internship programs are qualifying programs:

  • Arts & Science Co-op
  • Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP)
  • Engineering PEY Co-op Program
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The Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) supports the hiring of post-secondary students by providing wage subsidies to employers that offer quality work integrated learning opportunities. Qualifying employers may be eligible to offset 50%-70% of student wages up to a maximum of $7,000 for each eligible student.

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Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. This funding is designed to create summer jobs for young people aged 15 to 30 who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.

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Through partnerships with Mitacs, the government is continuing to fund thousands of research internships for undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Through the Mitacs Accelerate funding stream, partner contribution starts at $7,500 per internship unit (4-6 months), which results in a $15,000 research award. Of the $15,000 award, the intern will receive a minimum $10,000 stipend/salary.

If a project has 6 or more internship units with 3 or more interns, it is possible for the partner organization to contribute $6,000 per internship unit instead. This will receive a $13,300 research award with a $10,000 minimum stipend to the intern.

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