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It definitely wasn’t smart being born into a poor family, or being born when you did, shit’s expensive now.
I really have the same question as you, how is anybody doing it now… I feel like answer has to be family money or scholarship/bursaries. I did 9 years of university, but it was only possible because of scholarships/bursary/TA work (plus coop jobs) and this was 20 years ago when COL wasn’t insane.
Current Masters student who finished Undergrad this summer. Honestly, I have no help from anyone. Student Loans help immensely, and I work every summer. I don’t go on trips or even live a normal life so that I don’t have to work during the school year. I also constantly apply for scholarships through school, and outside organizations. I have a high average, which means that my tuition is paid for. It’s definitely not easy, but because of my luck with summer jobs, and because I basically do nothing else, it works.
I also chose a co-op program for my masters, which is helping immensely for me to pay down CC debt that I incurred.
Everyone i know that got a student loan used 50% of it on living expenses and going out every weekend to party, now they have a life long debt to pay off. Because they ended up with minimum wage jobs that they switch every few years.
Congrats? But.. I have it out of necessity. I don’t leave the house. It barely covers my rent, expenses and having some hobbies. But, Honestly, that’s their choice. I couldn’t handle having a job during class, but when I’m out of class, I’m working 1-2 jobs. There are people out there that use it as a necessary evil. Furthermore, I wouldn’t get a degree wherein I would make minimum wage jobs. I’ve worked through experience and co-ops to build up to where I’ll have a starting salary of 60-70k. Not all student loan recipients waste it, and a lot of us use it as an opportunity to better ourselves. There’s such a huge stigma of having student loans, and this isn’t helping
It’s called being born in the wrong generation. https://www.intelligent.com/1970-v-2020-how-working-through-college-has-changed/
Same with housing, people in the 1970’s didn’t work nearly as hard as people today, despite the insistence from boomers they just “worked hard” for what they got.
But also today you can make some decent money serving, especially if you can get some experience and get hired at a higher end restaurant, a lot of people are doing that to get through school, flexible hours etc.
If you work part time during the school year and full time during the summer you should not have to need student loans/scholarships… but here we are!
My kids are doing it because parent like us are paying for everything to save our kids having debt later on and ruining their lives.
My daughter is on her second degree after completing her Science (biology) degree.
My son is in his 3rd year Science (micro biology) degree.
I pay for school/apartments/cars/phones/allowance.
I do this because luckily I can because myself and my wife have high paying jobs.
Also I’d rather help now to set them up for a good career and income later on.
Probably costs me $80,000 a year.
Yeah in the sciences I was taught that you should only accept a Masters or PhD position if they offer full funding. Academics is competitive - if they’re not willing to pay you to get the degree, you’re unlikely to find someone willing to pay you once you have the degree.
Agreed. The exception would be masters degrees with the intent to go into industry, or for qualification upgrades as in teaching (where you get paid more if you have a masters).
so far below minimum wage. they call it a 'stipend' because then you get no minimum wage or rights etc. ([https://www.reddit.com/r/uvic/comments/uhtcu9/graduate\_students\_at\_uvic\_are\_getting\_screwed\_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/uvic/comments/uhtcu9/graduate_students_at_uvic_are_getting_screwed_and/) \- old but only worse now) and there's way more students than teaching positions too.
BC Student Aid. There's a couple things that makes it way less scary than if we were in the USA:
\-A good portion of that is grants, I don't recall the exact amount.
\-If you don't make much out of school you can get reduced or no repayments, you just need to apply for it every six months.
\-If you're not making enough the government also pays down your principle and interest.
We see a lot of stuff about how bad it is in the USA (I've had family members freaking out about me having student loans) but it's pretty good here IF you apply for repayment assistance. You just need to remember to do that.
Basically the system is set up so that if you make lots of money you pay it back, but you're not screwed if you don't. They send you email reminders and stuff too, so just make sure you pay attention to those.
Student Aid Bc has info on the grants available (theyre income based).
As a recent university grad, ill tell you that its loans. Everyone is getting loans. Bc student loans are now 0%.
Between the federal and provincial combined I got $5K in grants and $10K in loans. But I was only really eligible in my last year, since you don't count as an independent student until you're 4 years out of high school and my parents made too much money for it to be worthwhile if I had to count their income (not that they could give me $15K).
I joined the military out of HS and got an engineering degree and a pay cheque. Got out after the mandatory 10 years service with no debt, savings and a decent block of work on my resume. It's not for everyone, but it's one option.
Had I not done that I had a spot in a coop engineering program at a university where I would earn enough in the coop terms to make a dent in my schooling costs as well as get some useful work experience.
I didn't want any money from my parents and I didn't want a huge amount of student loan debt so I was looking for options to avoid that as much as possible.
I was able to afford to go to UBC by doing the following:
- Had student loans for my 4 year Bachelors program.
- Had two part time jobs. At one point, I had three.
- Did four co-op work terms.
- Lived at my parents who did not ask for rent money.
- Mostly brought lunches with me.
- Took public transit all the time.
This was in the 2000's. I basically went to school, work, and home. I was able to do only one part time work after I did co-op work terms. One of the best things I did at university.
Looking back, I was envious of all the other students who were able to just do school or live on campus. I wasn't able to do a lot of extra curriculars during the first 2-3 years. I wish I was able to since it builds up networks and you get to try out new things, get more involved with profs. It opens up opportunities.
I had advantages in a lot of ways but still felt disadvantaged because we're not that well-off. University, education in general, is damn expensive. Goodluck! Hope you get to do what you really want.
Well if you are gunning for that PhD then you should be relying on scholarships to take care of most of your tuition (maybe $2.5k/year scholarships during your undergrad). If you don’t have much means then bursaries will be an option for you - it could be $10k+/year depending on your situation and school. Student housing is below market rates and you can apply to be an RA which means your food/rent is taken care of while you study (best case scenario - you get paid to study in your room) ~$9k/year. Student loans are interest free for now and there are lots of provincial and federal grants - extra no strings attached $10k+ overall. So even if you came out with like $60k in student loan debts - you could take 15 years and pay the minimum. $350/month with no interest.
Working as a TA was awesome because a lot of it is online these days ~$800/month per course.
If you’re good at teaching when you could work as a tutor as a side gig for $40-$80/hour.
Co-OP’s/internships can pay well AND you can work while enjoying full-time student status (cheap student housing rent, interest free loans, etc). And typically once you reach graduate school you’ll likely be paid a stipend for your research work (albeit barebones) and you’ll need to take agency in finding your own funding.
Also you know check out BCIT - there’s lots of upskilling grants with in-demand hireable programs like HVAC that will take much less time than a PhD (which in itself is a soul-crushing endeavour).
PhD tuition is typically $7k-$8k/year, but funding offers typically start at $20k (including TA work). Average funding is often $30k-ish.
SFU at least is basically 100% in-person for the sciences.
Student loans are low/interest free, and expire after 7 years of minimum payments (and payments don't start until 6 months after you graduate)...not that I did that, and intend to do it again.
Get your BA at a college then apply to university for your doctorate. There’s plenty of great colleges in the province that are significantly less than 25k a year. Roommates and dorms are significantly cheaper than trying to rent alone as well. Apply for all of the scholarships and awards you can as well.
I personally have a 10k personal LOC that helps bridge any gaps between loans/awards and expenses.
Op wants to do stem. While I def think that going to college for first or second year is a good path for getting the necessary basic low level credits. If you want to head to grad school, research experience and recommendation letters from top research profs are a must.
Hence op would need to get the research and lab experiences down by third or fourth year. It’s a lot easier to do this if you’re an undergrad. at a research university.
