Post-Secondary Education in Saskatchewan

1. Post-Secondary Education in Saskatchewan Presented to the Citizen Consensus Forum in Regina, SK – Jan. 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce

2. Context: Post-Secondary Education (PSE) in Saskatchewan Importance of PSE • PSE System in Saskatchewan • Participation in PSE • Who participates? • Are there barriers to participation? • Employment and PSE • Benefits of pse • Supports for PSE • Financing and providing non-financial supports for PSE Presented by A. Rounce

3. Importance of Post-Secondary Education • Participation in the resource-based and knowledge economies • Increasing demand for post-secondary graduates in Saskatchewan • Benefits to the individual • Benefits to society Presented by A. Rounce

4. PSE System in Saskatchewan Publicly-funded system: • Eleven Regional Colleges • Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) with four campuses • Universities, along with Federated Colleges • Aboriginal institutions, such as Dumont Technical Institute and Saskatchewan Indian Institutes of Technology Privately-funded Institutions: • Private Vocational Schools Presented by A. Rounce

5. Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan I • Students with diverse backgrounds • From all over the province and all ages • “Sequential” and “non-sequential” • In very diverse programs • Adult Basic Education • Apprenticeships in 37 trades • Certificates in Office Education, Business • Degrees in Indigenous Studies, Biochemistry, Public Administration, Nursing, Engineering, Dentistry, Law, Veterinary Medicine Presented by A. Rounce

6. Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan II • Enrolments in the publicly-funded system (2004-05) • Just under 32,000 in degree programs • ~5,500 in certificates/diplomas • ~6,800 apprentices • ~5,200 in Adult Basic Education Presented by A. Rounce

7. Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan III • Graduates in the publicly-funded system (2004-05) • Just under 5,200 in degree programs • ~4,900 in certificates/diplomas • ~1,100 apprentices received journeyperson status • ~3,300 in Adult Basic Education Presented by A. Rounce

8. Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan IV • Government support for public post-secondary education (2005-06 financial results) • Post-Secondary • Operating funds • Research • Capital (infrastructure) • Totaled $519 million for 2005-06 • Training programs • $35 million • Student supports • $51 million Presented by A. Rounce

9. 1. Exploring Barriers to Post-Secondary Education • Factors influencing participation include: • Parents • Expectations • Education levels • Income • Knowledge of costs and funding options • Academic achievement and preparation • Grades • Part-time work • Extra-curricular activities • Influence of peers Presented by A. Rounce

10. Post-Secondary Participation and Parental Education • More parental education increases the likelihood children will go on Presented by A. Rounce

11. Academic Performance and University Participation • Average entering grades have increased over the last decade Presented by A. Rounce

12. Post-Secondary Participation and Continuation cont’d • Other factors influencing participation include: • Distance from post-secondary institution • Saskatchewan’s rural populations • Challenges of leaving home communities • Family status • Single parents • Children of single parents • Aboriginal status • Multiple challenges • Disabilities Presented by A. Rounce

13. Factors Influencing Completion of Post-Secondary Education • Financial barriers • Access to on-going sources of funding • Part-time/full-time employment • Student financial assistance • Financial assistance for Aboriginal students • Adapting to financial challenges • Housing, living expenses, transportation costs • Adjustment/adaptation barriers Presented by A. Rounce

14. Participation In PSE: Intentions of Saskatchewan Youth Presented by A. Rounce

15. Why Youth Don’t Plan To Go On • The main reasons Grade 12 students were not planning to attend a post-secondary institution in the next year were: 1. Undecided (21%) 2. Cost of Education (19%) 3. Work Opportunities (16%) 4. Planning to Travel (13%) 5. No Interest in Further Study (10%) Source: 2003 High School Intentions Survey Presented by A. Rounce

16. 2. Employment and Post-Secondary Education • PS graduates spend less time unemployed • PS graduates tend to earn increased salaries compared with high school graduates • PS graduates are more likely to access lifelong learning, and stay competitive Presented by A. Rounce

17. Labour Market Demand for Post-Secondary Graduates Presented by A. Rounce

18. 3. Supporting PSE Opportunities in Our Future • Costs of post-secondary education • Financing post-secondary education • Financial and non-financial contributions: • students • their families • employers • provincial government • federal government. Presented by A. Rounce

19. Education Costs: Tuition Fees for Post-Secondary Education Presented by A. Rounce

20. Other Education Costs • Other costs include accommodation, transportation, food, and other necessities both for those living away from home and with families. • For many, living expenses exceed their direct educational costs Presented by A. Rounce

21. Benefits of Post-Secondary Education • Personal benefits: “rates of return” • Graduates of most post-secondary programs will earn more than they would with a high school diploma or less • Shorter periods of unemployment • PSE as a good personal investment • Societal benefits • Greater community involvement and participation • Increasing health status • Lower crime rates • Higher levels of funding contributed to the public purse Presented by A. Rounce

22. Meeting Educational Costs • Saskatchewan post-secondary graduates report three main sources of funding: • Employment earnings • Government and Private Student loans • Parental/family support • Nearly half (48%) of Saskatchewan graduates relied on student loans to support their post-secondary education (NGS 2002) Presented by A. Rounce

23. Student Financial Assistance: Student Loans • In 2005-06, Saskatchewan provided $55 million in Student Loan assistance to ~15,100 students (total: $134M with federal funding) • Over half of provincial funds was provided as non-repayable bursaries and/or grants • There are students with “unmet need” – those whose needs are assessed as higher than the amounts they receive in loan and bursary. Presented by A. Rounce

24. Student Financial Assistance: Student Debt Levels • The majority of students who borrow leave their programs with less than $20,000 in government student loan debt. Presented by A. Rounce

25. Manageability of Debt • Manageable debt • could be largely context-specific and dependent both on amount of debt, family status, and income levels • Saskatchewan students in the first 170 weeks of post-secondary study face a maximum of $200 per week in repayable debt. Presented by A. Rounce

26. Other Sources of Financial Support • Private student loans/lines of credit • Saskatchewan students compared with students in other provinces • Bursaries, scholarships, grants • Training allowances • Provincial Training Allowance (PTA) • Part-time/Full-time/Co-op/Summer work • Family (parent/spousal) support • Support from employers • Federal government funding for First Nations students Presented by A. Rounce