Manitoba Government Releases Results of Student Aid Client Satisfaction Survey

October 19, 2021

General Impression of Manitoba Student Aid Positive: Ewasko

The Manitoba government has released findings from an EngageMB survey on how Manitobans use and perceive services offered by Manitoba Student Aid, which generated positive results, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Wayne Ewasko said today.

“Each year, Manitoba disburses millions of dollars through federal and provincial loans, grants and bursaries to Manitoba students, including low-income and Indigenous students, to help them reach their educational and career goals,” said Ewasko. “We conducted the client satisfaction survey to better understand client needs and to improve services. We have also since opened Manitoba Student Aid service to in-person service to better meet client needs.”

The survey helped to identify areas of service that are working well and areas where improvements could be made. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic affected how Manitoba Student Aid offered services, and this survey helped the branch evaluate its services over the 2020-21 academic year.

In addition to the public, people who applied for Manitoba Student Aid in the 2020-21 program year were invited to participate in the online survey from May 18 through June 8. A total 1,815 Manitobans responded to the survey and 71 per cent had applied for aid.

The client satisfaction survey asked respondents about accessing program information including the website and the online portal, their satisfaction with client services, including email and telephone services, and about their preferences for in-person services.

The minister noted clients had overall positive impressions and were satisfied with the knowledge and professionalism of staff. However, survey respondents also identified areas for program improvement. The respondents noted that wait times for email and telephone services were too long. While the website and online portal sufficiently met student needs, respondents identified opportunities to further improve those resources.

The majority of survey participants (75 per cent) were satisfied with the knowledge of staff when receiving services by telephone and about the same number were satisfied with the professionalism of staff when receiving services by telephone.

The Manitoba Student Aid online portal allows clients to access services without direct communication with representatives. The portal allows clients to update their personal information, submit an application, and stay updated on the status of their application and loan. About 77 per cent of respondents found it somewhat or very easy to create an account in the online portal and 87 per cent of respondents found the online portal met their needs.

“We are continuing engagement as it ensures financial supports are available to help students pursue educational pathways, and gain the right skills and competencies to thrive in our labour market,” said Ewasko. “The survey will help the province improve its services to clients and will provide a foundation for future discussions with students, student associations, post-secondary institutions, general stakeholders and partners such as the federal government.”

The survey results are available at: https://gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/proactive/20212022/engagemb-student-aid-satisfaction-survey.pdf.

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For more information:

• Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
• Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
• Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Communications and Stakeholder Relations: 204-290-5374.

NT5