# data[].attributes.body
by Giacomo Carere

# data[].attributes.body
On this wall you will find videos, websites, and images that will inform you about student loan debt in Canada. I hope what you find here will be helpful, and informative!

# data[].attributes.headline
Debt can open doors, but not always the one you want

# data[].attributes.subject
Debt can open doors, but not always the one you want

# data[].attributes.body
In this video Amy Kishek speaks openly about the level of debt that she accumulated while pursuing her post-secondary education. Her efforts to become a lawyer were aided by the access to debt that banks gave her, but she expresses some worry that the field of law that she wishes to practice will not be able to sustain her after her education is complete, and her repayment plan begins. It goes to show that while debt can open doors, it can also deny you the opportunities you are most passionate about. I learned from this video that taking on debt is not always going to let a person have their pick of opportunities after they have graduated.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'It's dream crushing': Ottawa University law student opens up about being $150,000 in debt

# data[].attributes.headline
Student Debt through the Government of Canada

# data[].attributes.subject
Student Debt through the Government of Canada

# data[].attributes.body
This website is an important one to visit if you are in post-secondary or considering post- secondary education. The Government of Canada makes it very easy to access information related to how to apply, what you will receive, what responsibilities you take on when receiving a loan, and what will be expected of you once the time comes for repayment. The website even offers information about alternative ways of funding your education, including lines of credit, and loans offered by financial institutions. I learned from this website that there is a 15 percent tax credit on the interest paid on government student loans every year.

# data[].attributes.body
This image breaks down average student debt for post-secondary graduates by province. This is important to illustrate so that those considering student debt get an idea for how much they are taking on before they make a decision.

# data[].attributes.headline
Best and Worst Provinces for Student Debt - 2015

# data[].attributes.subject
Best and Worst Provinces for Student Debt - 2015

# data[].attributes.body
This video shows a ranking of how much average government student debt graduates have to their names after graduation. Global News interviews Jacob MacDonald from Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada, and gets his insight as to how much tuition has risen since the 1990’s, and how long it can take graduates to pay back their student loans. One thing I learned from this video is that it can be estimated that gradates may take up to fourteen years to pay back their student loans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Best and Worst Provinces for Student Debt | Consolidated Credit Canada

# data[].attributes.body
This website contains information about the state of student debt and tuition fees. This organization collects information on Canadian political policy related to student debt and tuition fees and organizes them by party. They also provide you with links that lead you to the candidates who will be vying for your vote, so that you can contact them and address the state of Canadian student debt. One thing I learned from this website is that there is a student saver card that some businesses take which can get students between 10-50 percent off of some items.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today's students are the most indebted generation in Canadian history. The average student graduates with over $28,000 of debt. Rising tuition fees and living costs mean there's no end in sight unless there is meaningful change to the status quo.

Young people today are caught in a bind. Given that at least 70% of new jobs require some form of post-secondary education, higher education is clearly a prerequisite for participation in the labour market and for earning an average income. At the same time, tuition fees are increasing at a rate that puts attaining the education and skills required to get a job out of reach for most people.

Why then is our education system set up to place the burden of advancing the prosperity of the whole country upon the young people who are struggling to get ahead?

The Canadian Federation of Students is asking for political leaders to bring about the following measures to finally end decades of underfunding and increasing disparity:

Increase the value and number of non-repayable grants available to students by redirecting ineffective tax credits and savings schemes to the Canada Student Grants Program.

Protect the investments made in Canada's post-secondary education system by implementing a federal Post-Secondary Education Act.

The federal parties have promised the following, if elected:

Liberal Party of Canada (LPC):

Increase overall funding to the Canada Student Grants Program (CSGP) by $750 million through the elimination of tuition and education related tax credits.

Increase the value of Canada Student Grants to low-income and part-time students.

Expand the Repayment Assistance Program by ensuring an affordable payment of $0 if a former student is earning less than $25,000 per year.

New Democratic Party (NDP):

$250 million in additional Canada Student Grants over four years.

Seven-year plan to eliminate interest on all federal student loans.

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC):

$235 million over four years to alter the Canada Student Loans Program need assessment evaluation by eliminating the assessment of in-study income, and reducing the expected parental contribution enabling students to qualify for additional loan funding.

$184 million over four years to expand eligibility to the Canada Student Grants Programs to students from low and middle-income families for short-duration programs.

Green Party (GPC):

$2 billion, rising to a maximum $4.8 billion per year to gradually eliminate all tuition fees for post-secondary education in Canada by 2020

$1-2.5 billion annually to provide student debt relief, capping outstanding student debt at $10,000.

$400 million per year to provide additional needs-based non-repayable financial assistance, bridging the gap to the elimination of tuition fees.

Here is how the parties' platforms stack up against one another, based on what students have asked for. Not happy? There's still time to demand better. Contact your candidates now.

Remember, political parties respond to public pressure. You can help the cause of students across the country by telling the candidates in your riding that you'll support individuals who will make youth employment a priority.

Visit action.cfs-fcee.ca to learn who your candidates are and access tools that make it easy to tell them what you think about youth employment in Canada and what changes you would like to see.

Finally, parties respond to voters. By voting this election, you can help show the political parties that youth cannot be ignored any longer. Visit the Elections Canada student page for information on how and where to vote.

Together, we can vote for better prospects for students and a brighter future for our country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Canadian Federation of Students | Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today's students are the most indebted generation in Canadian history. The average student graduates with over $28,000 of debt. Rising tuition fees and living costs mean there's no end in sight unless there is meaningful change to the status quo. Young people today are caught in a bind.

# data[].attributes.body
This image depicts a conundrum that many new graduates are facing. With a huge percentage of jobs requiring post-secondary education, as well as high tuition costs, many graduates are taking on great debt only to land in a job market that does not want to pay them enough to repay that debt.

# data[].attributes.body
This video gives a few tips that can help post-secondary students pay off their student debt. Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada says that students should be paying down student loans as quickly as possible, rather than forgetting about it during OSAP’s six-month grace period. They also recommend looking into loan repayment assistance, and which program you make use of depends on where you received your loan. One thing I learned from this video is that if you are in a hardship situation, you can apply for interest relief grant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Canadian Student Loan Tips on Breakfast TV | Consolidated Credit Canada

# data[].attributes.body
This website contains information as to how to acquire student debt through National Bank. They give information as to some grants that can be applied for at the college level, at the university level, and specific scholarships that can be applied no matter what kind of post-secondary institute you are enrolled in. The website also mentions scholarships that are available to international students. One thing I learned from this website is that there is a scholarship tailored for agricultural sciences students who come from farming families.

# data[].attributes.body
This image depicts the kind of stress that some students feel when they take on debt in order to fund their post-secondary education. While some students pay the debt no mind during their students, others keenly feel the responsibility they are taking on, and it can hurt their academic performance.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are the reflective discussion questions.