This website is a testimony to the problems Canadian Student Loan borrowers experienced from approximately 1996 to 2008 and until their loans were paid off.

The privatization of the Student Loans system by the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments broke the system and defaulted thousands of borrowers who were trying to pay their loans. There were even stories of suicide due to the harassment of borrowers.

Read the report that I prepared back in 2007 here. Canada Student Loans-The Need for Change Fortunately the new Conservative government at the time revamped the program and fixed the system for new borrowers, but borrowers under the previous program were left with ruined credit and continued harassment from debt collectors.

I call on the Canadian Government to apologize to the borrowers affected by this fiasco and make amends.

Unfortunately the Liberal government is again clobbering the Education system with their upcoming changes to International Student Visas. Yes, there's a problem, but instead of a well thought out plan, they have pulled the emergency brake on the train causing a derailment. This has introduced unprecedented instability for both private and public education institutions who serve both international and local students.

Universities can't plan. I've heard of courses being cut because the government has no process in place for universities to send the newly required acceptance letters to the government.

This means that students who have been accepted can not attend courses that start in the summer 2024 semester. With cut sections, current Canadian students will have trouble getting courses, and may have to switch to part-time which changes their enrollment status and might trigger repayment of their loans or ineligibility for funding. I've seen this before. It wreaks havoc on the student loan borrowers.

Again, the Liberal government has messed up the education environment. Will the new system needed in a rush for the acceptance letters be the new Arrivecan scandal?

I call on the government to implement a slower phased in approach and delay the requirement of the acceptance letters until a process is in place to submit these letters.


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    Posted: 15/June/2009 at 4:42pm

The Federal Government has now released the text of the new Canada Student Loan and Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations including the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)  in very confusing legaleze (why not plain language so we understand) at:

http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2009/2009-06-13/html/reg4-eng.html

The regulations give the new thresholds for income elgibility for RAP 

It appears that those in default are not allowed to apply for repayment assitance plan and there is still no provision to undefault (rehabilitate) defaulted loans so that those with defaulted loans are allowed a to qualify for RAP and a regular repayment plan (those with defaulted loans held at CRA are required to repay their loans in full over 3 years instead of the 10 years that every other student is allowed.

Furthermore the regulations do not appear to fullfill the government's two written promises: 

1) to not punish students for administrative errors that were promised on the canlearn website http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/main/spotlighton/bdg2008/otc.shtml

promised by HRSDC on canlearn.ca but not delivered in new regulations "Administrative changes to the Canada Student Loans Program will allow the flexibility to correct administrative errors, accept documents beyond prescribed deadlines"   This promised but non delivered change would have prevented many students from going into default due to errors by the government, banks and NSLSC (eg lost forms ...)

2) promised byHRSDC on canlearn.ca but not deliverd in new regulations "allow for deferral of repayment for students who remain in full-time studies beyond their maximum weeks of loan funding and in-study interest-free status"   This promised but non delivered change would have allowed doctoral and medical students in long programs to complete their degrees before entering repayment 

There is a 15 day period from which we can comment commencing from June 4 when these regulations were published:

"Interested persons may make representations concerning the proposed Regulations within 15 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be addressed to Glennie Graham, Senior Director, Canada Student Loans Program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 200 Montcalm Street, Tower 2, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0J9 (tel: 819-956-8937; e-mail: glennie.graham@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca). Ottawa, June 4, 2009"

 

It appears if anyone wants to comment they must do so by Friday June 19, 09 at the contact info above(15 days from June 4)

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dale View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15/June/2009 at 5:53pm
Also worth noting is the change in the Permanent Disability Benefit (PDB) provisions.  Moving forward, borrowers will not qualify for the benefit unless they are completely unable to work or attend school. 
 
THis is the legal implementation of what has been (mis)understood by CSLP staff for some time to be operating policy, much to the protests of rejected applicants.
-Still fighting
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clarssa21 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16/June/2009 at 6:12am
thank you for posting this for us. I tried reading it but I couldn't understand it. 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mr.o Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17/June/2009 at 8:06am
I have sent a reply. I encourage others to take a minute to express your views. Surely you can spare that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote highland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17/June/2009 at 11:00am
Please note the fine print:
 
"Interested persons may make representations concerning the proposed Regulations within 15 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be addressed to Glennie Graham
 
 
wouldn't want our comments to be discounted on a technicality!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tokenwhitemale Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17/June/2009 at 10:12pm
I'm so worried about this.  I'm in the second year of my PhD.  I have 3 more courses left to take, and about 3 years of school left.  I'm studying at an American University.

I have about 40,000 in debts from my first couple years as an undergrad.  I've exceeded the 400 weeks they allow students to go to school for.  These new regulations disqualify me.  If they don't include the promised changes that would've allowed grad students to stay in school, or at least something that allows people to qualify for repayment assistance while in the usa, then I'm out of luck and looking at either staying in school and that means defaulting for three years (I'm a fixed income, J1 Visa, can't legally work in this country and living off a stipend of less than 1000 a month) or dropping out of school so I can return to Canada and get on repayment assistance. 

Lucky me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marigold Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/August/2009 at 5:16pm
I am no longer a student nor am I a young person. I had to go to CIBC when I took out my loan and have paid it regularly, with the exception of interest free periods. I would not recommend CIBC for any type of transaction. The federal government dropped the contract with CIBC several years ago. I wonder why??? The other banking institutions have are now lenders and I do not hear any complaints about them. CIBC is the only banking institutuon which has a forum for dissatisfaction. The call center is useless. They did not send out the legal papers to me to revise the loan terms, but of course, that is my fault. They teach their staff to say "no" in twenty ways, and they are so tangentile that I find it difficult to have any type of conversation. They cannot answer a straight forward question. They are not interested in solutions, because they will lose money which is their biggest fear. It is the only banking institution which needs to offer incentives to university students to bank with them - a carrot they offer. Without going into more details, I would say select other banking institutuons, Do your own assessment of a bank which you can respect, and will remain your main source of loans for your home, car and business. Ask questions, and listen seriously to the expereinces of others. Avoid the trouble with CIBC. Anyone who finds themselves in trouble with CIBC needs to send the Globe and Mail a letter. CIBC does not not like the negative attention.
Anne
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