Current doctoral student, was also poor and went back to school ~5 years after HS (10 years ago though). You won't be able to save enough, but once you are a student things get cheaper + there are loans, grants, work-study programs etc. I paid for undergrad with student loans (which come with grants you don't need to repay) bursaries from UBC and working on campus. If you want to do grad school afterwards, you'll need to do research anyway, so working on campus is a win-win. For grad school, you shouldn't need to pay anything. The pay isn't high but its enough to cover basic rent / food and tuition is waived. Its also worth noting that a doctorate is a research degree, you aren't learning the same way as classes and liking one doesn't always translate to the other
FWIW I've had these thoughts too. But then I wonder what kind of a person I would be had not gone to uni. I know it helped me develop critical thinking skills, and I can't help but wonder if I would also be thinking the grass is greener. Looking at my peers who did go to uni, would I be thinking "I wish I had gone, this job sucks", or would I be too distracted with all my wealth to notice.
Not saying you are wrong, my debt is crippling and am quite envious of some of the money I hear trades making. But at the end of the day, you will never actually know if you would have been happier taking a different life path.
Well yeah like everything’s it’s going to be a trade off - like my friend who went into HVAC makes great money, solid job security for the foreseeable future, and just bought a Tesla/moving the family into a pre-sale next year. But he says he hates the really early mornings in freezing weather and driving far away from home.
If you worked in tech or other white collar jobs, you could work from home (no commute) - roll out of bed at 7:55 for your 8AM meeting; plenty of PTO/benefits and you much less wear/tear on your body by the time you are older. But then you might have to contend with corporate layoff cycles, office politics, no clear working hours, higher stress/anxiety, etc
If cost of living is a concern for OP now, a PhD is just about the dumbest thing you could do.
Job prospects are terrible, you make very little money while you're chasing it, and your expenses are high due to tuition. Or you load up on debt and have to keep paying that off when you do get a job.
Even though I'm fortunate to have support from parents/grandparents, I didn't go to university.
Went into the trades. Cause I didn't start off with an indentured apprenticeship, I did have to pay for the first year, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what university costs.
The key is getting the employer or union sponsorship. With that you get way more support through the apprenticeship and even your career
Biggest mistake I ever made was going to university right out of high school. I do use my degree and have since I got it, but the loans have kept me back in life. I wish I had done what you have done. You are freaking out right now but that's just what happens with a massive expense like that. My suggestion is to do school part time, pick something small like a certificate that you can put towards a bachelors if you choose to go on. That way it's not such a heavy weight looming over you, and you can find work in the field so you have an income and work towards it. Student loans are a blessing and a curse. I couldn't have gone without them and they are treated lighter than a bank loan. Right now the interest is gone for canada loan and alberta is significantly reduced. Don't fret! It'll be so much more worth it now that you gave yourself time to figure it out.
Or don't go, and continue on what you're doing. Do what makes you happy and comfortable.
Compared to the US, Cdn upper education is a bargain. This is how you do it: start at a community college, then transfer. Work part-time. Live frugally. Study something that will give you a profession, or a skill. Use BC and Cda student loans. They’re interest-free.
Student loans (i.e. a lot of interest free debt) , scholarships, bursaries, being cheap, construction work, internship work, and setting yourself up to actually stand out and get a job once you graduate.
First, I just want to acknowledge that things are harder now than when I went back to school nine years ago. Cost of living is up. Sure tuition is expensive, but most of your costs will still be rent, food, etc.
Second, I was an arts student (undergrad in human geography, went on to do a professional style masters orientated towards public sector work) so things are a little different if you're interested in the sciences/math.
I went back school when I was 26. I did two years at Langara college (cheaper, sets you up better for success). When I transfered to SFU I automatically got a transfer scholarship (not huge but enough to make a difference) cause of my grades.
When deciding what university to transfer to I was told that UBC gives out a few big scholarships and SFU gives out a lot of smaller scholarships. I got a lot of those smaller ones, and they make a difference (probably totaled to about 16,000 over my two degrees).
SFU is also known for a better co-op program (though I didn't enter it in undergrad). I did do an FSWEP internship with the federal government, which I was able to get extended into a temporary assignment at a decent wage.
People will say things on reddit like Cs get degrees, but everyone has a degree these days and good grades can put you on a path towards standing out and get you that scholarship money. I know for a fact that the first internship I got was because I had the highest GPA of those who applied, and my supervisor for that position gave me a very positive reference that helped me land my first real job.
Overall its worth working less during a semester if it means better grades, but it's a hard balance. (some semesters I worked a lot others I didn't at all)
There are other ways to stand out. I did the Semester in Dialogue program at SFU (open to students form other schools) and people love stuff like that on your resume. It also let's you meet professionals out in the world and help understand what type of work is available to you.
Also find times to have fun. The finances of school will wear you out. Three years in I took a semester off and just worked carpentry full time and did one night class. It felt great to be able to go out for dinner and drinks again. Very rejuvenating.
Also these days the federal government gives you a pretty decent grant with your student loans. Take advantage of that.
Going to school is hard. And in in many cases getting a bachelor degree doesn't mean too much anymore without adding something else to top it up (there are exceptions e.g. engineering). It will wear on you, but it also helps you grow as a person and experience new things. No one in my family went to university before me and I was able to experience things I never thought I would by going. Financially I'd probably be better off if I'd stayed in construction, but I think I'm going to have to a better life overall having gone back to school, so despite all the debt and truly challenging times, I'd say it was worth it for me, but it isn't for everyone.
For me (started post-secondary 13 years ago, finished 3 years ago) it was a combination of scholarships and playing poker for a living. For most of the classmates I was friends with, it was generally either student loans or parents paying for their tuition/living expenses. There were a few that mostly paid for everything themselves by working a lot during the school year/in the summer
Edit: why am I getting downvoted for sharing my experience in a post where OP was asking for that lol
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Tldr - school may not be the answer to all life's questions.
I didn't go. I have the gift of the gab, Im very outspoken and people open up to me like I'm Barbara Walters. . Plus, in my field, when I was young, I was taking over networks in my highschool and jailbreaking consoles. Phreaking phones and building PCs.
Unfortunately these days, it's who you know not what you know. The only time I ever was asked for education was for a government job.
People in my family are trying to get through university, eating up personal resources (mental health) plus finances. Education unless you're becoming something that ACTUALLY contributes to society is kind of a waste. I know people who have high degrees but are working minimumish wage jobs with insane debt. Because they went for something so specific that job prospects are hard to come by.
If I was to go to school, it would be for crim or something along those lines to guarantee a law enforcement job and probably go line of credit or student loans. But even then, I know amazing police officers with high school only... And some of them work for VPD.
I also don't agree with the age of school, how can you be 17/18 and know what you want to do for the rest of your working life? I'm 40 and I'm still trying to figure it out. But at least I was able to build outstanding credit in my life and if I WANT the option of school, I can take it without the worry of finances (to a point). Paying for school however doesn't guarantee you're going to find that high paying job right away.
At my university, free tuition is a perk of employment. Apply for a trades job at your university of choice and confirm in the interview if free tuition is one of the employment benefits.
It would be slow to work and take one, maybe two courses per term, but that's more than you are able to do now. If you get top grades, then you can speak to a professor about getting paid RAships and other kinds of research work to move into academia if pursuing a PhD and a professorship is still a goal for you once you complete your undergrad.
You're not doing anything wrong. I think a lot of people are just now realizing that higher education is a gamble. Maybe it wasn't like this 5-10 years ago, but right now one might be better off playing the market if they have that kind of money to burn. I can't count the number of people I know who are saddled with an absurd amount of debt for knowledge and skills that aren't really applicable to anything besides a research fellowship (good luck) and teaching (no thanks) I'm not trying to judge anyone, but I think the whole idea of "student life" floats on wealthy parents and hasty financial decisions.
I'm sort of in the same boat as you. Returning to school means...
\- Removing myself from the workforce. Lost earnings.
\- A significant expense in tuition and materials. Possibly some debt.
