It is no question that getting an education after high school is expensive, but has it become so expensive that students are unable to afford the luxury of a degree. As the job market becomes more competitive going to university or college is a no brainer. How has the expense of university risen over the years?
First, lets take a look at the average cost of tuition in Canada in 2016. According to Stats Canada, the average cost for tuition alone is $6000. Some universities cost more based on the program. Now in graduate school you can expect the cost to be much higher. This statistic was looking at tuition alone. Therefore if you wanted to attend a school away from home, living on campus can be extremely expensive. Thankfully I discovered the cost calculator on the website of the university I hope to attend one day; UBC. Here were my results after looking at tuition, dorm, meal plan and other extra necessities.
Total: $21,316.00
This cost is an estimate of what my first year at UBC would cost. Here is a link to the cost calculator.
Me throwing money at a university education:
Most students are forced to take out student loans because of the high cost and this can follow them for years after they get their desired education. Some students have to drop out of school because it gets so expensive. There are some countries in the world that have free post secondary education like Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Finland. These countries value education beyond high school and put the money towards the people of the future.
This video highlights the changes between now and 30 years ago and the statistics are appalling. The fact is that university’s expense is increasing at a rate higher than that of minimum wage. Students are unable to afford it because of the insane inflation.
The fact is that with the rapid inflation of living and tuition something needs to be done. Here is the link to Trudeau’s plan for post secondary education. Even though this plan may not be in effect while I am attending university, hopefully it will one day.
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