VANCOUVER--Tuition fees in BC remain more than $300 above the national average this year, according to Statistics Canada. The Canadian Federation of Students is calling on the BC government to reduce tuition fees by 10%, in order to address the province's record high student debt levels. Students are also calling for the re-investment of federal dollars for post-secondary after years of neglect.

"While the BC government has been posting billion dollar surpluses, student debt has climbed to highest in Canada outside the Maritimes," said Shamus Reid, BC Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "The problem can no longer be ignored, tuition fees need to be reduced."

According to the annual Statistics Canada tuition fee data released today, average tuition fees in BC increased by 2.4% over 2006. Average tuition fees for fall 2007 were $4,855, well above the Canadian average of $4,524. The Canadian Federation of Students says that weak provincial leadership and lacklustre federal funding are to blame.

"The federal government should take immediate action so that students in every province can have access to affordable post-secondary education," said Amanda Aziz, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Students and their families deserve protection from tuition fee increases."

Recent Canadian research has demonstrated that financial barriers, such as tuition fees, continue to prevent many young people from enrolling in post-secondary education. Financial considerations also lead to thousands of students withdrawing from their program before graduation.