Monday, February 15, 2010 

TERRACE—Hundreds more British Columbians signed the petition to reduce student debt over the past two days as the Education Shouldn't be a Debt Sentence tour reached the Prince Rupert and Terrace campuses of Northwest Community College. The tour is organized by the Canadian Federation of Students-BC and is on its northern BC leg after touring Vancouver Island campuses in the first two weeks of February.

"BC families are suffering as record high tuition fees have led to record high student debt," said CFS-BC National Executive Representative Michael Olson. "This tour is giving voice to the thousands of British Columbians who need a commitment from the BC government to reduce student debt."

Playing host to the tour, the students' union at the Northwest Community College held free lunches, and gathered signatures on the petition on Monday and Tuesday on the Prince Rupert and Terrace campuses of the College.

"For far too many Northwest Community College students, education is a debt sentence," said Olson. "Hardly a person went by without signing the petition, and many shared stories about the toll high tuition fees and student debt have taken on them and the College community."

Tuition fees have more than doubled in BC since 2001 as per-student funding has been cut. The elimination of the BC grants program in 2004 accelerated student debt accumulation to the point where average debt upon graduation of a four-year program now exceeds $27,000. Meanwhile, BC has the highest interest rates in the country onits student loans. The CFS-BC's campaign calls for the BC government: