NDP promise more affordable education at TRU

Apr 20, 2017 | 3:48 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC NDP are promising to make post-secondary education more affordable if elected on May 9. 

Local candidates affirmed that promise this morning at Thompson Rivers University. 

“Instead of just cutting interest on student loans we’ll eliminate interest entirely for current and future student loans,” said Kamloops-North Thompson NDP candidate Barb Nederpel. 

Nederpel and Kamloops South-Thompson candidate Nancy Bepple spoke of the importance of education, and the debt that looms over students upon graduation. 

In addition to making student loans interest-free, Nederpel and Bepple say the NDP is committed to providing a $1,000 completion grant to post-secondary  graduates. 

They also plan to invest $100 million to expand technology related programs, and eliminate fees for adult basic education and ESL Programs. 

TRU 3rd year Political Science and History student Mattias Eriksson says it’s frightening to think about his future debt. 

“It’s pretty daunting having that hanging over your head that the end of your degree,” Eriksson said. “I guess all you can really do is have faith in your education that you can get a job, but I mean the prospect of not being able to find work and having a huge amount of interest mount up on you while you basically have your hands tied, that’s just terrifying.”