A Concordia student is challenging a Quebec law that denies her financial aid because she does not have a child with her common-law partner. Edith Tam, a 30-year-old student from Vancouver, thought she qualified because her common-law partner is a Quebec resident.
Quebec does state that an out-of-province student is eligible for aid if their spouse is a Quebec resident. However, the province says the couple must fulfill one of two conditions: a civil union or marriage, or live together with a child.
Tam told reporters that when she applied for a loan in 2006, a student aid official joked, “Maybe you should get pregnant.” According to the Montreal Gazette, she filed a discrimination complaint this week with the Quebec Human Rights Commission.
Representatives working on the case are considering a class action suit to include students in similar circumstances, said the Gazette.
