CFS presents federal politicians with recommendations to improve PSE quality, accessibility

This week, students will meet with MPs and Senators to outline recommendations to improve PSE quality and accessibility, including cutting student loan debt in half by 2015 and implementing a federal PSE Act. In its lobby document, the Canadian Federation of Students suggests increasing the value and number of non-repayable grants available to students by redirecting funds allocated to education-related tax credits and savings programs to the Canada Student Grants Program, and making graduate students eligible for grants under the program. Other recommendations include increasing funding by $10 million to Statistics Canada's branch for the collection and analysis of PSE statistics, boosting the number of Canada Graduate Scholarships, and removing the funding cap on increases to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program. The CFS calls on Ottawa to safeguard and strengthen Canada's reputation as a destination of choice for international students by regulating fees charged to international students, barring private institutions from hosting international students, and combining the Off-Campus Work Permit and Post-Graduate Work Permit into the Study Permit. CFS News | Lobby Document