OTTAWA, April 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Students will be available to comment on the 2015 Federal Budget immediately following its release on Tuesday, April 21. During pre-budget consultations, the Canadian Federation of Students recommended increasing funding to the provinces for post-secondary education, redirecting funding from education tax credits and savings schemes into upfront grants, reducing existing student debt, and strengthening financial support for Aboriginal students.
THE FACTS:
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Despite the federal government's recent announcement to expand access to the Canada Student Grants Program, no additional funding has been announced for the program. |
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National student debt has surpassed $15 billion. As of September 2014, more than 178,000 Canadians were unable to make any payments on their student loans. |
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Tuition fees in Canada range from $2,631 (Newfoundland and Labrador) to $7,539 (Ontario) and have increased at five times the rate of inflation since the mid 1990s. |
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More than 20,000 First Nations students are currently on a waiting list to receive funding to pursue post-secondary education. Annual funding increases have been capped at 2 percent since 1996. |
| WHAT: |
Canadian Federation of Students responds to 2015 Federal Budget |
| DATE: |
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 |
| TIME: |
4:00 p.m. |
| PLACE: |
Parliament Hill, Centre Block |
| WHO: |
Bilan Arte, Deputy Chairperson, 613-882-7654 |
The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organisation, uniting more than one-half million students across the country. The Federation and its predecessor organisations have represented students in Canada since 1927.
SOURCE Canadian Federation of Students
Bilan Arte, National Deputy Chairperson, 613-882-7654; Anne-Marie Roy, Francophone Representative, 613-218-1138
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