Reflection 2: Rising Tuition as a Saint Mary's Student

The current trend of lowering government contributions to universities has corresponded to continuously rising tuition costs for Nova Scotia students, as the universities now need to get a larger percentage of their funding from tuition amounts. In 1979, the Government of Nova Scotia supplied universities with 81% of their operating costs, with student tuition accounting for 15% of these costs (Leroux, 2011). 20 years later however, the Government has dropped funding for university operating costs to 47.6%, with students covering costs on a similar level at 41.3% (Leroux, 2011). As a university student, this shift translates into my education experience in negative ways such as increased student loan debt upon graduation and less time available for studying and recreation due to working more hours to pay for tuition. On the other hand, I have also viewed some positive effects of this shift such as increased motivation to achieve good grades, and the personal responsibility to graduate and gain employment in order to repay debts.

 Rising tuition costs have been an issue of great concern for many university students. Many students, including myself, now need to work while attending school in order to pay the rising university costs. Having a job, regardless of how many hours per week are worked, is taking away from time that could be spent studying or going to class. Personally, while working and going to school, I do not slack on homework in order to go to work. Instead, I frequently cut down on sleep in order to complete all my work. This is harmful to my education as well because lack of sleep can have consequences such as less ability to pay attention and focus. On days that I do not have to work, I find myself less stressed and able to spend more time concentrating on my schoolwork, and thus, performing better academically. Working and going to school full time also takes away from recreation and relaxation time. As a student who works and goes to class, I find myself having very little time or money to be able to enjoy the “university experience”. Having school during the week and working most weekends, I am unable to go to parties and football games and events that are supposed to be the fun part of going to university. I also live at home and not on campus, to save money. Because of this, I spend even more of my time in travel, and I do not feel like I am part of Saint Mary’s as a community. My university experience has been something like a job to me, rather than the “time of my life” that my parents have described their university experiences were, back in the eighties when tuition costs were so much lower.

Because tuition costs have been rising, so has the amount of debt that students are accumulating in order to afford to attend school. Since the introduction of the direct loan regime in 2001, the average annual amount of a Canada Student Loan has increased by 24% (Average Canada Student Loan, 2009). Notably, students in Nova Scotia have also received the highest average student loan amount each year in Canada since 2001 (Average Canada Student Loan, 2009), meaning on average, we end up with the most debt. In my experience, acquiring a student loan is the first time in my life that I have experienced being in personal debt. Being in debt before I even own anything is very depressing to me and extremely stressful as there is no guarantee of a job upon graduation to be able to pay it back. Worrying about finances and interest rates is a new experience to me, and I frequently wonder how or when I am going to be able to pay it back and get out of debt, and if my university degree will be worth the debt that I am acquiring.

            However, the worry over my high student loan amounts and the sacrifices I have made to pay for rising tuition costs have also had a positive effect on my education in motivational terms. Knowing that I am working to pay for my education makes me value my education and motivates me to achieve good grades. I am motivated to achieve the highest grades possible so that I can get a good paying job to get out of debt, or get accepted to grad school in order to get an even better job upon graduation to repay my debts. Knowing that if I quit school without graduating I will be in debt and have no help in getting a good job pushes me to succeed and not accept failure from myself. Also high tuition costs make me refuse to have to pay to retake a course that I failed due to lack of effort, and it makes me drive myself to complete my degree in the shortest time possible, as to not acquire any more unnecessary debt. There is a sense of responsibility knowing that now that I have student loan debt, the best way to get rid of it, is to complete the schooling that I received it for, in order to get the job I need to afford it and other bills. Lack of recreational time and fun activities is not a positive to me, but at the same time, there is less opportunity for me to become distracted from my goals and my schooling, and I also waste less money that way.

A way that I feel as though the government might be able to aid students in the student debt crisis is that instead of encouraging borrowing student loans which puts the student at risk of financial burden upon graduation, I feel as though loan amounts should be reduced and more conditional grants should be given to all students in that if the student completes their degree, the grant will remain a grant and be forgiven. However, if a student quits, they should have to repay the grant in loan-fashion. I feel this would motivate students to continue their education and complete their goals, and reward those who do, while causing others to take financial responsibility if they fail to do so.

The continuing trend of taking the financial responsibility off of the government and putting it on the student is causing students extreme stress and under higher debt upon graduation. Due to the rising tuition costs, I feel as though I have had less fun and more financial stress during my university career, however this has also taught me a lot about being responsible and managing time so that I can achieve my goals relying on my own work ethic to pay my own way.

References:

Average Canada Student Loan Amount by Province and Territory.  (2009).  Retrieved February 9, 2012, from

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/learning/canada_student_loan/Publications/annual_report/2008-2009/tables/average_loan.shtml

Leroux, D. (2011). Education: Post Secondary Education [1-3]. Retrieved from

http://blackboard.smu.ca.