It is redundant to say that pursuing higher education is expensive, but it is worth noting that students can expect to pay a substantial amount extra for tuition simply from one year to the next. Statistics Canada reports students paying tuition should expect to pay 2.8% more than the previous year.
As of 2006, the average Canadian undergrad student will pay $4,524 in tuition fees alone, up $124 from the previous year, up $1460 by early 2000 tuition standards, and a whopping $3339 from the average cost in the early 1990s. This does not include the cost of living on residence, transportation, or text-books. This price triples for international students who are studying in Canada with an average tuition fee of $13,205. So why the rise in price, Canada?
Effects of Higher Tuition
Higher prices of tuition mean higher loans, interest rates, and higher debt for students.
Ronald Ehrenberg, of Cornell University writes: "Top institutions have chosen to maintain and increase quality largely by spending more, not by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, or reallocating funds... How institutions are organized for budgetary purposes can have a significant impact on their ability to control costs."
In other words, poor spending and budgeting on the part of our government is hitting students hard with high fees - some of which may take a decade or more to pay off.
Fees, of course, are subject to difference in several factors, such as whether you are enrolling in a college, university or trade school. Costs can also depend on whether you are living on campus, abroad, or at home. Even your field of study will make a difference in pricing, with those studying medicine or law, for example, being much higher than those studying to be a school-teacher.
What Can Be Done?
There are of course scholarships for honour students and those with special talents, such as in band or a sport. Student grants are also available, such as the "Student Grant for Low Income Families", which can sometimes be applied for when applying for outside funding, such as from the Ontario Student Assistance Program.
These options will pay for part of your program. They can range anywhere from $50 for textbooks to $900 up to all of your tuition cost, depending on which grant you get.
Check out the website ScholarshipsCanada.com to find student assistance applications. You can also ask your teacher or guidance counsellor about scholarships and grants available in your area.
For a better idea of exactly how much your education is going to cost, CanadianBusiness.com has a handy "university cost calculator" located on their website which bases its results on province, university, and faculty.
Sources
- "Tuition Rising: Why College Costs so Much" - Ronald Ehrenberg, Cornell University
- "University Tuition Fees" - Statistics Canada
Minot Pettinato - Minot Pettinato is a 23 year old freelance writer. She attended Niagara College for the Journalism-Print program, and has a diploma in ...
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