Media Advisory - Students to Comment on Back-to-School Issues

VANCOUVER, Sept. 1, 2014 /CNW/ - Representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students-British Columbia will be available for comment about back-to-school and students' concern about high student debt on Tuesday, September 2, 2014.

Tuition fees in British Columbia have more than doubled over the past decade, saddling students and their families with an average debt of over $20,000 upon graduation. Students are lobbying the provincial government to eliminate interest charged on student loans, reduce tuition fees, and institute a provincial needs-based grants program.

Despite public demands to fund an accessible system of quality public post-secondary education, the provincial government continues to divest from institutions. Currently, per-student funding is less than 2001 levels when accounting for inflation and additional cuts were announced in the 2014 budget.

The Canadian Federation of Students-BC is composed of students from 15 post-secondary institutions across every region of BC. Post-secondary students in Canada have been represented by the Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organizations since 1927.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students - British Columbia

Zach Crispin, Chairperson    [phone]
Jenelle Davies, spokesperson    [phone]