On Campus

Student alliance asks Ottawa to ease debt in downturn

Graduates with limited job prospects need help dealing with debt, says CASA

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is calling on Ottawa to ease the debt burden for people who are graduating in tough economic times with limited job prospects.

National director Zach Churchill says the government can do some simple things to help recent grads who will, on average, complete a four-year undergraduate degree more than $24,000 in debt.

The alliance argues the student financial-aid system should be more accessible and that tariffs on imported books need to be eliminated.

The comments come after meetings this week with government officials.

The Canadian Federation of Students recently called on Ottawa to increase transfer payments to the provinces in an effort to reduce skyrocketing tuition fees.

– The Canadian Press

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