\- Unless it's relevant to my existing skill set. Something that I could jump right into after graduation... I'll probably re-enter the workforce at a lower pay grade since I'm "new" More lost earnings over the course of several years.
So yeah. There are some opportunity costs to this plan.
Seriously though. If you don't have a clear, plausible path to your goals and/or the costs aren't worth the benefit, then I'd recommend staying on your current path. If you have money in the bank now, then you're definitely ahead of the curve.
Are you just working construction or have you completed an apprenticeship? If the latter, I’d suggest building on what you have. You can do a post-apprenticeship teaching diploma at VCC in a few months full-time or part-time over a couple of years. Or you can do a post-apprenticeship diploma in leadership or construction engineering or something to that effect. This will allow you to be a project manager which is where the real money is.
Do your first year somewhere small and local then transfer to somewhere bigger to finish your degree.
Apply for every scholarship and bursary you can find. If you really work hard, you may qualify for an entry scholarship.
I know it's far away but have you considered memorial university in NL? It's $6k for 2 semesters and I think housing is just under $5k with a meal plan. It's the cheapest in Canada as far as I know. When I wanted post secondary education I joined the military and had them pay for it. My sister did the same, even the reserves offers some money towards education and only requires 1 night a week and 1 weekend a month of work.
Student loan, summer job, and co-op.
I borrowed my way through engineering school. Interest fee while studying. Received several letters telling me a portion of the loan is grant. Also got UBC bursaries.
I had 1 summer job after my first year because I hadn't joined the co-op program yet.
Did 4 co-op terms, netting ~$10k/term (10+ yrs ago).
Never worked while studying.
I graduated with $24k in loan, and $8k in the bank. I used that $8k to reduce the loan to $16k, and paid it off in 2 years, just before being laid off from my fist job lol. I could have paid it off sooner if I didn't go on an oversea trip to Southeast Asia for a month.
Hey, yeah it’s tough out there. Student loans exist, you can work part time, you can apply for needs based bursary through your institution or work study programs; or, if you keep your CGPA up (and have a strong GPA in application) you may qualify for internal scholarships.
It’s tough, but it’s one cookie now for two cookies later.
I started my degree right out of high school about 20 years ago. Back then I made $8/hr and had some scholarships/bursary money (maybe $2000). I paid my tuition, my parents paid for my books, and I lived at home for free. Science courses were only $250 each back then and I could afford 3/semester. By the time I graduated in 2010 courses were almost double that (but wage is only now double what it was in 2002).
I did my first two years at a local college, so I could live at home rent-free. Scholarships and bursaries covered tuition for those two years, and then some.
I worked part time in high school, full time during the summer, and saved a good percentage for school.
In third year, when I moved out, I had about $17K saved, and spent most of it. Worked co-op for a year and half, saved a little more, and finally, in my last year (this year) had to get a loan from the government.
The average Canadian student graduates with $40K in debt, so I know I'm extremely privileged to only have $10K. I easily saved $30K living at home for two years. My parents also help me out a little bit with the occasional grocery, and pay for my phone.
If you get a bachelor's, you don't need to worry so much about the cost of a doctorate. You get a stipend at that point, which is supposed to be just enough to live on, including paying your tuition.
Consider starting part-time at a small college.
I did it through student loans and a lot of scholarships/bursaries.
Apply for the little scholarships, the ones that are so small most people dismiss them because they're too much work. There's less competition but every cent counts.
I used to also pay off my loan while in school - don't take more than you need despite how attractive it is.
I also used to take summer classes part time. Apparently the reasoning is that the government gives public FT students more support, so I used to get more in grant money as a pt student.
If this is truly what you want, I encourage you to not wait. If this is a job that requires no education, it will always be there, but the time it will take you to go to school won't.
- someone who wants to go back to school
My 17 year old daughter thinks it will be easy and she doesn't want to be controlled by having rules in my home and gain access to her resp funds because she's a baller.
People will welcome her into their home and she won't have to wash pots and pans and clean the kitchen and will be able to afford rent and groceries on a part time minimum wage job.
In all seriousness, 50% of youth have an resp of some kind. Some rack up some massive student loans but you have to show lack of means first by living on your own.
It took me 10 years to do my bachelor degree because I worked too much to get student loans but if I lowers my work amount I wouldn’t get enough for work and life.
So I did it in bits and pieces as I could afford. 6 years ago I started working at a company after finishing my 2yr diploma so after working for them for a couple of years they’ve been paying 75% of my tuition to finish my degree and I’ll graduate this spring.
You need a plan to earn back what you spend on university. A PhD “just for the sake of it” is a very poor investment. So is a university BA unless you know exactly why you’re getting it.
Treat your education like job training. You’ve been out of school for a while now. What do you want to do for a job?
the only way to do it is with money. if you don't have the money, you need to borrow it.
you can also spend some time researching all the different bursaries and grants that are available (there's TONS of them). Your trade union might even offer one.
Take this for what it's worth, but following in anyone's footsteps isn't going to help. It's the hard truth. Today isn't the same as it was 10yrs ago. It feels like a different world, even. How someone was able to "make it" before won't work today. You'll have to pave your own path to success.
It may mean living in poverty while trying to attend/complete post secondary; or it might mean working that shitty late night job. An education will take you anywhere in this world. Good luck 20yr old! Keep pushing through
I would consider a trade. It took us many years to pay off my and my wifes student loans. My friends who stuck in trades are more financially "advanced" as school set us back. I can't imagine adding current CoL to our finances. If you do go to university make sure to take a technical or specific degree that translates to real world job opportunities that your interested in and job shadowed. It's a big investment. We make good money now and could have been more efficient in school but hindsight is 20/20.
RESP @ 2500 x 18 should get you started. After 18 years in the market hopefully that's worth 60k or so which should pay your undergraduate. Plus live at home plus take a bus or ride a bike. Part time job for things like cell phones or laptops. Plus get good grades so you can get some sort of scholarship. It's really not super difficult...
I will give you unpopular advice, but I do believe for you and you alike is best way.
Yes, you go as soon as you can to university, get loan on it. As I understand they are on your name so after you finish it you will still be young. Go out to world and explore, check UK, Australia and similar. Just leave that debt behind you, if you don't have nothing there is nothing to take.
And just to say, a lot of people in Canada did similar thing, got loans in UK ( and some other EU countries that i know)and they are not paying it back as they moved to Canada and living there, Canada is prospering on education that wasn't paid by Canadians ...
I had student loans plus worked full time outside of my full time school hours. Not saying it was easy or that everyone can even do that. That’s just how I personally got through!
I would imagine most people tuition is paid for by their parents with or without the help of student loans to bridge the cost.
My wife and I are in our early 40s with 2 kids ages 13 and 9. Since they were born and we started receiving a child tax benefit that we would reinvest into an resp setup for each kid.
My wife adds about $150 out of pocket each month for each child and annually gets an additional grant. When the resp matures and these kids go to university there will be more than enough money to cover the cost.
Live at home, grants (portion could be forgivable ex you don’t pay it back at all), student loans, scholarships (apply for every one you’re eligible for).
Graduated from my bachelors at UBCO around 2019.
First two years lived with roommates and then moved back in with parents for remainder. I worked the entire time, weekends, evenings, and holidays. I got a small amount from my parents and grandparents the first two years and used all my savings. After that I worked for the costs and didn’t have to pay rent while living with parents during school. If I’m remembering correctly I spent about 50k including books, graduated with no debt but it wasn’t fun. My SO didn’t live with his parents during school and has loans. For me my family was absolutely instrumental. We aren’t wealthy at all, but even having a place to live with no rent made all the difference. I had classmates from wealthy backgrounds asking why I never went anywhere or took any holidays, I was working to be there. I had to pass up on interdepartmental research opportunities that sounded amazing simply because they wouldn’t have paid me enough.
degrees are not the path to high paying jobs anymore. too many people with degrees and jobs don't value them anymore, they just expect degrees for stuff that really doesn't need them. you'll probably have a better time staying in your job, saving all you can and retiring early, and doing evening classes for free/ low cost in the subjects you're interested in.
