VANCOUVER--As average student debt climbs to more than $27,000 in British Columbia, students are calling on the provincial government to apply some of its economic rhetoric to education-related borrowing.

"Borrowing beyond your means is never a wise strategy, yet that is precisely what thousands of BC families are forced to do every year to afford this government's massive tuition fee increases," said Shamus Reid, CFS-BC Chairperson.

In a throne speech riddled with rhetoric about the evils of debt, the BC government sent signals that it will make sweeping cuts to avoid provincial debt. What is unclear from the Speech is whether or not more costs will just be downloaded onto families in the form of higher tuition fees, reduced student grants, or both.

"The government talks about rejuvenating the workforce and not mortgaging the future, but that is impossible without a strategy to reduce student debt," said Reid.

Tuition fees have more than doubled since Gordon Campbell was elected Premier in 2001. In 2004, the BC Liberal government eliminated the province's grants program, driving student debt up to record levels overnight. Today, BC ranks last in Canada in proportion of student assistance expenditures on non-repayable aid.

The Canadian Federation of Students-British Columbia is BC's provincial student organization, representing 150,000 university and college students at all levels of post-secondary education in BC. It is non-partisan and affiliated with Canada's largest national student organization, the Canadian Federation of Students.