Eligible Conestoga students can now apply for financial assistance to cover incremental travel costs resulting from the Grand River Transit (GRT) strike.
The GRT Strike Relief Fund provides up to $200 to full-time domestic and international students who remain enrolled in their program and who experienced unexpected additional local travel costs commuting to class and co-op placements as a result of the disruption of public transit service.
Eligibility:
- Students enrolled in full-time programs at the Kitchener (Doon and Downtown), Cambridge (Fountain Street and Downtown) and Waterloo campuses for the winter 2020 term are eligible to apply.
- Students who are on a co-op work term in winter 2020 are eligible to apply. Co-op placement must be in the area served by GRT. An address will be required.
- Students must have purchased a winter term GRT bus pass prior to January 20, 2020. Bus passes purchased through GRT directly will require proof of purchase.
- Fees must be paid in full for the winter 2020 term.
- Receipts must be provided as proof of additional expenses and dated from January 21, 2020, to January 31, 2020. Eligible expenses include taxi and Uber fares, parking costs and vehicle rentals for travel to and from eligible campuses and co-op placements. Non-eligible expenses include gas, insurance and vehicle repairs.
- Students at the Brantford, Guelph, Ingersoll and Stratford campuses are not eligible to apply.
Application process:
Students should complete the online application and submit it along with receipts or other supporting documentation providing evidence of additional expenses.
Students may only submit one application, for up to a maximum reimbursement of $200.
Applications will be accepted until February 23, 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an eligible travel expense?
Eligible expenses include taxi and Uber fares, parking, car rental for travel to/from eligible campuses and co-op/placement locations served by GRT.
Expenses that do not qualify for reimbursement include gas, insurance and vehicle repairs.
If I paid more than $200 for travel expenses during the strike, can I apply for more funding?
No. The maximum reimbursement a student can receive is $200.
What if I don’t have receipts?
Receipts for eligible travel expenses are required to be eligible for reimbursement. Applications without receipts will not be reviewed.
What if I carpooled with a friend and shared the cost?
The driver, or a primary person, should submit the receipts for reimbursement. A single receipt can only be submitted by one student.
Can I include travel on the weekends in my reimbursement request?
Yes, if the travel was to/from eligible campuses and/or co-op/placement locations served by GRT.
How long will it take to get reimbursed?
Please allow 4-6 weeks from the date your application is submitted to be notified of your application result.