This post is part of a week-long series.
I discussed yesterday the gap between aspirations and reality for prospective Aboriginal students. Though perhaps not as wide, a gap exists for the general population as well:
The great majority of Canadian high school students — almost nine in ten — hope to gain a post-secondary education. Unfortunately, too many of them won't make it. Only two in five young Canadians graduate from a college or university program by the age of 24 — and this despite the fact that most new jobs require a higher education. Clearly, too many students — particularly those from lower income backgrounds — encounter obstacles that impede their progress through the education system.This Millennium Research Note examines the effects of a lack of information and preparation, problems, it finds, that compound the financial barriers encountered by low-income families.
One of these problems is student expectations. Students often over-estimate their chances of obtaining financial support, from nearly all sources. And when their expectations are not met, some will be able to find other sources -- but many will not. This is certainly something to think about considering the low completion rates at the U of A.
Another problem is the savings gap. The likelihood that parents have begun saving for their child's education, and the length for which they have been saving, is directly related to family income. With less savings to access, students from low-income families are all the more in need of further assistance, and of further information on how to get it.
For the longer-term, these issues can be addressed through "a concerted effort by governments, colleges and universities, schools, and other education agencies... Long before high school graduation, students and their parents need to be engaged in career planning and preparation for post-secondary education. Together with good financial aid programs, this will help ensure that college and university are accessible for all Canadians."
And in the short-term, we need to do all we can to keep educational costs down for all prospective students.
Read the full Research Note here.
1 Comment:
In your blog, I was disheartened to see "Only two in five young Canadians graduate from a college or university program by the age of 24". Succeeding in college involves financial resources AND academic preparation. Most high schools are not doing a "credible" job of assisting students in matching their "talents" and "gifts" at the right time - when the student still has time to get excited about studying. Without purpose, no passion. Without passion, the odds go way down. I'd like to encourage students to spend as much time as possible exploring career options as early as possible (age 14), researching what different careers involve and then choose the best educational solution to match their career(s) of choice. Free student research links at: www.successdiscoveries.com/resources/ccfs is an incredibly rich source of research links - both Canadian and American (Reference both regardless of if you are from the U.S. or Canada).