Free Tuition 

Student debt is crippling economies. Student debt in Canada is higher than it’s ever been before. According to VICE, the collective Canadian student debt is over 28 billion dollars. In a survey, Global News found that 77% of the people they asked said they regretted taking out a student loan. So why did they go to college anyways? A study found that people with Bachelor degrees, on average, made 57% more than someone without any secondary education. This is a prime example of our current society.  

In today’s world, you cannot live a comfortable lifestyle with a good paying job, without some form of post-secondary education. So why is it that as a society, we’re making sure people start of adulthood with a crippling debt hanging over their heads? Is there a solution? It’s a lot simpler than people think.  

I believe the best way to improve the standard of living in Canada, we need to have the access to free College or University. If people can get a free post-secondary education, without the stress of crippling debt once done, they have a less likely chance of having to live in a lower income bracket. This in turn would mean that less people would have to rely on government funding and programs. This would also stimulate the economy. If people have more money, with less debt, they are more likely to buy more expensive things such as cars, houses, and so on. This increase of transactions would be an incredible way to stimulate a currently suffocating economy.  

If we look at Europe, there is free tuition all over. Germany, a global powerhouse, relies on its free tuition for people to improve their living and education. Other places like Norway also follow similar ideologies. So why can’t it be done here in Canada? It can, but I believe in a different way.  

I strongly believe that we can take the exact same approach that we take with Highschool education. Make public Universities, where you simply pay for your books and other things you may need, but the tuition is Government funded. While also have private Universities that give a competitive edge and give those with the ability to afford it, go there. This would give a fair chance to those who can’t afford current post-secondary have a chance, while also not overload the school system.