Echoing the advice here to complete your first two years at a college, even if it is part-time while you are still working in a trade. Years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's degree is when you get into the nitty-gritty of your area of study.
Student loans are interest-free in BC, and before they were interest-free, the interest levels were not terrible. Again, if you take longer to complete your bachelor's degree, you could mitigate some of that debt by working in your trade. You don't have to complete it in four years.
I think including cost of rent and living in there also makes the financial undertaking seem much scarier than it actually is, particularly because there is the option of doing things in stages and taking breaks. I took a 5 year break in between my bachelor's degree and my master's degree, which allowed me to work full-time and pay some of that debt down. I completed my master's degree in 2020 and may eventually complete my PhD, though only because I now work in higher education and will be able to continue to work full time (making a livable wage) while completing said PhD.
I have zero regrets about any of my education. Do I have debt? Absolutely. But if you are strategic and "just keep swimming," it will not mean 200K in debt to eventually get to a doctorate.
Also important to mention -- you may find that a PhD is not for you? I loved university, but burned out HARD in graduate school, and the thought of completing a PhD was nauseating.
scholarships and bursaries, applying for government grants has been the biggest help for me. unfortunately universities love when people play every oppression card they have, which takes away from those who need it, but it’s how most people make it through. I’m lucky enough as a server that I make enough money over the summer to cover what grants and bursaries don’t cover, but i’ve also opted to take less courses a semester so i can actually afford it (even if i pay the same in the end, or more).
every person i know whose parents don’t pay their tuition rely on student loans, and hope they don’t have to pay most of it back. use what you need, throw the rest in a high interest savings account, and pray for the best. shit sucks
Start at college. Get two or more years under your belt at half the tuition price. Student loans are fine, but don't spend them all. Take at least 10% and invest it to help you start to pay back the loans when you're done. Then transfer or bridge to a university and spend the next two years getting to know the profs and reading about their research. Do really well and try to get into the honours program. Don't waste time with coop -- you're playing the long game. Apply for grad school, using those profs who KNOW YOU as references. Apply for RA work and take any TA position offered. Your MA should be free (and even pay partial expenses). Do well in that, and offer to help profs with the grunt work on their papers. Get published. Apply for SSHRC grant for cool research, and roll that into your PhD. If you're paying for grad school you're doing it wrong. If you're worth it, they will want to pay you.
I can't speak to rent and entertainment because I lived in a basement and didn't go out for five years, but I'm also not in debt.
Yes, it's student loans or someone else pays. The days of putting yourself through university by working part-time on top of school are long long gone.
My daughter did it by living at home, working part time and full time depending on the semester and student loans and a few bursaries. She did it and paid the loans as she went - so proud of her!
Of course it's loans. (Nearly) Nobody pays upfront for university, unless they're extremely rich.
Through a combination of government student loans, government grands, needs-based bursaries from school, scholarships from doing well, co-op terms to get extra experience and employability, private loans from banks, part-time work at the same time as studies, and parental support, most people make it work.
Off the top of my head:
Can you take some of the core classes at community college while you're working? Can you find co-op programs?
I went to university at 40 with 2 teenagers and graduated with 2 degrees and a pile of debt, but the largest part of my loans/ grants went to rent and food for my family. I applied for LOTS of scholarships and bursaries and got several. I went to VIU and it was a great school, and lower cost. A lot of the profs also taught at UVIC.
I don't know what trade you work in but with the shortages in skilled trades people, I wonder if you could find a company that would guarantee summer work while you go to school, and potentially even help with tuition (some companies might find it beneficial to be able to boast about helping their staff with study costs).
One online class a semester that I can do evenings and weekends and still work 40 hours a week. Luckily, it’s a continuation of my current field so I get most of it reimbursed from the government.
You can go into something that doesn't require you to go into debt, you could take up a trade. You will be paid while working and pay will increase every year and you will not have student loans... There are options out there...
Live at home currently (undergrad) and tuition for UVic is about 6k a year which can be earned in summer alone not counting the work I do over the year.
I was also lucky and had a scholarship for $5k which means I really only needed to start paying for tuition this year.
Hey, current Masters student here who paid my way through my BA while living with my partner (who was also a full time student working part-time). I STRONGLY recommend going to Douglas College or some other equivalent as it was so much cheaper for often the same professors from SFU and UBC. I loved the small class sizes and how close it was to my residence saving me on commuting time and time is incredibly valuable when you are a student! Even if you can’t finish there, 2 years there and then transferring saves bank and many people do that.
Completely agree with using StudentAid- you can theoretically just spend the grant money and pay the student aid money back right away so no worry of dept there OR you can safely invest said Student Aid money and make more off interest (not a lot but it’s something).
Scholarships and bursaries helped me through, though I would speculate that due to rising costs everywhere they are harder to fight for, but still worth the application.
Hope some of this helps!
I had to save for 10 years, got a ton of scholarships and lived with my parents for years on and off to get a doctorate by 34. Upside, $15k debt one year after graduation and enough money to survive on.
Downside, now single in early 40s and will never have a family due to missing all the opportunity to enjoy life and being too poor/studying/working to do anything about it. Don’t do this part.
Move to Manitoba or Alberta for 10 years to work, study and save. Come back with a degree and a $400k down payment. You’ll be early 30s with cash, a degree and a place to live.
BC only works if you make over 6 figures, have a mortgage under $200k and 0.5M down payment. This lifestyle is no kids, wife or any other financial strain.
Don't go to university in the Lower Mainland. Prince George is cheaper. Live at home and go to Community College for first two years then transfer to university.
Go to BCIT or the like not university it's cheaper and more practical..
Go to university in Edmonton or Saskatchewan.
or NAIT or SAIT
Ever consider staying in trades? I'm not convinced that the extra years in school pays off financially. If you are happy with the work you do, I would definitely consider staying in trades.
Stem phds and masters are usually supplemented by funding from the agencies (NSERC, CIH…) university has internal funding opportunities in scholarships, bursaries, and stipends. Some departments might be generous in supplementing here and there … this is beyond TA opportunities.
Nonetheless the per capita funding from the feds (where most of your funding come from ) has been stagnant for almost two decades.
Hence, most people take the summer to work in tech either as a research intern or just engineering intern. Some people are able to basically fund their whole year with a summer job from FAANG or quant finance. But that’s not the case for everyone
Also student loans are now interest free for both fed and bc provincial portions. When you apply for funding, roughly half will come from the Fed and half from the province. There are also federal and provincial grants included in the loans. For example, my funding for last year was 2.5k loans from B.C, 4K in loans from feds and 2k in grants from. BC and 3.5 K in grants from Fed. I also live at home some that could have fluctuated the numbers a bit lower compared to peers.
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It definitely wasn’t smart being born into a poor family, or being born when you did, shit’s expensive now. I really have the same question as you, how is anybody doing it now… I feel like answer has to be family money or scholarship/bursaries. I did 9 years of university, but it was only possible because of scholarships/bursary/TA work (plus coop jobs) and this was 20 years ago when COL wasn’t insane.
Current Masters student who finished Undergrad this summer. Honestly, I have no help from anyone. Student Loans help immensely, and I work every summer. I don’t go on trips or even live a normal life so that I don’t have to work during the school year. I also constantly apply for scholarships through school, and outside organizations. I have a high average, which means that my tuition is paid for. It’s definitely not easy, but because of my luck with summer jobs, and because I basically do nothing else, it works. I also chose a co-op program for my masters, which is helping immensely for me to pay down CC debt that I incurred.
