Canadian Federation of Students NL is calling for clear commitments from federal candidates

CFSNL Chair Mary Feltham says over half of all bachelor’s degree graduates are burdened with financial strain, and tuition isn’t the only barrier with the increasing cost of living.

With national student debt rising to nearly $31K a year, the NL branch of the Canadian Federation of Students is calling on federal candidates to make clear commitments to making post-secondary education more accessible. CFSNL Chair Mary Feltham says over half of all bachelor’s degree graduates are burdened with financial strain, and tuition isn’t the only barrier with the increasing cost of living. Feltham recently graduated as a nurse and says most students need student loans to get an education and it takes them a long time to pay it off. 

Last year, the federal government announced a $500 million Youth Mental Health Fund. However, Feltham says to date, only a small portion of that has been spent. $46.4 million has been allocated across six initiatives in select provinces. Feltham says CFS encourages parties to create a plan to further utilize the fund by investing in a dedicated mental health stream, an action that would cost approximately $300 million over three years.” She says “Post-secondary enrollment across the country has seen a decline, with a notable decrease in international students largely due to the limitation on study permit approvals. There are fewer and fewer people graduating annually.”