I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2005. Spending 29 days in the hospital and having a chunk of my skull placed in liquid nitrogen to allow my brain to space to swell. I left the hospital a permantly disabled person. I no longer make memories. So what happens today I will not remember tomorrow. I also suffer from something called Aphasia (word choice difficulty google it).

 

I spent a year in recovery and after learning how to walk and talk. Because of my reduced cognitive skills I started to test my brain. I went to adult education did well. Took a few first aid courses, and with the help of Speech Pathologist I attempted to go back to school.

 

I applied to Douglas as a person with a disability, I recieved tutors, technology, and a some financial support. I attempted to test out my ability to learn.

 

While I can function in school, the issue was that I require High Needs Student Loans. I can only focus on a few tasks at once. So going to go school part time, and being unable to work, but getting full time student loans. It would take me 8 years to get a bachleors degree.

 

I rethought my education goals as I would be out of school in my mid 40's and have a bachleors degree in Psychology, plus 8 years of accumlated student loan debt. This did not seem to a good reward for my investment.

 

So I rethought, and I attempted BCIT as a Carpenter. Once again I do quite well when the pace is slow, however BCIT moves at a very fast pace. As I would need to basically take each course twice. By the way student loans, and schools, don't like offering the same course twice!!

 

While in class one day I suffered a stroke. I was sent home and my Dr. Would not clear me to go back to school.

 

So here I was having to rethink my future again. I can sit at home and collect a disability income of about $900.00 a month for the rest of my life. Or I could find a job. I decided to work as I need to do something. So I started to work part time for minimum wage.

 

My student loans then came do. As I "left school" before the period of study end date, I came back into repayment. I recieved no notification, no mail, nothing. Just a withdrawll from my bank account.

 

After two years of forms, hours on the phone with both federal and provincial, consolidating my student loans, waiting to come back to repayment, paying for Dr's to fill our forms. I finally found out that my student loans have been forgiven. I love that word. You are forgiven.

 

Thanks for having your second brain injury, we forgive your debt.

 

I have dealt with rude, unweelding, confusing student loans. This has been paper work after work, miscomunication, loosing the same documentation over and over. Recieving great letters like "we are notifying you that you have sent us the application we requested. However this is not information. You need to submit additional documentation" however there is not direction to what documentation is required.

 

Dealing with Phone representivites that I have to tell my storys all over again every time I call. Missing work to call, and having to relive one of the most devastating moments in my life. Living with great comments like "wow I wish my bad memory paid of my debt"

 

I had to talk to my local Government, and explaing that because I recieve a government disability income and you are now requiring me to repay. You (the government) are paying you (the government) back. It was rediculous, confusing, insulting, upsetting, and at some times I got so depressed.

 

When it is easier to not work, to not try to go to school. To sit at home and collect a disability income than it is to try to an become a productive member of society there is an issue with the system.

 

I was often treated like I became disabled just to get out of my student loan debt. I had to prove I was disabled before I came to school.

 

I am now in loan forgivness. Even that was hard to find out. No notification came to me. I had to contact them.

 

This system is broken. It needs to be fixed. Don't make it easier for people to not improve themselves. We as a community will only survive if moving forward is made possible. When we make it hard, and in fact easier to sit back and do nothing, we have huge issues.

 

David.