Large percentage of students who don’t pay back money

Four career colleges in Sydney are among the worst in Canada when it comes to students repaying their loans, according to federal government numbers.

The most current figures available are from 2008. In that year less than one in 16 students of Patrick’s Business College Ltd. were making good on their loans.

The other three on the worst list are: Cognitive Strategies Inc., Centre for Distance Education and Mactech Distance Education.

While some students at those schools aren’t paying their bills, students at some of the province’s other 43 registered colleges appear to be meeting their obligations.

Just over 88 per cent of students at Tec The Education Centre Inc. in Halifax pay back their loans, a rate higher than many of the province’s universities. The Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy had 80.5 per cent of its students making their payments in 2008.