Thinking of raising tuition? Expect a 'commotion' say Algoma U. students

By noon yesterday, about 150 Algoma University students had marched through the halls and staged a sit-in protest in the school’s registrar’s office, say student union executives.

The event was held in support of the Student Day of Action, a national protest led by the Canadian Federation of Students.

Bushra Asghar, vice-president campus affairs for Algoma U’s student union, said some of the issues students are protesting ongoing tuition increases and an elimination of the interest they accrue from student loans.

“When a student graduates from university or college, until they make $25,000 a year they don’t have to pay back their loans — the thing is, they are accumulating interest on their loan and if you’re making under $25,000 you are living under the poverty line,” said Asghar.

She said the interest that accrues on sometimes mortgage-sized student loans is setting some students up for failure. 

Asghar, who is in her third year of study at Algoma U, holds about $30,000 in personal student debt, “and we add interest on that every day,” she said.

Although domestic tuition fee increases are capped at three per cent annually, Asghar said they have steadily increased by that much every year for 15 years and international tuition fees — which were deregulated — went up by five percent.

“It’s impossible to work three jobs and pay off your loan to service and go to school,” said Asghar.

In addition, said Asghar, northern Ontario students face the same fee increases as those in southern Ontario — without the same access to services and resources.

“It’s obviously discouraging students from coming to the north,” she said.

The student union has a representative on the school’s board of governors, which decides on whether or not to increase tuition fees and by how much.

“If it comes down to raising (tuition) three percent, that they have been doing for the last 15 years, there will be a lot of commotion from our end,” said Asghar.

The protest began at 8:30 a.m. and involved about 150 students, which Asghar said is about 10 per cent of the student population.

Algoma University's student union was one of 52 participating in the day of action nationally.

“I am really proud of the turnout we had today,” she said.