OTTAWA, Sept. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - As the 2015 school year gets underway, students and their families face higher fees, and expect to be more indebted than ever to get an education. Today's annual university tuition fee report released by Statistics Canada reveals dramatic and unpredictable increases from coast to coast.
"Students and their families need protection from fee increases that leave us saddled with heavy debt loads," said Bilan Arte, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Disconnected student financial assistance programs and the absence of a national vision for post-secondary education has left Canada with a patchwork of policies and huge variations in fees from province to province."
Average undergraduate tuition fees have now surpassed $6,000, an annual increase of 3.2 percent. In polling conducted for the Canadian Federation of Students by Abacus Data and MediaStyle, 85 percent of Canadians opposed increased in tuition fees and 82 percent believe that young people have to take on too much debt today to get a university or college education.
"Canadians expect that access to higher education should be determined by how hard you study, not by how much money you have," said Arte. "This election, federal parties must provide meaningful solutions that will end this crisis and provide immediate relief for students and our families."
The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organization, uniting more that one-half million students across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organizations have represented students in Canada since 1927.
SOURCE Canadian Federation of Students
Sarah McCue, Communications Coordinator, [email protected] or 613-232-7394
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