In the 10 years it will take students to pay off a $27,000 student loan, they will have paid close to $40,000 for their education.

And that’s too much, a spokesman for Thompson Rivers University’s Student Union said Wednesday.

Tuition fees that are the highest ever recorded in the province are to blame, said Jambo Mirzabekov, vice president external of TRUSU. The amount students’ pay makes it almost impossible for children from middle class families to pursue a post-secondary education.

“This is a great barrier for students. They are graduating from school with a financial debt,” said Mirzabekov.

In May, TRU’s board of governors elected to increase tuition by $70. Mirzabekov said the jump of about two per cent brought fees to $4,146.

A freeze on tuition fees thawed 10 years ago. Since then per-student funding has decreased by 23 per cent and tuition fees have tripled, he said.

“If the price of bread increased at the same amount, British Columbians would be paying more than $12 per loaf,” said Mirzabekov. “This is simply an unaffordable rate for students to pay.”

When it comes to being a student, every dollar counts. Which is why Josh Keller, TRU’s director of student recruitment, understands why tuition increases are never popular.

But the alternative is cutting programs and services to students and making TRU a less desirable alternative for students, he said.

Keller pointed out that the University of B.C., Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria charge about $6,000 in fees and are in more costly cities to live.

“If you go to Vancouver it will cost you a lot more to go to UBC, he said.

Mirzabekov said having a cheaper alternative isn’t the answer. What’s needed is increased student funding that will allow universities to reduce fees and ensure quality education.