The Panther Prints

ACTION

Facts

Post-secondary educa- tion is financed through gov- ernment grants funded by tax- payers. Tuition fees are a sur- charge or user fee, and as such are a barrier to access and a hurdle to equity in education.

Over the last decade tui- tion fees have increased on average 140% nationally.The average tuition fee bill for a full course load in 1996 is $3,000.Taking the average minimum wage in Canada of $5.58, a student working 40 hoursa week for 16 weeks will gross about $3,500. Ifthis stu- dent has no expenses while she

is working, this amount may just cover tuition and ancillary fees. The question remains how students will pay for housing,food,textbooks and transportation.

Over the last decade,the share of institutional revenues provided by tuition fees has increased at twice the rate of government grants:

Between 1986 and 1991, university operating revenue increased 28.9%—an average yearly increase of 4.3%,

University operating ex- penses for the same period in- creased 31.2%—an . average yearly increase of 4.6%.

Revenues from tuition fees for the same period in- creased by 60.8%—an aver- age yearly increase of 8.2%.

At the same time, the Consumer Price Index, ameas- ure of the average increase in price of basic goods and serv- ices, increased by 28.1%—an average yearly increase of 4.2%.

Student financial assist- ance is often the only avenue open to students who don'thave the money to pay ever-increas-

ing tuition fees and living costs.

Student borrowing con- tinues to rise. At present over half of all students must bor- row to finance their education.The current rate of interest applied to student loans is just under 10%.

Priorto 1991,85% of stu- dents who borrowed graduated with a total debt load of under $ 15,000. Student borrowers graduating in 1996 have an average debt load of $24,000.

Why are student debts so high?

Increasing tuition fees; a political climate which encour- ages high interest rates; a high rate of unemployment and the lack of a federal job strategy; and the elimination of student grants in all provinces except for Quebec(and minimal grants in B.C.and N.B.) over the last 5 years.

The student (aged 15 to 24)unemploymentrate for July 1996 was 18.4%.This trans- lates into 247,000 students who have no means to pay basic living expenses, let alone tui- tion fees. For those who do have jobs, their wages have not kept pace with inflation—Ca- nadian workers now earn roughly the same amountas in 1976.

The increasing level of accumulated debt is deterring some individuals from continu- ing—or even beginning—their studies.

Accessibility to educa- tion refers to a system which allows entry to all potential students regardless of their in- come or ability to pay.An ac- cessible system of post-second- ary education would not charge user (tuition) fees.

Your education will last a lifetime.

Your student debt shouldn’t.

October 21 - 25, 1996

PRAIRIES - Monday, Oct. 21 * BC & YUKON - Tuesday, Oct. 22 ¢ ATLANTIC - Wednesday, Oct. 23 ¢ QUEBEC - Thursday, Oct. 24 « ONTARIO - Friday, Oct. 25

Get involved in the campaign against cuts to post-secondary education

and rising tuition fees. Call 566-0530.

Canadian Federation of Students

www.cfs-fcee.ca