They’re a bit of an odd couple, but a Vancouver Island University student and his debt have a long and unhappy future ahead.
Student Alec Patterson married his student debt on Thursday in a mock wedding at VIU’s Nanaimo campus, hosted by the Vancouver Island University Students’ Union.
Officiating the ceremony was Steven Beasley with the BC chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students.
Speaking after the ceremony, while guests enjoyed hot dogs and cake, Beasley explained that the event was part of Squash the Squeeze. It’s a campaign by the Canadian Federation of Students to draw attention to how unaffordable post-secondary education has become.
Beasley says the provincial government needs to reign in interest rates on student loans, which are the highest in the country.
Tuition fees have more than doubled in the province since 2001. BC students have the highest levels of student debt in the country, and the interest charges can add up to more than $10,000 by the time a loan is paid off.
