Over The Edge Page 4 NEWS September 21, 1999

Over $430,000 in Health-Care Scholarships Available.

By Nicole Larson

There are 123 scholarships up for
grabs to students continuing their
education in the health care field. On
September 21, 1999 the Minister
respsonsible for Advanced Education
in British Columbia, Andrew Petter
announced that the second round of
scholarships had been awarded,
bringing the-total of awards up to 177
and the amount of money awarded to
$619, 500 for the 1999/2000 educa-
tion year. Each scholarship is $3,500
and will be recieved in its entirety at
the beginning of the award period.
Award years run May to May and
there are three periods per year: May
to August, September to December
and January to April.

These scholarships are open to
health-care workers such as regis-

als and health-support workers who
may have worked as nurses aids in
hospitals or as in home care givers
who wish to upgrade their skills or fur-
ther their training. Applicants must
have worked part-time, full time or
casually in a publically funded health-
care field in British Columbia for at
least 12 months in the past three
years. They must also have been a
permanednt resident of British
Columbia for the past 12 months and
be enrolled in an eligable health-care
program of study for at least four
months during one of the bursary
award periods at a British Columbia
public post-secondary institution, St.
Paul’s Hospital or the British
Columbia Cancer Agency in a pro-
gram leading to a certificate, diploma
or degree recognized for practice in

have demonstrated financial need or
can prove they have or will suffer sig-
nificant financial loss by taking further
training.

This opens the door for students
enrolled in the Nursing Program at
UNBC who have worked in the med-
ical field before returning to upgrade
their skills or gain new knowledge.
Some Nursing students have already
benifited from this program and many
are hoping to do so in the future.
Approximately 40% of the awards are
given to Nursing students, something
that may ultimately benifit the Nursing
program at UNBC. “it is absolutely ter-
rific that this is out there,” said Martha
McLeod, the Chair of the UNBC
Nursing Program, “We are glad that
people working in the field can benifit
from this and continue their educa-

Of the 300 awards distributed each
year 123 are left to be granted in the
January to April period. “More than
1,000 health-care professionals have
benefited from this scholarship since
1996,” Petter siad. “Helping health-
care workers upgrade their knowl-
edge and skills raises the quality of
health services for us all.” ;

Applications for the January to April
bursary period are being accepted
now. Applications are available from
the UNBC awards and financial aid
office, from the student services
branch of the Ministry of Advanced
Education Training and Technology or
from health-care union representa-
tives. the deadline for submission for
the January to April bursary period is
November 15, 1999.

tered nurses, paramedical profession- British Columbia. They must also _ tion.”

Canadian youth have much to learn about safe sex, Says study

By John Kennedy

BURNABY, BC (CUP) - A recently
released global survey of sexual prac-
tices in 14 countries has found that
Canadian youth don’t know nearly as
much about safe sex as they should.
The study, which surveyed 16- to 21-
year-olds, reveals that Canadian and
American youth have the lowest aver-
age age for losing their virginity, at 15-
years-old.

As well, says the study, 26 per cent
of Canadian youth did not use a con-
dom for their first sexual experience,
and of those

who didn’t use a contraceptive, 47 per
cent said they didn’t because one
wasn’t available. “With young
Canadians becoming increasingly
sexually active at an earlier age and
not using contraception, despite
knowing the risks involved, there is an
increasing necessity for parents and
schools to strengthen sex education
and promote safer

sex,” said Sonya Agnew, director of
marketing for Durex condoms, the
study’s sponsor. “We want to highlight
the issues that face today’s youth,
such as the heightened risk of unin-
tended pregnancy and sexually trans-

mitted diseases, and to encourage
young people to use protection such
as condoms.”

The survey also had some revealing
facts on the damaging consequences
of unsafe sex. In Canada, 62 per cent
of the youth surveyed knew someone
who had had an abortion. Moreover,
76 per cent knew someone who had
had an unintended pregnancy, 34 per
cent knew someone with a sexually
transmitted disease and 10 per
cent knew someone with HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS.

Contiuned on Page 15.

B.C. announces new funding policy for students

By Nicholas Bradley

VANCOUVER (CUP) - The govern-
ment of British Columbia has
announced a new student loan inter-
est relief plan which, according to the
province’s Advanced Education
Minister Andrew Petter, gives B.C. the
most comprehensive student loan
and interest relief program in Canada.
The program, which takes effect
November 1, will provide in its first
year up to $5.1 million of debt relief to
students who have graduated from
university or college but are unable to
find work.

Students who qualify on the basis of
financial need are also exempt from
paying the monthly interest on their
loans for six months.

Peiter says the provincial government
devised the policy after consulting
with student groups.

And so far, the plan has met with the
approval of student leaders.

“Any help students can get on their
student loans, particularly paying off
the interest, is going to be important,’
said Mark Veerkmap, B.C. chairper-
son of the Canadian Federation of
Students.

An estimated 9,000 students will ben-
efit from the new interest relief pro-
gram.

The initial $5.1 million figure was
determined through estimates of how
many students will qualify, and their
average debt loads.

“This is a program that will be costed
according to the pressures that drive
the program,” said Petter, talking to
reporters in a media conference call.
The minister also noted the program
is not contingent on the support of
other provinces or the federal govern-
ment.

But according to Veerkmap the lack of
a national student debt relief program
is a serious problem, notwithstanding

provincial education funding.

“The real, fundamental problem with
student loans is the size of the princi-
pal, which you borrow before you
graduate,” said Veerkmap. “That's
what makes the interest payment so
high, and that’s what makes the debt
payment so high.”

“The 60 per cent portion of the loan
that is federal has no debt reduction
provisions in it that are substantial
enough to reduce the principal of that
loan. And that’s where the focus
needs to be.”

The federal government is currently
negotiating with seven provinces to
harmonize their student loan pro-
grams.

Quebec is not involved in these dis-
cussions because it does not use the
Canada Student Loans Program.
Ontario and New Brunswick, who
struck deals with the federal govern-
ment earlier their summer, already

have harmonized their respective stu-
dent loan programs with Ottawa.
Dubbed the “one student, one loan”
program, Ottawa will continue to cost-
share loans 60-40 with Ontario and
New Brunswick, but students will be
able to borrow from a single adminis-
trative source.

Meanwhile, Petter said his govern-
ment’s new plan strengthens B.C/s
position when it comes to negotiating
with the federal government.

“| hope we can gain agreement to
push very hard on the federal govern-
ment to restore [Canada Social
Health and Transfer] funding, and
post secondary funding,” he said.
This program is the latest develop-
ment in the government's post-sec-
ondary education strategy.

It follows a debt relief plan for third-
and fourth-year students announced
by the NDP government in July, which
(Cont. on page 13)