Increased enrollment and a decreased fiscal focus by governments on post-secondary education has led to the ongoing inflation of tuition rates in Canada. By comparing countries with exorbitantly high tuition rates and countries with free education, the efficacy of the Canadian system can be studied. This paper will explore how tuition fees deter the attendance to university by low-income and international students, and address the need to restructure our economically outdated post-secondary system.
Post-secondary education is highly valued in Canada. Statistics Canada (2016) recorded that 64.1% of Canadians between the ages of 25 to 64 possess some form of post-secondary education, a percentage that has been steadily increasing throughout the years. However, this influx in enrollment for higher education has greatly affected the way in which public institutions are funded. Historically, Canadian colleges have been funded largely through federal and provincial government grants, yet following the recession in the 1970s, funding was seriously impacted as the government was forced to focus their fiscal funding in higher-priority areas (Jones, 2014). In addition, health and education were grouped together in federal allowances to the provincial government in 1995, resulting in more than 4.5 billion dollars between 1995 and 1997 (Fisher, et al, 2006). This forced provincial governments to reevaluate and reform their systems, with many provinces choosing to decrease funding to
Neill provides data on the increase of amount of students working full-time and part-time jobs during their education. She shows how this has been increasing since the 1970’s and more students are having to work while attending college to pay for expenses. This source also helps demonstrate how a shrinking middle class is affecting college students because low-income students need to work during college. It also provides more evidence on how increasing tuition is affecting students in general.
Just about everyone agrees that college should be more affordable. A century ago high school was becoming a necessity, not a luxury; today the same is happening to college. If college is essential for building a career and being a full participant in our democracy as high school once was, shouldn 't it be free, paid for by public dollars, and treated as a right of all members of our country? The average college graduate comes out of college with at least $60,000 in debt and if they went to an Ivy League should that shots up to upward of $100,000 all this debt before they even get their first real job (“Fast Facts”). This is the burden that students have to worry about and then they only have six months to find a job that can cover they loan payments, which can be as much as a couple thousand dollars a month and most working people can’t afford that. These days it is highly emphasized that the responsibility to educate the poor lies on the shoulders of the government. It should be, considering the significant hike in the tuition fees worldwide. In such circumstances, many intelligent and hardworking students miss out on studying in a university due to lack of funds. This not only demoralizes the student, but also has a negative impact on the society as it loses out on its future professionals.
lot of dollars for an unemployed family man or woman with little or no income.
Many students struggle and struggle to pay their loans back, some even into their late fifties. This both our faults and the governments fault. If tuition wasn’t as high we wouldn’t have so much debt, but again it was our choice to sign the papers for a lifetime of paying back the cost of our education. We value education, and that is why we agree to pay as much as we do. We hope to further our education so that somewhere down the line it pays us more than it originally cost. Because the more degrees we have, the better chance we have at a better job. But the government is responsible for raising their prices on tuition. By raising our tuition the teachers got raises on their checks. But sometimes our debt isn’t always worth it, a good amount of students drop out from college each year without finishing their degree but they still have to pay for the classes they took even though it doesn’t benefit them in the end because they have no degree. (Sam Adolphsen, 183)
Throughout every generation the majority of students, who want to acquire a better paying job in the world, all apply to a college of their dreams. The whole of these students know what to expect from college; education, social connections, fundamental understanding of their respective field, as well as the benefit/hope that they will receive their dream job soon after. However, these students also expect to amass an amount of debt once they graduate as this is a common fear amongst college graduates. In spite of such hindrance in their pursuit of a job, the experience from which they accumulated throughout their college life later benefits them in diverse amount of ways.
Although financial barriers to accessing PSE are not particular to immigrants, some studies indicated that immigrants with low socio-economic status may overestimate the cost of PSE. A study on structural challenges that immigrants in Canada face in accessing PSE notes that while Canadians in general overestimate the cost of university tuition by approximately $1,000, those from low-income backgrounds overestimate it by approximately $3,000. In addition, low-income individuals underestimate the average annual income differences between high school and university graduates. It notes that, as part of the low-income population, refugees and low socio-economic immigrant are likely to perceive that the cost of higher education outweighs the benefits, and therefore be deterred by high tuition costs. In addition, low-income families tend to reside in neighborhoods that are troubled with gangs and violence. The study notes that teachers in the low-income neighborhoods also tend to be less qualified.
