Students Map Plan For Harper Government to Fix Student Debt

The system is broken and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Canadian Federation of students are asking the federal government to fix it.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives uses the federal government’s current fiscal framework to create their own budget that “reflects the priorities of Canadians.” In simple terms, they’ve created a budget to fix the student loan system.

“Record-high levels of student debt and high youth unemployment threaten Canada’s long-term prosperity,” said Jessica McCormick, national deputy chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.

“Investing in post-secondary education ensures a more equitable society for future generations.”

Their budget includes steps to:

• Create a new dedicated cash transfer, aimed at reducing tuition fees
• Cut student debt in half by increasing the value and number of up-front, non-repayable grants
• Remove the funding cap on the Post-Secondary Student Support Program to meet the needs of all First Nations students
• Increase federal granting agencies’ base budgets and increase the number of Canada Graduate Scholarships to maintain independent, public research

“Funding public post-secondary education is critical to reducing socioeconomic inequalities and meeting the demands of an evolving labour market,” said McCormick.

“We urge the federal government to take immediate action to reduce the up-front barriers to post-secondary education.”