This website is a testimony to the problems Canadian Student Loan borrowers experienced from approximately 1996 to 2008 and until their loans were paid off.

The privatization of the Student Loans system by the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments broke the system and defaulted thousands of borrowers who were trying to pay their loans. There were even stories of suicide due to the harassment of borrowers.

Read the report that I prepared back in 2007 here. Canada Student Loans-The Need for Change Fortunately the new Conservative government at the time revamped the program and fixed the system for new borrowers, but borrowers under the previous program were left with ruined credit and continued harassment from debt collectors.

I call on the Canadian Government to apologize to the borrowers affected by this fiasco and make amends.

Unfortunately the Liberal government is again clobbering the Education system with their changes to International Student Visas. Yes, there's a problem, but instead of a well thought out plan, they have pulled the emergency brake on the train causing a derailment. This has introduced unprecedented instability for both private and public education institutions who serve both international and local students.

Universities have been forced to cancel programs and layoff hundreds if not thousands of full-time and contract instructors.

Again, the Liberal government has messed up the education environment.


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WhatsUpDoc? View Drop Down
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    Posted: 27/January/2013 at 6:24pm
The short version is that I went to an accredited college for 14 semesters only to be handed a bogus medical license, falsified transcripts, illegal diplomas and a handful of litigation.

This is a complex issue but I will attempt to be as concise and relevant as I can.


Without getting into details, here are the aspects I feel are the most important.

1. The PCTIA accredited my college twice despite existing evidence and warning signs of illegal activity

2. My college made consistent and deliberate efforts to deceive students, employees and the relevant government agencies (plenty of supporting evidence).

3.  I made a successful PCTIA complaint against the college, affecting the closing of the college (and a few spots on CTV news).

4. The compensation afforded by the PCTIA was only for tuition, not the totality of student loans, or any other damages (lost time & earnings, emotional damages, punitive etc), and was therefore, totally inadequate.

5.  Student loans may only be obtained if the college is accredited by the PCTIA (which I believe places responsibility of the loan directly on the provincial government (or relevant agency/ministry)




I've been trying to find some kind of remedy to this for what is approaching years, through the National Student Loan Center and Revenue Canada giving me a long and painful, "we can't forgive your loan, its just our job to collect it" response (summarized),  to being stonewalled at every turn by the relevant provincial bodies, such as Student Aid BC and PCTIA.  I've even been on hold with the office of the BC Ombudsman for several months now.

I fear I have been spinning my wheels trying to find an alternative to a grand and lengthy lawsuit with the provincial and federal government over accrediting and giving me loans for a college that was fraudulent from the beginning.


I'll post the CTV news link after a few responses, I want some opinions based just on those core facts without getting inter the intricacies of licensing in the various BC medical colleges or the charlatan that's responsible.
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Points: 5996 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/January/2013 at 6:03am
If the facts you stated are true then there is a hardship with extenuating circumstances, most definitely. In a case where this can be demonstrated then the government will (or is supposed to) provide assistance.
 
THere is no way to know what outcome will present itself until such a demonstration is made. I can say you have a very good one based on what you described because of the burden it represents. The Minister of HRSDC makes the decisions though.    
Solve Student Debt specializes in solutions for students and graduates in student loan default, and those at risk of defaulting.

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Then to whom should I direct my concerns, because I've been on a wild goose chase for some time now, being shuffled from one government office to another.

National Student Loans won't listen, Student Aid BC sent me to the ombudsman, PCTIA has too narrow a mandate, and revenue canada doesn't care.

If there is a mechanism within government to remedy this kind of situation, it is well hidden.
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http://bc.ctvnews.ca/entire-education-worthless-acupuncture-student-1.556993

Here is the link to the CTV news report (one of seven)
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I've had a bit of experience here too but with a public university.  The university was fraudulently telling students it was a two year program to get students to take the program when it was a three year program - clearly not as serious as your issue.

From what I've learned, there is nothing in the legislation that allows them to forgive the loan because of the fraud that your school committed.  I totally agree that what happened was wrong and that you are stuck with the bill and thats not right and clearly not fair.  Can you appeal the PCTIA ruling?  Can you work out a lump sum settlement for the loans?

If you go the route of a lawsuit, you can try small claims court, but I'm not sure how likely an good outcome would be.  You need to find some law that would allow the loans to be forgiven. I.e. some kind of ruling under fraud laws that would give you compensation that you could then use to pay off the loans.

I had contacted a lawyer and they said it was going to cost me $50K to get to trial, and then another 50K if they appealed.....

I've had a rough time, and sometimes our legal system doesnt work they way we want it to.  In my situation, which really messed things up for me for years, I've just had to do the best I can with a bad situation.  But I came to that conclusion only after exhausting all avenues...

Maybe you can push to get the PCT compensation rules changed, or find some way of solving this.... The governing bodies just do their job and only react with new legislation when pressured with media stories etc...
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Points: 5996 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SolveStudentDebt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/January/2013 at 11:44am
If you want us to help you it doesn't cost a lot of money. LOL But it will cost you something. It all depends ont he amount of time and whether or not I require legal coaching representation on my end.  The costs are a hell of a lot less because I have access and relationships that benefit clients as well.
 
There are no guarantees of anything though. Not in a court room or in a mediation and intervention. It is all based on the strength of the case in either event.
 
If you have proof then you certainly have a solid case - but if the system can disprove your proof then you get into complex situations and, of course - cost.
 
At the end of the day, someone or something is responsible for something. If you are a victim, and you can prove it beyond doubt, then the system would look like an organized crime outfit if turned and said "screw you" despite the fact that you are the victim. The government might try to say "not our problem. Sue the school. We want our money. Pay me."
 
If for some reason they refuse to assist you after an approach for assistance, and then turn to proceed legally, you could defend it easy enough - and in your defense, write an affidavit of all the steps you took to seek justice and do what is right. It is all equal measure and demonstration of good faith on your part, you see.
 
Heaven forbid they should take an action and try to squash your defense citing that the school and it's alleged fruadulent issues are irrelevent. In this case, you could clearly argue that it has everything to do with it simply because the government of Canada should be interviewing and making sure that the institutions that they send tax payer's money to are credible, opportunistic, and legal.
 
Make sense?
 
Solve Student Debt specializes in solutions for students and graduates in student loan default, and those at risk of defaulting.

solvestudentdebt.com
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