FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, November 15, 2016 – This week, student leaders from across Canada have joined together on Parliament Hill to call for further improvements to Canada’s post-secondary education system. As participants of CASA’s Advocacy Week, these students are meeting with over a hundred and forty influential decision-makers in the federal government and sharing with them the student perspective on today’s post-secondary system. 

“Last year, significant investments were made to student assistance through the expansion of the Canada Student Grants Program and through increased access to repayment assistance,” said CASA Board Chair and UPEI Student Union VP, John Rix. “This year, student leaders want to make sure that no student in need is left unsupported and that all students can access an innovative education to help them succeed later on.”

Some of the recommendations that students are bringing forward this week include:

• Increasing support of First Nations students to address the education attainment gap;
• Funding initial assessments for mental health disabilities;
• Extending the student loan repayment grace period to reflect the current job market;
• Utilizing open-educational resources to cut down on teacher prep time and student textbook prices; and
• Increasing the number of paid experiential learning opportunities, such as co-ops, internships, and apprenticeships.

John Rix adds, “Our vision for post-secondary education is that it should be inclusive of all diverse Canadians and provide innovative learning opportunities for students. The recommendations we are bringing forward this week provide a means for government to turn this vision into a reality.”

To learn more about the recommendations that students are bringing to Parliament Hill this week, please refer to our Advocacy Week publication. To see student leaders in action throughout Advocacy Week, follow us on Twitter @casadaily.

-30-

About CASA:

Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 21 student associations representing 250,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.

Contact:

Lindsay Boyd, Communications and Public Relations Officer
E-mail: [email protected] 
Phone: 613-236-3457