Students applaud measures targeted to reduce student debt

Canadian Federation of Students
News Release

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Today, the Ontario New Democratic Party promised to freeze tuition fees and eliminate interest on Ontario student loans if elected. Students welcomed the announcement and issued a challenge for the Liberal and Progressive Conservative Parties of Ontario to commit to stopping tuition fee hikes and reducing student debt.

"This election will be critical to the future affordability, accessibility and quality of the post-secondary sector, including whether or not the skyrocketing costs of student fees are addressed," said Sandy Hudson, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "Eliminating interest on student loans would stop lower income students from paying more for their education than students who finish debt-free."

The Progressive Conservative government in Newfoundland and Labrador eliminated interest on student loans in 2009. Since then, that province has become the least expensive in which to study and is a destination for Maritime students seeking a more affordable college or university education.

"It is time to change Ontario's reputation of being the province of the highest fees, lowest per student funding and largest class sizes," said Hudson. "The NDP promise to freeze tuition fees and eliminate interest on student loans is a necessary first step to enhance affordability and we hope that student pressure will convince all parties to go further and promise a tuition fee reduction."

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario unites more than 300,000 college and university undergraduate and graduate students, represented by 37 students' unions in all regions of Ontario. For more information about the CFS-Ontario election campaign, visit www.take-it-over.ca.

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