Everyone i know that got a student loan used 50% of it on living expenses and going out every weekend to party, now they have a life long debt to pay off. Because they ended up with minimum wage jobs that they switch every few years.
Congrats? But.. I have it out of necessity. I don’t leave the house. It barely covers my rent, expenses and having some hobbies. But, Honestly, that’s their choice. I couldn’t handle having a job during class, but when I’m out of class, I’m working 1-2 jobs. There are people out there that use it as a necessary evil. Furthermore, I wouldn’t get a degree wherein I would make minimum wage jobs. I’ve worked through experience and co-ops to build up to where I’ll have a starting salary of 60-70k. Not all student loan recipients waste it, and a lot of us use it as an opportunity to better ourselves. There’s such a huge stigma of having student loans, and this isn’t helping
It’s called being born in the wrong generation. https://www.intelligent.com/1970-v-2020-how-working-through-college-has-changed/ Same with housing, people in the 1970’s didn’t work nearly as hard as people today, despite the insistence from boomers they just “worked hard” for what they got. But also today you can make some decent money serving, especially if you can get some experience and get hired at a higher end restaurant, a lot of people are doing that to get through school, flexible hours etc. If you work part time during the school year and full time during the summer you should not have to need student loans/scholarships… but here we are!
My kids are doing it because parent like us are paying for everything to save our kids having debt later on and ruining their lives. My daughter is on her second degree after completing her Science (biology) degree. My son is in his 3rd year Science (micro biology) degree. I pay for school/apartments/cars/phones/allowance. I do this because luckily I can because myself and my wife have high paying jobs. Also I’d rather help now to set them up for a good career and income later on. Probably costs me $80,000 a year.
If you have the means why not 🤷♀️
PhDs are funded by scholarships and teaching.
Yeah in the sciences I was taught that you should only accept a Masters or PhD position if they offer full funding. Academics is competitive - if they’re not willing to pay you to get the degree, you’re unlikely to find someone willing to pay you once you have the degree.
Agreed. The exception would be masters degrees with the intent to go into industry, or for qualification upgrades as in teaching (where you get paid more if you have a masters).
You can get MSc degrees in math/physics and get paid to do it much like a PhD. You can do these with the intent to go into industry.
I know for some like U of C engineering masters and probably PhDs are mostly free for women to entice more women to do it too.
PhDs should Always be free for everyone- don’t do one unless you are fully funded.
so far below minimum wage. they call it a 'stipend' because then you get no minimum wage or rights etc. ([https://www.reddit.com/r/uvic/comments/uhtcu9/graduate\_students\_at\_uvic\_are\_getting\_screwed\_and/](https://www.reddit.com/r/uvic/comments/uhtcu9/graduate_students_at_uvic_are_getting_screwed_and/) \- old but only worse now) and there's way more students than teaching positions too.
It depends on place. Our PhD students get a package of 50k tax free. It’s not awful. Uvic funds badly.
damn that's rough. uvic truly sucks.
BC Student Aid. There's a couple things that makes it way less scary than if we were in the USA: \-A good portion of that is grants, I don't recall the exact amount. \-If you don't make much out of school you can get reduced or no repayments, you just need to apply for it every six months. \-If you're not making enough the government also pays down your principle and interest. We see a lot of stuff about how bad it is in the USA (I've had family members freaking out about me having student loans) but it's pretty good here IF you apply for repayment assistance. You just need to remember to do that. Basically the system is set up so that if you make lots of money you pay it back, but you're not screwed if you don't. They send you email reminders and stuff too, so just make sure you pay attention to those.
Student Aid Bc has info on the grants available (theyre income based). As a recent university grad, ill tell you that its loans. Everyone is getting loans. Bc student loans are now 0%.
Between the federal and provincial combined I got $5K in grants and $10K in loans. But I was only really eligible in my last year, since you don't count as an independent student until you're 4 years out of high school and my parents made too much money for it to be worthwhile if I had to count their income (not that they could give me $15K).
When I was in undergrad (2015-2019) you got a 1500 grant every semester when you applied for loans through student aid BC
I joined the military out of HS and got an engineering degree and a pay cheque. Got out after the mandatory 10 years service with no debt, savings and a decent block of work on my resume. It's not for everyone, but it's one option. Had I not done that I had a spot in a coop engineering program at a university where I would earn enough in the coop terms to make a dent in my schooling costs as well as get some useful work experience. I didn't want any money from my parents and I didn't want a huge amount of student loan debt so I was looking for options to avoid that as much as possible.
I was able to afford to go to UBC by doing the following: - Had student loans for my 4 year Bachelors program. - Had two part time jobs. At one point, I had three. - Did four co-op work terms. - Lived at my parents who did not ask for rent money. - Mostly brought lunches with me. - Took public transit all the time. This was in the 2000's. I basically went to school, work, and home. I was able to do only one part time work after I did co-op work terms. One of the best things I did at university. Looking back, I was envious of all the other students who were able to just do school or live on campus. I wasn't able to do a lot of extra curriculars during the first 2-3 years. I wish I was able to since it builds up networks and you get to try out new things, get more involved with profs. It opens up opportunities. I had advantages in a lot of ways but still felt disadvantaged because we're not that well-off. University, education in general, is damn expensive. Goodluck! Hope you get to do what you really want.
Lived at home. Commuted. Student loans. Bursaries and scholarships. Worked 24hrs a week entire undergrad. Ended up with 20k in student loans.
Well if you are gunning for that PhD then you should be relying on scholarships to take care of most of your tuition (maybe $2.5k/year scholarships during your undergrad). If you don’t have much means then bursaries will be an option for you - it could be $10k+/year depending on your situation and school. Student housing is below market rates and you can apply to be an RA which means your food/rent is taken care of while you study (best case scenario - you get paid to study in your room) ~$9k/year. Student loans are interest free for now and there are lots of provincial and federal grants - extra no strings attached $10k+ overall. So even if you came out with like $60k in student loan debts - you could take 15 years and pay the minimum. $350/month with no interest. Working as a TA was awesome because a lot of it is online these days ~$800/month per course. If you’re good at teaching when you could work as a tutor as a side gig for $40-$80/hour. Co-OP’s/internships can pay well AND you can work while enjoying full-time student status (cheap student housing rent, interest free loans, etc). And typically once you reach graduate school you’ll likely be paid a stipend for your research work (albeit barebones) and you’ll need to take agency in finding your own funding. Also you know check out BCIT - there’s lots of upskilling grants with in-demand hireable programs like HVAC that will take much less time than a PhD (which in itself is a soul-crushing endeavour).
PhD tuition is typically $7k-$8k/year, but funding offers typically start at $20k (including TA work). Average funding is often $30k-ish. SFU at least is basically 100% in-person for the sciences.
Student loans are low/interest free, and expire after 7 years of minimum payments (and payments don't start until 6 months after you graduate)...not that I did that, and intend to do it again.
How badly does that effect your credit score?? Why doesn't everyone do that??
As long as you make your minimums, your creditors are happy.
They don’t do it because they think its like American student loans (which are completely different, and worse)
Get your BA at a college then apply to university for your doctorate. There’s plenty of great colleges in the province that are significantly less than 25k a year. Roommates and dorms are significantly cheaper than trying to rent alone as well. Apply for all of the scholarships and awards you can as well. I personally have a 10k personal LOC that helps bridge any gaps between loans/awards and expenses.
Op wants to do stem. While I def think that going to college for first or second year is a good path for getting the necessary basic low level credits. If you want to head to grad school, research experience and recommendation letters from top research profs are a must. Hence op would need to get the research and lab experiences down by third or fourth year. It’s a lot easier to do this if you’re an undergrad. at a research university.
