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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SusanfromAB View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SusanfromAB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Interesting Call with RBC
    Posted: 21/March/2007 at 2:55am
I made a call to RBC Student Loans last night to discuss my options for making a lump sum payment.  I find it so frustrating that I can't pay RBC like a bill from online banking with TD. 


 

So, the call went through to a "person", but that "person" didn't know/realize a call had been patched through.  So, I could hear the "customer service reps" talking and joking....I must have sat on the phone listening in for a good 45 - 60 seconds before my call was intercepted by X. 

 

X sounded about 14 years old and really needs some lessons in "customer service".  I inquired why this couldn't be set up like a bill, blah blah, and this KID starts to take a sarcastic approach with me.  "Because we are a competitor...." He really emphasized competitor and went on for a few seconds. 

 

Now, this probably wasn't "grown up" on my part, but I threw the sarcasm back at him with a "Listen, X....Big%20smile It was great!  His tone changed RIGHT AWAY.  All the sudden he was my new best friend.

 

Then I asked him if RBC was a competitor and that's why I can't pay my student loan online, why could I pay my RBC Visa as a bill online????  He didn't know. Confused

 

Turns out my new best friend actually has student loans and has had the paperwork lost too.  He said his dad hates RBC.  At least that's what he said--maybe this is just a good cop/bad cop tactic when they get someone like me on the phone!

 

In the end, I still can't make my lump sum payment online--I have to go to a branch and make a payment by cheque or money order.  My fear is that they will lose my cheque, just like they lose paperwork!  Not only that, they don't send out regular statements showing my payments, so will the payment just disappear and not be applied to my loan properly????  Has anyone gone through this with these guys?  I just don't trust them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote peewee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24/March/2007 at 2:21pm
Hi Susan,
 
i don't know what those RBC customer service goofs are talking about because i made several lump sum payments to my RBC student loan online, through my bank account.  Back around august 2005 i got a letter in the mail that provided information on some "new" account number to use for online banking.
 
anyways, it all worked.  i paid off my bank portion of my student loan all through online banking.  I requested and received a statement of account.  I received documentation regarding interest paid for income tax purposes and when i got it all paid off, i received a letter verifying that i was paid in full. 
 
my point is, i paid it all online and it all worked out just fine.
 
but i understand your frustration.  each time i made a payment, i waited 3 days and then called to verify that the payment was received.  I also took down the name of the person that i talked to and the date and time of the call as well as my balance to date, just to cover myself in case anything went wrong.  it was always very annoying to speak to a different person everytime and each time i felt that they were always very uninformed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SusanfromAB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26/March/2007 at 2:55am

From what I've been told, online payments can be made from a RBC bank account.  I closed all accounts with RBC several years ago after a few disappointing incidents with them.

My student loan is the only thing that I owe to the RBC umbrella. 
 
Do you bank with RBC or another financial institution?  I've checked with TD to add RBC St Lns as a payee, but they are not on the list.  Maybe I need to do some more digging.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26/March/2007 at 10:34am
Be careful with using TD and adding a payee... you'll need to make the payment days before the due date cause TD tends to hang onto the money for a few days and earn interest on it!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote holygeez Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27/March/2007 at 1:59am
Susan,
We all know too well how RBC handles payments, notices, letters, cheques, etc...NOT very freakin' well.
I've been there too...they debited my account for $609 once while I was in interest relief.  I have letters from them stating how they cannot amend credit bureau crap and another letter 2 months later telling me that they amended my credit bureau crap...so, they are LIARS.  I've had reps tell me that it is not uncommon for them to loose cheques, to apply payments to wrong loans, and often paperwork "floats around the office for awhile."
At one point after months of complaining for statments, I received payment lists on SOMEONE else's loan!!!   I too have closed my accounts with them and only have my SL's to deal with.  I have every paper, etc that they have sent me since 2001...all in order in a binder.  Flipping through these papers make me realize how screwed up they are and just how much they lie.  Luckily, I also have every bank statement from my other bank that shows each payment I sent (and was cashed) by RBC.  It is hard though and frustrating.  Each rep you talk to at RBC will give you different payment and lump sum amounts owing on your loans.  One day I had 3 different amounts within an hour of calling.  Sad thing is that we all jumped into this festering, bubbling pit of crap and now we are all drowning.  We have all been lied to SO much that we don't know if we're comin' or goin'.  Everytime I sit down, look at my papers and realize just where I am with the whole thing, I bawl like a baby.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tong.Lin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27/March/2007 at 4:56am
I had the same problem too trying to add my RBC Loan account to my Online banking?

