The federal government is turning to students and seeking their feedback on possible changes to the Canada Student Loans Program.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada has launched a website asking for the public’s opinion of the service, providing an opportunity for
students to voice their opinion about a program some say is crucial to their studies.

Approximately one third of all students have received a Canada Student Loan to assist them in paying for their post-secondary education.

“The Canada Student Loans Program has strengths and many weaknesses,” said Ian Boyko, government relations co-ordinator for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

“It’s unlikely that it will reach a point where it will be perfect, I think. Students have been lobbying for changes to the Canadian Student Loans Program for years. Some [changes] have been adopted and some haven’t been adopted.”

Boyko said that the CFS collects student ideas from its member student unions and presents them  to the government.

The CFS’ report for the consultation was to be released on Sept. 25 to coincide with the release of census data on tuition fees, but the report has been delayed.

The CFS has been contacted about the Canada Student Loans Program in the past; however, this is the first time that students themselves are being asked directly about the loan process.

Carleton graduate student Jennifer Baldwin is in the process of paying back the loan she had for her undergraduate studies.

“If I had not gotten a loan, I wouldn’t have been able to go to school,” she said.

She said that she had not heard of the government’s plan to consult students about the Canada Student Loans program.

“The majority of people with student loans feel the frustration of not being able to pay for school out of their own pockets,” she said. 

“I’m sure they would take advantage of [the opportunity to speak out],” Baldwin said.

She said that some of the clauses outlined in fine print should be clarified for students, such as the “grace period” given to students when they begin to pay off their loans.

In order to save money, Baldwin said that she did not begin to repay her loan until the six-month grace period was over.

She said she did not realize that throughout that period, she was still accumulating interest.

Cassandra Chapman, a first-year University of Ottawa student,  also depends upon the Canada Student Loans Program for assistance in financing her post-secondary studies.

Like Baldwin, Chapman had also not heard of the consultation process.

“I’d like to see more communication between the students and the Canadian Student Loans Program [itself],” Chapman said.    

Chapman said that the correspondence she received from the Canada Student Loans Program was very last minute.

“I didn’t know [how much money] I was going to be receiving until close to two weeks prior to [residence] move-in.”

She adds that she would like to see more information being delivered to students involved in the program.

Despite the criticism, Chapman said she recognizes some of the program’s  stronger aspects.

“I like the way that the program takes in to account our family backgrounds as well as how far we are moving to decide if we require additional funds,” Chapman said.  “They encourage high marks and academic excellence because they take into account your achievement each time you apply.”

When contacted, Human Resources and Social Development Canada said they could not comment at time of publication because the department is still waiting to see the results of the online consultations.

The Canada Student Loans Program’s online consultation runs until Sept. 28.