The Repayment Assistance Plan Enhanced Verification Model (RAP-EVM) is an automated system used by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to verify information submitted by student loan borrowers applying for repayment assistance. When a borrower applies for the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), the system uses pre-established business rules to identify applications that may carry a higher risk of misreported information — such as unusual changes in family size, zero-income claims, or income reported just below the zero-payment threshold. For these selected applications, the system securely requests tax data from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and compares it against what the borrower reported.
If the information matches, the application proceeds normally and the borrower may experience a faster decision. If discrepancies are found, the borrower is asked to provide additional documentation, which is then reviewed by a human agent before a final approval or refusal is made. This means the system supports — but does not fully replace — human decision-making in cases where further review is needed. Borrowers who are refused can request reconsideration or re-adjudication, and RAP approval periods last six months, after which borrowers may reapply.
RAP-EVM was introduced following a 2020 audit by the Office of the Auditor General, which recommended that ESDC systematically verify RAP applications to protect public funds. A Privacy Impact Assessment was completed in November 2023 and shared with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. The system is classified as a low-impact automated decision system under the federal Directive on Automated Decision-Making. Borrowers' personal information is protected under ESDC's and CRA's legal authorities and is only accessible to authorized personnel with appropriate security clearances.
