VICTORIA, B.C. – "The high cost of living, increasing tuition rates year after year, and scarce housing options have normalized students living in poverty in order to further their education,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens, and MLA for Cowichan Valley. We’ve heard countless stories of students living in their cars because they can’t afford rent and tuition. We’ve talked to students who have to ration food and use food banks because they don’t have enough money to get them through the month."
VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green Caucus is calling for a tuition freeze for domestic and international students.
“The high cost of living, increasing tuition rates year after year, and scarce housing options have normalized students living in poverty in order to further their education,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens, and MLA for Cowichan Valley.
“We’ve heard countless stories of students living in their cars because they can’t afford rent and tuition. We’ve talked to students who have to ration food and use food banks because they don’t have enough money to get them through the month.
“Students, both domestic and international, deserve access to quality, affordable education. As a single mother, I was able to complete my master’s in the 1990s because tuition rates were frozen. In today’s conditions that would have been impossible.
“Tuition fees in other countries such as Germany, France, or Spain are a fraction of those in Canada. They recognize that investing in people is the best investment we can make.
“It is the responsibility of government to ensure people can meet their potential. They are failing.
“A simple and necessary first step to ease the ever-increasing financial burden faced by students is to freeze tuition rates and I urge this government to do so.”
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