MEDIA ADVISORY - Ontario students available to comment on Election Day activities and results

TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Students will be available to comment on the federal election taking place tomorrow, October 19, both before and after polls close. Through the It's No Secret campaign of the Canadian Federation of Students, Ontario's college and university students have been engaging their peers and encouraging them to cast a ballot in this crucial election and educating voters on student issues such as tuition fees, student debt, youth unemployment and Aboriginal education.

After intensive lobbying from the Federation, Elections Canada set up special on-campus polling stations at dozens of colleges and universities across the country that allowed students to vote for any riding in Canada from the comfort of campus. Over 70,000 students cast ballots at these polling stations ahead of the advance polls over Thanksgiving weekend.

Students' unions across the province will be engaging in a final push on October 19, encouraging their members to vote before polls close and make sure student issues feature prominently in this election.

FEDERAL ELECTION DAY OF ACTION:

DATE:       Monday, October 19, 2015
TIME:        All day
PLACE:    College and university campuses across Ontario
WHO:       Ontario's college, undergraduate and graduate students

JUST THE FACTS:

• The total outstanding student debt owed to the federal government currently stands at $17 billion.
• The average student debt in Canada stands at $28,700 upon the completion of a four-year degree.
• In the summer of 2014, it was calculated that Canada's youth un-/underemployment rate was 27.7%, which includes students seeking full-time hours, those engaged in unpaid internships and others who had simply given up looking for work.
• Between 2001 and 2011, it is estimated that about 18,500 Aboriginal students were denied funding to attend post-secondary education because of the 2% cap on the Post-Secondary Student Support Program.

The Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario unites more than 350,000 college and university students in all regions of the province.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Students

Rajean Hoilett, Chairperson, 289-923-3534 (cellphone) or [email protected]; Gabrielle Ross-Marquette (francophone/bilingual), National Executive Representative, 647-918-9864 (cellphone) or [email protected]; Alastair Woods, Government & Media Relations Coordinator, 647-378-8942 (cellphone) or [email protected]