Jeannine Mitchell's blog

Canada’s Tuition Fees Compared (2012-2013)

 
Attention, education bargain-hunters...
 
Let’s do a ‘Best to Worst’ follow up of my blog about Canada’s university fees out-running inflation.
 
As Statistics Canada outlined in that report, undergrad tuition rose this year an average 5%. The regional increases ranged from zero (Newfoundland has frozen rates) to 10.1% in Quebec.




Political Pressure Pays?

 
Remember when I reported Manitoba’s latest cut in student loan interest rates?
 
Guess I’m still thinking about it. Because I'm wondering how much of a role student lobbying played in that rate-cut.
 
Which of course, to students is best described in another word spelled m-o-n-e-y.  
 




Grace Means Grace in Manitoba

  
Umm, I don’t mean grace, like at the dinner table. Though it’s surely as sincere in Manitoba as it would be anywhere else.
 
No, I mean those student-loan ‘grace periods’ after you graduate.




Manitoba Goes Prime

  
 
Manitoba students, you just found a lot of money in your pockets! That's the payoff as your province continues to cut interest rates on its student loans.
 




Canada’s Tuition Fees Out-Run Inflation

 
In today’s “Daily,” Statistics Canada reported what students and their parents kinda know: education costs are still rising much faster than inflation. 
 
With recent low economic growth, inflation has not gone up much in recent years. Between July 2011 and July 2012, it rose by just 1.3 per cent.
 




How Much Do You Save With Interest-Free Student Loans?

  
Last week, I wrote about PEI dropping interest charges on its provincial student loans.
 
And in a 2009 blog, I reported on Newfoundland & Labrador doing the same. 
 
So far, these are the only provinces in Canada to take this step.  It’s a terrific gift to their students.




PEI Gets Interest-Free Student Loans!

 
Wow.
 
It’s front-page news here at Student Finance 101 when any province drops the interest charges on its student loans.
 
The last time that happened was back in August, 2009.
 




Better Late than Never: BC goes RAP

 
Good news if you've been struggling to pay your BC student loans!
 
As of July 1, 2012, you may finally get the same kind of student loan repayment aid on BC student loans that you've had with your Canada loans.
 
Yes, the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will now be extended to the BC portion of integrated student loans.
 
RAP helps people with modest incomes keep up with their student loan payments rather than defaulting.
 




Final Weeks for Alberta Student Loan Relief

 
Going, going…

 
UPDATE:  SINCE THIS WAS WRITTEN, ALBERTA HAS ENDED THE STUDENT LOAN RELIEF PROGRAM.
 
To learn about ALBERTA'S NEW 'COMPLETION' AND 'RETENTION' GRANTS see below for early details - followed by 2 links for new info.
 
This blog is now posted as an archive.  
 




Quebec Students Showing Courage

Yes, students in Quebec have been protesting for weeks about the plan to double their tuition over the next 5 years.