Please sign a letter to Mr. Harper to save the post-secondary students of Canada.

Dear Mr.Stephen Harper,

            On behalf of all post-secondary education students I am writing to you admist the chaos that is stirred on a daily basis by the ever eloquent and charismatic Mr.Rob Ford.  I want to shed some light on an important issue that deserves far more attention and that is: the remodeling and restructuring of the post-secondary education system. 

             As you know in the last fifteen years tuition fees have become the largest expense for university and college students, increasing on average over five times the rate of inflation. At the current rate of increase tuition fees are estimated to exceed all other student expenses combined in five years.  High tuition fees limit access to post-secondary education for students and low and middle income households.  According to Statistics Canada youth in transition survey, 70% of those who did not pursue post-secondary education and 71.4% of those who dropped out, cited financial reasons as their motivation for discontinuing their studies. In another study released by Statistics Canada 32% of Canadian youth aged 18-24 were not pursuing the education they wanted or needed, with a majority citing financial reasons.

                Requiring low and middle income students to finance education through debt results in these students paying more for education than those who have the resources to pay full cost of their education upfront.  Students who take on debt to pay their fees must pay both fees and accumulated interest on their student loans. Such a system burdens low and middle income families. It is quite clear Mr. Harper, FUNDING EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT DEBT IS AN UNFAIR MODEL!

                 Although important steps have been taken such as the student grant program, we must question whether the federal government-who is the largest source for funding post-secondary education-ensures that the monies transferred to provincial governments actually make it into the post-secondary education system.  The future of Canada is in your hands now more than ever Mr.Harper.  Right now students are graduating with $30,000 in student loans as well as up to $5,000 in credit card debt. The end result? Many students end up digging a whole for themselves of which they cannot get out off.

                  The federal and provincial government must take action and remodel/restructure the post-secondary education system in order to bring forth the possibility of a better future. By making post-secondary education accessible for all, Canadians will be remembered as bright and bold individuals who have the power to change the world due to the fact that they have been supported by a country who has believed in their dreams and ambitions.

       Sincerly,

        A concerned post-secondary student.