Category: Student Aid

Inter-provincial Differences in Borrowing and Debt

I recently published some time series data on student debt in Canada, to wit: Figure 1: Average Student Debt at Graduation, Various Sources in constant $2021, Canada, 1982-2021 *indicates data from the Canada University Consortium; otherwise data is from the National Graduates’ Survey As is often the case, national figures obscure provincial differences. So today I wanted to put some data out there to provide those nuanced regional figures. Let’s start with the issue of annual borrowing.  In Figures 2

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Interpreting the Manifesto Commitments

Morning all.  Today’s the day where I try to sum up and compare what the various parties are promising in different areas and what that likely means for the sector.  For greater detail on individual party platforms for PSE, you may wish to consult the previous analyses: Conservative, NDP, Liberal and Green. Let’s start with the issue of transfers to provinces.  In previous years, but particularly in the two decades following the major cutbacks embedded in the Liberal government’s 1995

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Student Debt Update 2021

Back in early July, the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium (CUSC) released its triennial survey of graduating students.  As always, one of the most interesting things in there is the data on student debt, because it is one of the few good, up-to-date national snapshots that we have of the issue.  There are some limitations to the snapshot.  It doesn’t report out on a provincial basis, only a national one.  It doesn’t really include Quebec.  The sample in the survey is

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2021 PSE Platforms – the New Democratic Party

Last week, I analysed the Conservative Party of Canada platform.  This week, I am doing the New Democratic Party’s platform, which is available in its entirety here.    I find this manifesto disappointing because apparently the only thing New Democrats care about is making higher education cheaper.  Not better.  Not more adapted to helping Canadian business compete or Canadian society to become smarter.  Just cheap, cheaper, cheapest! In fairness, that’s at least partly because this manifesto is peculiarly written, in the sense that

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The Biden Re-Set

One of the most amazing things about Joe Biden’s presidency is that we don’t have to hear about it all the time.  For days – nay, weeks – on end, we can go about our business without thinking about what the US Head of State is doing or saying.  It’s brilliant.  But while the vacation is nice, it’s time to start paying attention again because very big things are afoot in DC with respect to higher education. It’s worth surveying

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