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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Forum LockedAbusive CRA Employees

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mommyto4in08 View Drop Down
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Joined: 25/April/2008
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    Posted: 05/December/2011 at 7:03pm
Long read, sorry for the venting but i just had to say something......here goes:

I have been making regular payments on my student loans that are held with CRA for quite some time now. I am paying an amount that doesn't even cover the interest on my loans each month however it is all I can afford based on income/family size etc. I have never been late, never missed a payment etc., and I have always complied with any and all requests for information made by the CRA via telephone, period. 

Today I received a letter from the CRA asking for income/expense verification in writing. It came with an attached form that I am to fill in, which is basically the exact same info I have been providing via telephone every 6 months like clockwork when that all too familiar call comes in. I have never filled one of these forms in prior to this one I received today, and I needed some clarification on a few questions. I called the number on the letter, expecting a few quick and courteous answers and then I would be on my way, completed form ready to be faxed. Not so!

Me: Good afternoon, I just received an income/expense verification letter that asks for proof of same and I would like to know what form of proof of income/expenses is accepted please? (ie: copies of paystubs, bank record, receipts, etc.)
Debbie from CRA: I need to pull your acount info. What is your full name/address/DOB/SIN#?
Me: Oh, ok. Info given
Debbie: I see here you have been reporting that your monthly food expense is a thousand dollars? A THOUSAND DOLLARS?? How many kids do you have??
Me: Um....4. I honestly thought it was low for a family of 6. And that total includes not only food but household effects, like laundry, cleaning supplies, and...
Debbie: I don't know HOW you have been getting away with this for so long but I will tell you that it won't fly this time. That is way too high! You must be eating out every night! 
Me: Um, no, actually we are on a very strict budget. We are a single income family at the present time and...
Debbie: WHY aren't you working? 
Me: um, I have small children that would require full time daycare and the costs of such are just too high. I would be working to pay for daycare, if that. Anyway, can you tell me what form of proof I need to provide for my income/expense statement please? This is the first one I have ever filled...
Debbie: You really need to get a job and pay these loans. Do you realize that you are not even paying a fraction of the interest at this rate? When do you expect to pay these off, if ever?
Me: I know, it's not a situation I am happy about but at the present time...
Debbie: What? the rest of the world works for a living and so should you, kids or not. Don't you think your kids would be happier if you paid your paid your debts?  I am sure they would all be much prouder of you for working. 
Me: (fighting back tears at this point) I would appreciate your keeping your opinions to yourself please. You are a gov't employee, its not your job to pass judgement on me Debbie. Again I am not happy with the situation either, Lord knows I have done all I can to help myself out of this mess for years now. None of the programs designed to help apply to me. I am one of those "fell through the cracks" cases. I have exhausted IR, was turned down for Debt Reduction, I ....
Debbie: Well then all the more reason to go to work! No one owes you a handout here. Let's get real now, people who have kids have a responsibility to work.
Me: (in tears now) PLEASE keep your opinions to yourself, again, I did not call to hear your opinions of me, I simply wanted help filling out a form. You have no right talking to me this way!
Debbie: Well obviously you haven't tried too hard if you haven't heard that there is a new program called payment rehabilitation that you can qualify for. You need to make full payments to get your loans in good standing here and only then will we send them back to the NSLSC so you can apply for it. You can't apply until your account is in good standing though.
Me: Um, if I could make payments in full and get my loan in good standing I would! Believe me, if I could pay, I would, I can't stand being in debt for so much and for so long for going to school! I will make full payments on them just as soon as my circumstances change, that is the goal here!
Debbie: Yup, sure you will. 
Me: I want to speak to a manager please.
Debbie: Sure, they will call you in 48 hours.
Me: That isn't good enough, I would like to speak to someone now.
Debbie: I tried to help you here. Oh, and just a reminder that we can and will take legal action against you regardless of your situation. Lying on these forms is fraud. 
Me: What? Excuse me? How is passing judgement on me helping me? And since when am I lying on a form? All I wanted was clarification on what form of proof you require Angry
Debbie: your past claims look suspect to me.
Me: Last I checked we aren't even meeting bankruptcy surplus income standards, how are my past claims suspect? And if so why was I never contacted about it?
Debbie: I said it looks suspect to me, obviously the last agent who took your information believed you so...and we use much different standards. No one from our office will contact you in regard to your claims, we will just initiate legal action if we so choose. We can and will take legal action whenever we feel fit to do so. In your case it may be soon. 
Me: I am feeling threatened now here...I don't understand where any of this is coming from, I just wanted info on how to fill my form out. I have never had a problem of any sort - ever. I have never lied or scammed anyone or anything in my life. I have been making payments on time every time in good faith, why will I be sued? (Sobbing at this point) Do you feel good about yourself putting others down who come to you for help?
Debbie: I am stating facts, that is all. If the truth bothers you so much maybe you should see someone. Have a nice day. CLICK!

I called back after I calmed down, planning on just hanging up if she answered again. Thankfully I got a new agent, a much nicer woman who actually answered my original questions. Ironically, even though the form states to provide proof--I don't need to send anything in. According to agent #2, "its just a formality on the form and isn't necessary." That was all I wanted to know this whole time! Confused

About an hour later the supervisor called me back. He stated that the agent was "probably just doing her job" and I was making it all out to be something it wasn't. I asked him to please listen to the call from start to finish, and he stated that NONE of the calls are recorded. So, of course it's her word against mine and I am having to defend myself and explain my situation AGAIN to this supervisor. He attempted to turn this into a situation whereby I was just upset because they asked me to fill out the form, and treated me like I was a hostile citizen upset with the system. He told me it is the agent's job EVERY TIME YOU CALL IN to remind you they can and will sue you. Also, it was okay to talk to me like that because "so many people are dishonest its unreal." I told him I was not one of those people so stop painting everyone with the same brush. I fully understand the need for the questionnaire, the need for my income/expense info, the questions asked. There is a need for the system in place, etc., I get it all! What I don't get, is WHY I was berated for calling in for help on my form? WHY, is it okay to question my kids' pride in me? WHY, considering it was a standard form, was my personal info requested and my file pulled and scrutinized over a simple question that could have been answered in seconds? WHY is it okay for a complete stranger working on behalf of the gov't to question my integrity, and treat me worse than a collection agent would? His answer is simple. "Because we can." Oh, and if I wanted to take this further I should, but just make sure I contact my Federal rep, and not my provincial. Absolutely no apologies were given. I was left with the feeling that they can say and do anything they want, whenever they want and there is nothing I can do about it Ouch

Call me naive, but this has completely shaken my trust in the gov't. I will never accept that it is okay to speak to people the way I was spoken to and there is no accountability. I am not asking for blood here, just an apology or at the very least an acknowledgement that boundaries were crossed. 

I will NEVER again speak to anyone regarding my loans via telephone. It will all be done via fax/letter from now on.

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