Government Home Search Sitemap Contact Us

November 6, 1997
(Education)

New 1-888 toll-free number implemented at Student Aid Office

A new toll-free 1-888 number for post-secondary students will go into effect tomorrow (Friday) November 7th, as part of the ongoing process of improving access to students living outside the St. John's area who are trying to obtain student loans and information on the loans program. The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Students and the Council of the Students' Union at Memorial University in a recent meeting with Premier Brian Tobin, Finance Minister Paul Dicks, and Education Minister Roger Grimes stressed the importance of improved no-cost telephone access to the Student Aid office for students living and studying outside the metropolitan area.

The CSU has been lobbying the government for more than a year after student complaints of excessive phone bills caused by multiple calls to the 1-900 line. Premier Tobin acknowledged that the problem could not be solved by continued use of the 1-900 service and sought immediate action to replace the 1-900 service with a new toll-free 1-888 line.

The toll-free number effective tomorrow is 1-888-657-0800. The website address is //www.edu.gov.nf.ca/studentaid/

Premier Tobin said: "the 1-888 service along with the integrated voice response system and the Internet access program launched this past summer should greatly improve student access to information related to their student loans." Several nation-wide student related issues were discussed with the Premier and his ministers at the meeting, some of which will be on the agenda at the upcoming first ministers' meeting in December.

Contact: Carl Cooper 729-5040.