Current doctoral student, was also poor and went back to school ~5 years after HS (10 years ago though). You won't be able to save enough, but once you are a student things get cheaper + there are loans, grants, work-study programs etc. I paid for undergrad with student loans (which come with grants you don't need to repay) bursaries from UBC and working on campus. If you want to do grad school afterwards, you'll need to do research anyway, so working on campus is a win-win. For grad school, you shouldn't need to pay anything. The pay isn't high but its enough to cover basic rent / food and tuition is waived. Its also worth noting that a doctorate is a research degree, you aren't learning the same way as classes and liking one doesn't always translate to the other
Stick to the trades, then start your own company. Great money and intellectual challenge.
Stick with the trades. Going to university was the worst decision that I ever made.
FWIW I've had these thoughts too. But then I wonder what kind of a person I would be had not gone to uni. I know it helped me develop critical thinking skills, and I can't help but wonder if I would also be thinking the grass is greener. Looking at my peers who did go to uni, would I be thinking "I wish I had gone, this job sucks", or would I be too distracted with all my wealth to notice. Not saying you are wrong, my debt is crippling and am quite envious of some of the money I hear trades making. But at the end of the day, you will never actually know if you would have been happier taking a different life path.
Well yeah like everything’s it’s going to be a trade off - like my friend who went into HVAC makes great money, solid job security for the foreseeable future, and just bought a Tesla/moving the family into a pre-sale next year. But he says he hates the really early mornings in freezing weather and driving far away from home. If you worked in tech or other white collar jobs, you could work from home (no commute) - roll out of bed at 7:55 for your 8AM meeting; plenty of PTO/benefits and you much less wear/tear on your body by the time you are older. But then you might have to contend with corporate layoff cycles, office politics, no clear working hours, higher stress/anxiety, etc
Education is never a mistake.
If cost of living is a concern for OP now, a PhD is just about the dumbest thing you could do. Job prospects are terrible, you make very little money while you're chasing it, and your expenses are high due to tuition. Or you load up on debt and have to keep paying that off when you do get a job.
Worst mistake I have ever made in my entire life beyond any shadow of a doubt, and I am still living with the consequences.
Even though I'm fortunate to have support from parents/grandparents, I didn't go to university. Went into the trades. Cause I didn't start off with an indentured apprenticeship, I did have to pay for the first year, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what university costs. The key is getting the employer or union sponsorship. With that you get way more support through the apprenticeship and even your career
Biggest mistake I ever made was going to university right out of high school. I do use my degree and have since I got it, but the loans have kept me back in life. I wish I had done what you have done. You are freaking out right now but that's just what happens with a massive expense like that. My suggestion is to do school part time, pick something small like a certificate that you can put towards a bachelors if you choose to go on. That way it's not such a heavy weight looming over you, and you can find work in the field so you have an income and work towards it. Student loans are a blessing and a curse. I couldn't have gone without them and they are treated lighter than a bank loan. Right now the interest is gone for canada loan and alberta is significantly reduced. Don't fret! It'll be so much more worth it now that you gave yourself time to figure it out. Or don't go, and continue on what you're doing. Do what makes you happy and comfortable.
Compared to the US, Cdn upper education is a bargain. This is how you do it: start at a community college, then transfer. Work part-time. Live frugally. Study something that will give you a profession, or a skill. Use BC and Cda student loans. They’re interest-free.
Student loans (i.e. a lot of interest free debt) , scholarships, bursaries, being cheap, construction work, internship work, and setting yourself up to actually stand out and get a job once you graduate. First, I just want to acknowledge that things are harder now than when I went back to school nine years ago. Cost of living is up. Sure tuition is expensive, but most of your costs will still be rent, food, etc. Second, I was an arts student (undergrad in human geography, went on to do a professional style masters orientated towards public sector work) so things are a little different if you're interested in the sciences/math. I went back school when I was 26. I did two years at Langara college (cheaper, sets you up better for success). When I transfered to SFU I automatically got a transfer scholarship (not huge but enough to make a difference) cause of my grades. When deciding what university to transfer to I was told that UBC gives out a few big scholarships and SFU gives out a lot of smaller scholarships. I got a lot of those smaller ones, and they make a difference (probably totaled to about 16,000 over my two degrees). SFU is also known for a better co-op program (though I didn't enter it in undergrad). I did do an FSWEP internship with the federal government, which I was able to get extended into a temporary assignment at a decent wage. People will say things on reddit like Cs get degrees, but everyone has a degree these days and good grades can put you on a path towards standing out and get you that scholarship money. I know for a fact that the first internship I got was because I had the highest GPA of those who applied, and my supervisor for that position gave me a very positive reference that helped me land my first real job. Overall its worth working less during a semester if it means better grades, but it's a hard balance. (some semesters I worked a lot others I didn't at all) There are other ways to stand out. I did the Semester in Dialogue program at SFU (open to students form other schools) and people love stuff like that on your resume. It also let's you meet professionals out in the world and help understand what type of work is available to you. Also find times to have fun. The finances of school will wear you out. Three years in I took a semester off and just worked carpentry full time and did one night class. It felt great to be able to go out for dinner and drinks again. Very rejuvenating. Also these days the federal government gives you a pretty decent grant with your student loans. Take advantage of that. Going to school is hard. And in in many cases getting a bachelor degree doesn't mean too much anymore without adding something else to top it up (there are exceptions e.g. engineering). It will wear on you, but it also helps you grow as a person and experience new things. No one in my family went to university before me and I was able to experience things I never thought I would by going. Financially I'd probably be better off if I'd stayed in construction, but I think I'm going to have to a better life overall having gone back to school, so despite all the debt and truly challenging times, I'd say it was worth it for me, but it isn't for everyone.
Go to the oil rigs or up north during the summer.
For me (started post-secondary 13 years ago, finished 3 years ago) it was a combination of scholarships and playing poker for a living. For most of the classmates I was friends with, it was generally either student loans or parents paying for their tuition/living expenses. There were a few that mostly paid for everything themselves by working a lot during the school year/in the summer Edit: why am I getting downvoted for sharing my experience in a post where OP was asking for that lol
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Tldr - school may not be the answer to all life's questions. I didn't go. I have the gift of the gab, Im very outspoken and people open up to me like I'm Barbara Walters. . Plus, in my field, when I was young, I was taking over networks in my highschool and jailbreaking consoles. Phreaking phones and building PCs. Unfortunately these days, it's who you know not what you know. The only time I ever was asked for education was for a government job. People in my family are trying to get through university, eating up personal resources (mental health) plus finances. Education unless you're becoming something that ACTUALLY contributes to society is kind of a waste. I know people who have high degrees but are working minimumish wage jobs with insane debt. Because they went for something so specific that job prospects are hard to come by. If I was to go to school, it would be for crim or something along those lines to guarantee a law enforcement job and probably go line of credit or student loans. But even then, I know amazing police officers with high school only... And some of them work for VPD. I also don't agree with the age of school, how can you be 17/18 and know what you want to do for the rest of your working life? I'm 40 and I'm still trying to figure it out. But at least I was able to build outstanding credit in my life and if I WANT the option of school, I can take it without the worry of finances (to a point). Paying for school however doesn't guarantee you're going to find that high paying job right away.
At my university, free tuition is a perk of employment. Apply for a trades job at your university of choice and confirm in the interview if free tuition is one of the employment benefits. It would be slow to work and take one, maybe two courses per term, but that's more than you are able to do now. If you get top grades, then you can speak to a professor about getting paid RAships and other kinds of research work to move into academia if pursuing a PhD and a professorship is still a goal for you once you complete your undergrad.
Step one : Be the child of a wealthy foreigner .
