Updated Athlete Assistance Program Policies and Procedures (2022) - Summary for Athletes 

A thorough review of the Athlete Assistance Program Policies and Procedures took place over the past number of months, incorporating feedback from NSOs, athletes and from day-to-day communications with NSO and/or internal staff whereby it was noticed there could be misinterpretations of sections of the policy. Many of the updates are wording clarifications or enhancements to the text. This document highlights some of the key changes and benefits that are most pertinent and applicable to athletes. The full policy is available on our website at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/athlete-assistance/policies-procedures.html 

Section 3.2 (Athlete Responsibilities) – Added language addressing the requirement for all carded athletes to read in full, the AAP Policies and Procedures to understand the program they have signed onto, their responsibilities and the benefits available to them. 

Secondly, the requirement to complete all application requirements prior to the last day of the NSOs funding cycle has been clearly indicated here. Failure to do so will result in the loss of access to the card and to its benefits. 

Section 4.1 (Allocation of Cards to Eligible NSOs - Policy) – The biggest change to this section is the [gradual] removal of the C1 level of carding from the program. Going forward, any athlete who meets the SR criteria, will be funded at the SR level of $1,765/month and NOT at the D level amount for their first senior year. AAP Senior Program Analysts will work with each sport discipline to determine which cycle the elimination of C1 cards will commence. 

Section 6 (Application for and Approval of Cards) – A definition of a “carded athlete” has been included in the introduction to this section. 

Section 7 (Athlete/NSO Agreement) – Some edits in what is required in the agreement have been made; specifically, to add in reference to comply with the Cannabis Act, and the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Section 7.2 continues to refer NSOs to the Athlete/NSO Agreement template attached as Appendix C which we encourage all NSOs to use as they review and update their agreements. New in this version is an Athlete Commercial Agreement Template found attached to the Policy as Appendix D. 

Section 8.3 (Tuition and Deferred Tuition Support) – Edits have been made throughout this section to better clarify and detail eligible education expenses, payment, and reimbursement procedures. For deferred tuition, we have increased the number of years from the athlete’s last date of carding that they have to use any accumulated deferred tuition from 5 years to 7 years. 

Section 8.4 (Supplementary AAP Support) – This section includes details about the various types of supplementary support available to athletes; edits have been made in the introduction section clarifying NSO requirements and maximum allowances per carding cycle: 

a. Excellence Living and Training Allowance – clarifications have been made to the results that will be considered for eligibility to this funding, as well as the card levels. The ‘total income’ tiers have been adjusted up to account for the monthly stipend increase made in 2017, as well as to help offset increases in minimum wage across the country, both which may have an effect on the calculation of the athlete’s income and thus their eligibility for maximum benefit. 

b. Child Dependence Allowance - now, any carded athlete may access this funding if they meet the eligibility criteria. This support had been limited to athletes in Olympic or Paralympic sport disciplines. Now it is open to all carded athletes, regardless of sport discipline (please note below that the Child Care Assistance support has been discontinued). The ‘total income’ tiers have been adjusted up to account for the monthly stipend increase made in 2017, as well as to help offset increases in minimum wage across the country, both which may have an effect on the calculation of the athlete’s income and thus their eligibility for maximum benefit. 

c. Training and Competition Allowance for Paralympic Athletes with High Support Needs – the list of included IPC classifications has been updated. The ‘total income’ tiers have been adjusted up to account for the monthly stipend increase made in 2017, as well as to help offset increases in minimum wage across the country, both which may influence the calculation of the athlete’s income and thus their eligibility for maximum benefit. 

d. Child Care Assistance – this funding will be discontinued and will be incorporated into the Child Dependent Allowance to benefit all carded athletes. 

e. Relocation Assistance – the maximum eligible payout has been increased to $750 per direction to or from an approved NSO-designated National Team Training Centre or permanent training location in the case of decentralized sports. There is no 50% reduction on the claim. 

f. Retirement Assistance – minor edits to the eligibility (the three year minimum will not be waived for any reason) and claim process. 

Section 9 (Health Related Circumstances) – This section formerly named “Illness, Injury or Pregnancy” has been renamed to be more inclusive of all health-related circumstances including mental health or concussions, as examples. Further review into guidance around support to pregnant and post-partum athletes is ongoing and may be addressed in future policy updates. 

Section 10.1.2 (Declining AAP Support) – This section has been updated to allow athletes who have declined AAP support but who continue to be eligible for other benefits such as services from the CSC/CSIs, to still access deferred tuition if they have any accumulated, during the cycle that they have declined other financial support. As well, a clarification has been made as to how to calculate their access to deferred funding once they are no longer carded. 

Appendix C (Athlete / NSO Agreement Template) - A section referring to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) is being drafted and will be inserted into the template in the coming weeks. A .pdf file is posted on the website for download by NSOs. 

Appendix D (Athlete Commercial Agreement Template) – This document has been added as a new appendix to the policy. This is available as a .pdf file which can be downloaded from our website or, as a Word document by contacting the AAP. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the AAP staff at: [email protected]