Ashton calls on Government to tackle student debt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 29, 2010

WINNIPEG – As tuition fees rise, more students are turning to loans to pay for their education and, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday, a staggering number of them are graduating with more than $25,000 in debt.

"The findings in this report confirm what New Democrats have been saying for years, said New Democrat Post-secondary Education Critic Niki Ashton (Churchill). “Governments have been failing Canadians by increasingly passing the cost of education onto the backs of students and their families.”

Beyond discovering increased debt burdens, the study also found that such debts affect graduates dramatically, hindering their ability to enter into the job market and invest in savings and other major purchases such as vehicles and homes.

“At a time when we are facing many economic challenges, high tuition fees block qualified Canadians from seeking the crucial education and training that they need to contribute to our evolving economy,” said Ashton. “This study shows that even those students who make it through to the end of their studies face massive barriers in the form of crippling student debt.”

Ashton is calling for action from the Government to support students and is proposing legislation in the form of a Post-Secondary Education Act to make education more accessible and affordable.

“New Democrats understand the need to support Canadian students now and in the future. Our country’s youth and our future depend on it.”

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N.B. La version française s'en vient.