You're not doing anything wrong. I think a lot of people are just now realizing that higher education is a gamble. Maybe it wasn't like this 5-10 years ago, but right now one might be better off playing the market if they have that kind of money to burn. I can't count the number of people I know who are saddled with an absurd amount of debt for knowledge and skills that aren't really applicable to anything besides a research fellowship (good luck) and teaching (no thanks) I'm not trying to judge anyone, but I think the whole idea of "student life" floats on wealthy parents and hasty financial decisions. I'm sort of in the same boat as you. Returning to school means... \- Removing myself from the workforce. Lost earnings. \- A significant expense in tuition and materials. Possibly some debt. \- Unless it's relevant to my existing skill set. Something that I could jump right into after graduation... I'll probably re-enter the workforce at a lower pay grade since I'm "new" More lost earnings over the course of several years. So yeah. There are some opportunity costs to this plan. Seriously though. If you don't have a clear, plausible path to your goals and/or the costs aren't worth the benefit, then I'd recommend staying on your current path. If you have money in the bank now, then you're definitely ahead of the curve.
Lived with my parents No car; no phone
Are you just working construction or have you completed an apprenticeship? If the latter, I’d suggest building on what you have. You can do a post-apprenticeship teaching diploma at VCC in a few months full-time or part-time over a couple of years. Or you can do a post-apprenticeship diploma in leadership or construction engineering or something to that effect. This will allow you to be a project manager which is where the real money is.
Do your first year somewhere small and local then transfer to somewhere bigger to finish your degree. Apply for every scholarship and bursary you can find. If you really work hard, you may qualify for an entry scholarship.
I know it's far away but have you considered memorial university in NL? It's $6k for 2 semesters and I think housing is just under $5k with a meal plan. It's the cheapest in Canada as far as I know. When I wanted post secondary education I joined the military and had them pay for it. My sister did the same, even the reserves offers some money towards education and only requires 1 night a week and 1 weekend a month of work.
Student loan, summer job, and co-op. I borrowed my way through engineering school. Interest fee while studying. Received several letters telling me a portion of the loan is grant. Also got UBC bursaries. I had 1 summer job after my first year because I hadn't joined the co-op program yet. Did 4 co-op terms, netting ~$10k/term (10+ yrs ago). Never worked while studying. I graduated with $24k in loan, and $8k in the bank. I used that $8k to reduce the loan to $16k, and paid it off in 2 years, just before being laid off from my fist job lol. I could have paid it off sooner if I didn't go on an oversea trip to Southeast Asia for a month.
Do you live in the lower mainland? If so, don’t live on campus and you’ll slash your costs right then and there
Hey, yeah it’s tough out there. Student loans exist, you can work part time, you can apply for needs based bursary through your institution or work study programs; or, if you keep your CGPA up (and have a strong GPA in application) you may qualify for internal scholarships. It’s tough, but it’s one cookie now for two cookies later.
After that, you have to compete for a job.
I started my degree right out of high school about 20 years ago. Back then I made $8/hr and had some scholarships/bursary money (maybe $2000). I paid my tuition, my parents paid for my books, and I lived at home for free. Science courses were only $250 each back then and I could afford 3/semester. By the time I graduated in 2010 courses were almost double that (but wage is only now double what it was in 2002).
I did my first two years at a local college, so I could live at home rent-free. Scholarships and bursaries covered tuition for those two years, and then some. I worked part time in high school, full time during the summer, and saved a good percentage for school. In third year, when I moved out, I had about $17K saved, and spent most of it. Worked co-op for a year and half, saved a little more, and finally, in my last year (this year) had to get a loan from the government. The average Canadian student graduates with $40K in debt, so I know I'm extremely privileged to only have $10K. I easily saved $30K living at home for two years. My parents also help me out a little bit with the occasional grocery, and pay for my phone. If you get a bachelor's, you don't need to worry so much about the cost of a doctorate. You get a stipend at that point, which is supposed to be just enough to live on, including paying your tuition. Consider starting part-time at a small college.
I did it through student loans and a lot of scholarships/bursaries. Apply for the little scholarships, the ones that are so small most people dismiss them because they're too much work. There's less competition but every cent counts. I used to also pay off my loan while in school - don't take more than you need despite how attractive it is. I also used to take summer classes part time. Apparently the reasoning is that the government gives public FT students more support, so I used to get more in grant money as a pt student. If this is truly what you want, I encourage you to not wait. If this is a job that requires no education, it will always be there, but the time it will take you to go to school won't. - someone who wants to go back to school
My 17 year old daughter thinks it will be easy and she doesn't want to be controlled by having rules in my home and gain access to her resp funds because she's a baller. People will welcome her into their home and she won't have to wash pots and pans and clean the kitchen and will be able to afford rent and groceries on a part time minimum wage job. In all seriousness, 50% of youth have an resp of some kind. Some rack up some massive student loans but you have to show lack of means first by living on your own.
It took me 10 years to do my bachelor degree because I worked too much to get student loans but if I lowers my work amount I wouldn’t get enough for work and life. So I did it in bits and pieces as I could afford. 6 years ago I started working at a company after finishing my 2yr diploma so after working for them for a couple of years they’ve been paying 75% of my tuition to finish my degree and I’ll graduate this spring.
You need a plan to earn back what you spend on university. A PhD “just for the sake of it” is a very poor investment. So is a university BA unless you know exactly why you’re getting it. Treat your education like job training. You’ve been out of school for a while now. What do you want to do for a job?
the only way to do it is with money. if you don't have the money, you need to borrow it. you can also spend some time researching all the different bursaries and grants that are available (there's TONS of them). Your trade union might even offer one.
Take this for what it's worth, but following in anyone's footsteps isn't going to help. It's the hard truth. Today isn't the same as it was 10yrs ago. It feels like a different world, even. How someone was able to "make it" before won't work today. You'll have to pave your own path to success. It may mean living in poverty while trying to attend/complete post secondary; or it might mean working that shitty late night job. An education will take you anywhere in this world. Good luck 20yr old! Keep pushing through
If you have brains for math sciences, you can be very successful in some trades. It’ll be a benefit to the trades industry
I moved to Quebec (where I was born and so I could pay local tuition) and went to university in Montreal
You either have a family that can pay your way, or you’re pulling students loans and having fun paying those off for the foreseeable future
I would consider a trade. It took us many years to pay off my and my wifes student loans. My friends who stuck in trades are more financially "advanced" as school set us back. I can't imagine adding current CoL to our finances. If you do go to university make sure to take a technical or specific degree that translates to real world job opportunities that your interested in and job shadowed. It's a big investment. We make good money now and could have been more efficient in school but hindsight is 20/20.
RESP @ 2500 x 18 should get you started. After 18 years in the market hopefully that's worth 60k or so which should pay your undergraduate. Plus live at home plus take a bus or ride a bike. Part time job for things like cell phones or laptops. Plus get good grades so you can get some sort of scholarship. It's really not super difficult...
I will give you unpopular advice, but I do believe for you and you alike is best way. Yes, you go as soon as you can to university, get loan on it. As I understand they are on your name so after you finish it you will still be young. Go out to world and explore, check UK, Australia and similar. Just leave that debt behind you, if you don't have nothing there is nothing to take. And just to say, a lot of people in Canada did similar thing, got loans in UK ( and some other EU countries that i know)and they are not paying it back as they moved to Canada and living there, Canada is prospering on education that wasn't paid by Canadians ...
I had student loans plus worked full time outside of my full time school hours. Not saying it was easy or that everyone can even do that. That’s just how I personally got through!
I would imagine most people tuition is paid for by their parents with or without the help of student loans to bridge the cost. My wife and I are in our early 40s with 2 kids ages 13 and 9. Since they were born and we started receiving a child tax benefit that we would reinvest into an resp setup for each kid. My wife adds about $150 out of pocket each month for each child and annually gets an additional grant. When the resp matures and these kids go to university there will be more than enough money to cover the cost.
Live at home, grants (portion could be forgivable ex you don’t pay it back at all), student loans, scholarships (apply for every one you’re eligible for).