The various demands mentioned above by the Fight the Fees movement have been supported with multiple arguments that have been explicitly mentioned within their website. The primary, most obvious justification for their demands would be the simple fact that Ontario constitutes the highest tuition rates in all of Canada, as the current framework allows tuition for domestic students to increase approximately three to five percent annually (Canadian Federation of Students, 2016). This argument then leads to the discrimination this creates towards students of middle-low income households that are simply unable to afford such high rates. Racism is another issue that is brought up within this dilemma because it is argued that those who come from racialized or marginalized groups are at greater risk of facing such realities of financial instability. The group specifically refers to visible minorities and indigenous communities and the struggles they face within the current white supremacist and racist Canadian society we live in. Furthermore, the Fight the Fees movement also advocates on behalf of
Aboriginal people represent the fastest growing population in Canada. We have heard this numerous times and statistical data will confirm this fact. Canada’s Aboriginal population increased by 20.1% between 2006 and 2011, compared with 5.2% for the non-Aboriginal population (Statistics Canada, 2012). Aboriginal leaders make mention to the Indigenous population growth many times when urging the Canadian government to make changes to policies in order to address this reality. In particular the Federal government has been called on to make changes to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program. More specifically Aboriginal leaders and advocates have asked for the removal of the 2% cap on post-secondary funding, which has existed since 1996. The Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) administers federal monies to eligible First Nation and Inuit students who wish to attend college or university. However, with a growing population and a limit on the increase in dollars, many students are not able to receive funding. This has resulted in the discouragement of Aboriginal students to pursue higher education opportunities.
In their essay, “The Uses and Abuses of University,” history professors Ken Coates and Bill Morrison explore the heightening disconnect between the concept of supply and demand. In their examination of university degree output versus realistic economic need, the notion explicated is that the Canadian post-secondary education system is burdening students and the economy with tremendous failure. Furthermore, by addressing the imminent strain to attain career relevant positions post graduation, the realized result of overqualified intellects accepting low-income jobs or facing unemployment is portrayed. Geared towards institutions, parents, and those with a passion for education, the candid discourse aims to guide the collective educational wheel back to where it originated. Coates and Morrison employ the use of a personal narrative, credible statistics, and a thoughtful then versus now contrast in order to make the point that the current university system is essentially failing students.
The proposal of a 75 percent increase in post-secondary tuition fees that was presented by the Liberal government and Premier Jean Charest brought together one of the largest protest in Quebec history. The increase is to be distributed over five years at $325 per year starting in the 2012-13 academic year. This is seen as troubling because Quebec has historically prided itself on its accessibility to the post-secondary education system that took many years of challenge to obtain. It is seen as undermining Quebec 's commitment to keeping university education accessible to people of all incomes.
Post secondary education should be free to those deserving in Canada. Cost-of-living expenses are high enough, Canada strongly promotes free education and this will provide equal opportunities for all individuals. Firstly, living expenses can range from $5,000 to $15,000 per year! On top of that, students must consider the cost for post secondary school as well. Furthermore, this will ensure Canada's future will have a well educated workforce. If this becomes a rule in Canada, high school students will have initiative to work harder if they do not have to pay. Lastly, 63% of Canadians students to do not attend a secondary education due to high expenses. Knowledge does not come with a price tag! The cure to cancer could be inside the mind of
Higher education costs have been increasing at a rapid pace, faster than inflation for the economy as a whole, for the past fifty years. It started in the 1960’s when the federal government passed the Higher Education Act to increase the amount of people able to afford and attend college. Regardless of the Unites States Government efforts to increase the affordability of college, federal aid programs have not risen to expectations due to the ever-increasing college prices. To lower the price of college, the government needs to cut back on student financial spending to go only to the lowest income families and create tax incentives for families to start saving up on their own.
The cost of tuition for higher education is quickly rising. Over half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. Although grants and financial aid are available to students, students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Higher education costs are prohibitively expensive because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off their student loans.
I am gratified that I received full TSFS grant and consequently I need not worry about tuition fee. Nevertheless, the grant is not sufficient for supporting my multitudinous expenses, such as transportation fee, meals, books, etc. As a result, I still have financial problem and desire for financial assistance.
While studying or even registering for a class presents a challenge to some college students, the greatest obstacle remains, going to class. Attending college is supposed to signify a new found freedom to make many important choices regarding education without high school mandatory attendance policies. However, students everywhere are coming to the staggering realization that college is not too different from high school. Teachers still take class roll and students are still expected to be at every class on time. What next, hall monitors in the hall? The time has come for action to be taken. Colleges must abolish mandatory student attendance policies for several reasons to be further discussed.