Finance committee  From our perspective, we would certainly welcome provisions for the ability of Quebec to opt out, because they do have quite a distinct system of post-secondary education in comparison to the rest of Canada.

Finance committee  Again, in terms of previous collaborations—for example, the Canada student loans program—with the exception of Quebec, which has opted out, we've seen all other provinces collaborate and continue to collaborate with the federal government to further integrate provincial and feder

Finance committee  What we're considering is that we're operating in an environment where we have scarce resources and we're trying to see how we can maximize those resources to make post-secondary education as affordable as possible. For a lot of these credits, students can claim them once those f

Finance committee  There is some lending in place through the Canada student loans program, so they are eligible for some level of borrowing, but again, the majority of people that do receive money from tax credits are often full-time students.

Finance committee  In our recommendation, we recognize that the federal government has to make monetary choices when making its decisions. In many cases, the tax credits do not necessarily go to the families and students who need them the most to pursue post-secondary education. We believe that the

Finance committee  This summer, we saw near-record student unemployment: 19.2%. One in five students could not find a job this summer. One of the programs we supported was Canada Summer Jobs, but it was cut by half in 2006. In 2007, most of the funding was restored. So 40% of the funding was reinje

Finance committee  It varies a lot depending on the province and program of study. Some professional programs cost a lot more. But, on average, a four-year undergraduate degree costs somewhere between $21,000 and $28,000. I think it costs just over $30,000, on average, for a master's degree.

Finance committee  Quebec has the lowest tuition fees, at around $13,000. But the programs are also shorter because of CEGEP, where there are no tuition fees. It is not surprising that Nova Scotia has the highest tuition fees, with an average of nearly $30,000.

Finance committee  I am bilingual, so you can use either language.

Finance committee  Our recommendations take into account some of what you are suggesting. Currently, the federal government is involved in the student financial assistance system. This is a good example of cooperation with the provincial governments. In most provinces, the federal government is res

Finance committee  Good afternoon. I thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about our priorities for budget 2010. The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organization. We represent college, undergraduate, and graduate students at Canada's public universities an