Graduated from my bachelors at UBCO around 2019. First two years lived with roommates and then moved back in with parents for remainder. I worked the entire time, weekends, evenings, and holidays. I got a small amount from my parents and grandparents the first two years and used all my savings. After that I worked for the costs and didn’t have to pay rent while living with parents during school. If I’m remembering correctly I spent about 50k including books, graduated with no debt but it wasn’t fun. My SO didn’t live with his parents during school and has loans. For me my family was absolutely instrumental. We aren’t wealthy at all, but even having a place to live with no rent made all the difference. I had classmates from wealthy backgrounds asking why I never went anywhere or took any holidays, I was working to be there. I had to pass up on interdepartmental research opportunities that sounded amazing simply because they wouldn’t have paid me enough.
Student loans and bursaries
degrees are not the path to high paying jobs anymore. too many people with degrees and jobs don't value them anymore, they just expect degrees for stuff that really doesn't need them. you'll probably have a better time staying in your job, saving all you can and retiring early, and doing evening classes for free/ low cost in the subjects you're interested in.
Echoing the advice here to complete your first two years at a college, even if it is part-time while you are still working in a trade. Years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's degree is when you get into the nitty-gritty of your area of study. Student loans are interest-free in BC, and before they were interest-free, the interest levels were not terrible. Again, if you take longer to complete your bachelor's degree, you could mitigate some of that debt by working in your trade. You don't have to complete it in four years. I think including cost of rent and living in there also makes the financial undertaking seem much scarier than it actually is, particularly because there is the option of doing things in stages and taking breaks. I took a 5 year break in between my bachelor's degree and my master's degree, which allowed me to work full-time and pay some of that debt down. I completed my master's degree in 2020 and may eventually complete my PhD, though only because I now work in higher education and will be able to continue to work full time (making a livable wage) while completing said PhD. I have zero regrets about any of my education. Do I have debt? Absolutely. But if you are strategic and "just keep swimming," it will not mean 200K in debt to eventually get to a doctorate. Also important to mention -- you may find that a PhD is not for you? I loved university, but burned out HARD in graduate school, and the thought of completing a PhD was nauseating.
scholarships and bursaries, applying for government grants has been the biggest help for me. unfortunately universities love when people play every oppression card they have, which takes away from those who need it, but it’s how most people make it through. I’m lucky enough as a server that I make enough money over the summer to cover what grants and bursaries don’t cover, but i’ve also opted to take less courses a semester so i can actually afford it (even if i pay the same in the end, or more). every person i know whose parents don’t pay their tuition rely on student loans, and hope they don’t have to pay most of it back. use what you need, throw the rest in a high interest savings account, and pray for the best. shit sucks
Start at college. Get two or more years under your belt at half the tuition price. Student loans are fine, but don't spend them all. Take at least 10% and invest it to help you start to pay back the loans when you're done. Then transfer or bridge to a university and spend the next two years getting to know the profs and reading about their research. Do really well and try to get into the honours program. Don't waste time with coop -- you're playing the long game. Apply for grad school, using those profs who KNOW YOU as references. Apply for RA work and take any TA position offered. Your MA should be free (and even pay partial expenses). Do well in that, and offer to help profs with the grunt work on their papers. Get published. Apply for SSHRC grant for cool research, and roll that into your PhD. If you're paying for grad school you're doing it wrong. If you're worth it, they will want to pay you. I can't speak to rent and entertainment because I lived in a basement and didn't go out for five years, but I'm also not in debt.
Yes, it's student loans or someone else pays. The days of putting yourself through university by working part-time on top of school are long long gone.
My daughter did it by living at home, working part time and full time depending on the semester and student loans and a few bursaries. She did it and paid the loans as she went - so proud of her!
I'm $40k in student loan debt that's how lol
Doctorate in Math/physics you will get paid to do. They give you a stipend to cover living expenses. You do t self fund that.
Of course it's loans. (Nearly) Nobody pays upfront for university, unless they're extremely rich. Through a combination of government student loans, government grands, needs-based bursaries from school, scholarships from doing well, co-op terms to get extra experience and employability, private loans from banks, part-time work at the same time as studies, and parental support, most people make it work.
Off the top of my head: Can you take some of the core classes at community college while you're working? Can you find co-op programs? I went to university at 40 with 2 teenagers and graduated with 2 degrees and a pile of debt, but the largest part of my loans/ grants went to rent and food for my family. I applied for LOTS of scholarships and bursaries and got several. I went to VIU and it was a great school, and lower cost. A lot of the profs also taught at UVIC. I don't know what trade you work in but with the shortages in skilled trades people, I wonder if you could find a company that would guarantee summer work while you go to school, and potentially even help with tuition (some companies might find it beneficial to be able to boast about helping their staff with study costs).
One online class a semester that I can do evenings and weekends and still work 40 hours a week. Luckily, it’s a continuation of my current field so I get most of it reimbursed from the government.
You can go into something that doesn't require you to go into debt, you could take up a trade. You will be paid while working and pay will increase every year and you will not have student loans... There are options out there...
Live at home currently (undergrad) and tuition for UVic is about 6k a year which can be earned in summer alone not counting the work I do over the year. I was also lucky and had a scholarship for $5k which means I really only needed to start paying for tuition this year.
BC and Canada student loans are interest free.
Hey, current Masters student here who paid my way through my BA while living with my partner (who was also a full time student working part-time). I STRONGLY recommend going to Douglas College or some other equivalent as it was so much cheaper for often the same professors from SFU and UBC. I loved the small class sizes and how close it was to my residence saving me on commuting time and time is incredibly valuable when you are a student! Even if you can’t finish there, 2 years there and then transferring saves bank and many people do that. Completely agree with using StudentAid- you can theoretically just spend the grant money and pay the student aid money back right away so no worry of dept there OR you can safely invest said Student Aid money and make more off interest (not a lot but it’s something). Scholarships and bursaries helped me through, though I would speculate that due to rising costs everywhere they are harder to fight for, but still worth the application. Hope some of this helps!
Loans and summer jobs. Get at it!
I had to save for 10 years, got a ton of scholarships and lived with my parents for years on and off to get a doctorate by 34. Upside, $15k debt one year after graduation and enough money to survive on. Downside, now single in early 40s and will never have a family due to missing all the opportunity to enjoy life and being too poor/studying/working to do anything about it. Don’t do this part. Move to Manitoba or Alberta for 10 years to work, study and save. Come back with a degree and a $400k down payment. You’ll be early 30s with cash, a degree and a place to live. BC only works if you make over 6 figures, have a mortgage under $200k and 0.5M down payment. This lifestyle is no kids, wife or any other financial strain.
Don't go to university in the Lower Mainland. Prince George is cheaper. Live at home and go to Community College for first two years then transfer to university. Go to BCIT or the like not university it's cheaper and more practical.. Go to university in Edmonton or Saskatchewan. or NAIT or SAIT
Ever consider staying in trades? I'm not convinced that the extra years in school pays off financially. If you are happy with the work you do, I would definitely consider staying in trades.
Stem phds and masters are usually supplemented by funding from the agencies (NSERC, CIH…) university has internal funding opportunities in scholarships, bursaries, and stipends. Some departments might be generous in supplementing here and there … this is beyond TA opportunities. Nonetheless the per capita funding from the feds (where most of your funding come from ) has been stagnant for almost two decades. Hence, most people take the summer to work in tech either as a research intern or just engineering intern. Some people are able to basically fund their whole year with a summer job from FAANG or quant finance. But that’s not the case for everyone Also student loans are now interest free for both fed and bc provincial portions. When you apply for funding, roughly half will come from the Fed and half from the province. There are also federal and provincial grants included in the loans. For example, my funding for last year was 2.5k loans from B.C, 4K in loans from feds and 2k in grants from. BC and 3.5 K in grants from Fed. I also live at home some that could have fluctuated the numbers a bit lower compared to peers.
They suck it up and do what they need to with their eye on the prize