Students Helping to Budget for Students
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Representatives of the CNCSU presented
innovative ideas for the benefit of the student
body on September 18th at the Budget
Consultation Meeting for the Municipality of
Prince George. Concerns included outdated
student loan applications, ridiculous textbook
prices, and the overall disadvantage of a student
working a part-time job during the school year due
to such high costs.

A board of MLAs gathered at a meeting
room in the Civic Plaza to hear pitches from
representatives in the community for potential
government budget adjustments for the next year.
Students’ Union representatives discussed how to
make the lives of students less stressful financially.
In the long haul, making a college student’s life
easier sets them up for success in the future.
Changes in the community now lend themselves to
the community years down the road.

Michelle Frechette and Harman Dandiwal
of the CNCSU provided anecdotal and factual

= evidence that supported the need for these

© changes. When applying for a student loan,

c Harman was rejected due to the fact that he

cS worked more than 32 hours in a week at minimum
§ wage. Shockingly, however, if a student were to be
Ed working even two hours less in a week at a wage

.o much higher, the loan would have been granted.
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The presentation of such an outdated system
caused physical reactions of shock from MLAs
attending. The CNCSU reps suggested that this
system be scrutinized and changed in the near
future for the benefit of the students who need
such loans.

If and when these loans are granted, the
interest rates they bear are another issue for
students. With the stress of high interest rates
looming over one’s head, the passion for school
a student may have while entering may not leave
with them when they graduate. The representatives
illuminated such a saddening truth to the
Government representatives. They demanded that
such interest rates be reprimanded. In many cases,
the students needing these loans are not able to
readily pay the interest rates in the years following
graduation, and thus the quicksand pit continues
to engulf them for a long time.

Not surprisingly, however, an MLA
intercepted their idea with unrelated suggestions.
Completely away from the concept of eradicating
student loans, the MLA snidely asked if students
had “forgotten” about their previous attempts at
lowering student tuition costs. There has been a
freeze in the rising costs, and the representatives
did not miss a beat countering with this. Being
realistic, a freeze is a good temporary fix. While,