Launch of the Coalition for Student Loan Fairness

Hi everyone!

Please visit our new website to vote for progressive changes to the Canadian Student Loan Program. Here is the our news release when we launched along with our url:

NEWS RELEASE -- 12 April 2007 VANCOUVER — The newly formed group called the Coalition for Student LoanFairness has launched an important online petition outlining a series ofmuch needed improvements to the existing Canadian Student Loan program.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/StudentLoanFairness/

Spokesman Julian Benedict explains, “This online petition is designed tohighlight key issues struggling student loan borrowers deal with every day. We are urging people across the country to take action by signing thepetition and thereby prompting politicians to move forward with modernizingour antiquated student loan system.”In the wake of the recent decision by U.S. lawmakers to cut interest ratesin half on government-held student loans, the group is calling for asimilar reduction here. As well, the petition requests improvements to thecurrent Interest Relief program, which a 2006 Statistics Canada reportconfirmed recently is underutilized despite the need. Also, the petitioncalls for the creation of an Ombudsman to deal with escalated student loanborrower disputes, amalgamating federal and provincial loans in provinceswhere this process has not already taken place, the reinstatement of thepost-graduation interest relief period, as well as better debt reliefprograms for student loan borrowers, especially those with permanentdisabilities.