When I tried to search for RBC student loan, it does not come up in my bill list.

Do you have to call the banks or it is just under different name.

I bank with CIBC and PC Financial, anyone had some suggestions would be great.

Thanks..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SusanfromAB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27/March/2007 at 6:48am
I've just followed up on my payment that I took to the brance (it was an additional payment, with my regular payments coming out of my TD account automatically).  THEY RECEIVED IT at the Student Loan Centre!!!!!!!!!!!  Big%20smile Wow--something went well with RBC!
 
To save myself the stress of dropping cheques off at the branch, I'm considering opening a bank account at RBC for the additional payments only.  I'll have them continue to take my regular payments from my TD account.  The plan is to save up my additional payments, deposit the money in the RBC account and then make an online payment to my student loan.  And, of course, following up with my phone call (which I will document!).
 
I know it sounds crazy to open an account at RBC, but I wouldn't keep any money this account.  I would deposit and pay on the same day.  I think this would save my sanity a bit.  Worrying about that cheque since last Thursday has been a real nail-biter!Confused
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tong.Lin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27/March/2007 at 11:53am
I think if you are paying on RBC website, everything would be tracked in their system, plus the confirmation number, I doubt they would to get away with "we didn't get the payment" reason.

I am thinking of doing that too, do they have an package that does not charge any kind of monthly fee (Highly unlikely)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SusanfromAB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/March/2007 at 3:42am
I have found the "Signature Plus Pay-as-you-Go" account at RBC.  There is no monthly charge, only $1 or $0.50 per transaction, depending what you need to do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jabeen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20/January/2008 at 5:13pm

Two months before my interest relief ended, RBC sent one of my two loans to a collection agency. I would have qualified for a renewal of interest relief but they reported a RESTRICTION to the National Student Loans Centre. So not only did I lose interest relief for four loans (2 at BMO and 2 at RBC), there's a collection agency harrassing me to pay up $34,000 in lump sum. I asked the lady how am I supposed to do that when I'm writing my ph.d. dissertation and don't have a job, and she said I should make arrangements with family and friends to pay the $34,000 if I cannot finance it. ?!!!!! I've written to the ombudsman, let's see how he responds. P.S. When I was making payments on my other RBC loan they got my cellphone number and gave it to the collection agency to harrass me both on my cellphone and landline. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21/January/2008 at 9:35am
would you like some help with this sir/ma'am?
Solve Student Debt specializes in solutions for students and graduates in student loan default, and those at risk of defaulting.

solvestudentdebt.com
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ksherdy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06/January/2009 at 9:10am
RBC frightens me, I am just entering repayment status and they have already provided me with incorrect and contractory information on two separate occasions. In addition, I found the the RBC Student Loan staff to be rude and unprofessional. Should I simply pull all of my money from RBC and choose another bank.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jabeen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07/January/2009 at 4:51am

The RBC people did resolve this problem eventually.
They have taken the loan back and apologized, so
I am making payments to RBC now for that loan.
Writing to the ombudsman helped, they responded
immediately although resolving it took a few months.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobbyK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/March/2009 at 1:37pm
I have pre authorized debit set up for my Royal Bank Student loan but can not add them as a payee if I want to make additional payments. I think Edulinx who administer Alberta Student loans made after 2001 allow for a payee to be set up as Alberta Student Loan Direct or something like that. 
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