SURVEY
AVERAGE TOTAL COST OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PER YEAR INCLUDING TUITION, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HOUSING AND OTHER EXPENSES
2012 Student Poll-Students Financing Their Own Higher Education
away from home needs. The poll showed that 49 per cent of students rely on student loans. Besides generating extra cash to pay for tuition, rent, or just to have spending money, having a part-time job can be a pro or a con for students. “It forces you to have a stricter schedule,” said Brain Gilliland, a UNB student working part-time. “I mean, you know that X number of hours in the week are going to be set aside for working, so you know you are going to have to maximize the use of your time a little bit better when you are not working, because you still have to get your schoolwork done,“ he said. Jessica Hierlihy, another student working part-time while attending UNB, said working and going to school can be overwhelming. “You can get overwhelmed. I know one of my friends who works at least 30 hours and plus, also has school, and I can’t imagine how she manages.” The Student Employment Services’ online ‘job bank’ saw 691 posts for full-time and 307 posts for part-time in 2011-2012, with 269 posts for summer. Anne Soucy, director of Student Employment Services said the posts can have more than one job on them and some have ten jobs or more available. Clayton said it’s important for students to know working is not the only way they can get money. She said students should be aware of the options available to them. “Don’t assume that working is going to be the only way you’re going to get money,” Clayton said. “Come into the financial aid office and look at your options.”
arts | traveling with unb Heather Uhl News Reporter
It’s a common sight to see students working on assignments on their breaks at work. This should come as no surprise, because according to a recent poll conducted by the Bank of Montreal (BMO), most students have jobs. Shelley Clayton, director of Financial Aid at the University of New Brunswick Fredericton, said though she didn’t have statistics for the campus, it did match what she had experienced with students. “I can certainly tell you anecdotally, that the vast majority of the students who come in seeking financial assistance from us – in the form of bursary or support – would be working,” said Clayton. This matches BMO poll’s results. Noted statistics suggested that about 67 per cent of students have a job. From there, 43 per cent of students have a part-time job while 23 per cent of students have a full-time job. The poll showed that Atlantic Canada has the third highest rate of working students. The poll also showed paying for school is the number one reason why students have a job. “In the government’s mind, they [the government] are one of the supporters of financial avenues providing access to pursue a post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate. In their mind, they don’t fund everything you need to pay – your rent or things like that,”said Clayton. Clayton said, statistically in New Brunswick, a student loan falls about $3000 short of what most single students living
Volume 146 146 ·· October September 05 · Issue 01, 2012 Volume 03, Issue 05, 2012
67%|
news
of post-secondary students have been working; paying for school is the number one reason to have a job
opinion|talking about a bus pass sports| men’s basketball win
student employment
62%
of students say the money they've saved is the top source of funding for school
49%
of students rely on student loans
www.thebruns.ca www.thebruns.ca
brunswickan 81%
45%
79% 78%
of post-secondary students receive funding from scholarships and bursaries
*Top regions with highest number of working students
MES RITI MA
A ERT ALB
S IRIE PRA
canada’s oldest official student publication.
GRAPHIC BY ALEXWALSH
students dealt new hand
What does the recent cabinet shuffle mean for students?
Alex Walsh / The Brunswickan Cherise Letson News Editor On Oct. 9, New Brunswick will have a new minister of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL). In a cabinet shuffle last Wednesday, Premier David Alward promoted four backbench MLAs to minister positions, and moved some current ministers around. The only minister to lose their seat in cabinet was current PETL minister Martine Coulombe, who will be replaced by Grand Falls-DrummondSaint-André MLA, Danny Soucy. University of New Brunswick Student Union president, Andrew Martel, said the change is welcomed. “It’s a good thing for us, because
we realize with the four year funding [agreement] that’s coming up, the years that we’ve worked with her [Martine Coulombe] already, there hasn’t been any budge,” said Martel. “That worries us going into these talks, so in that sense, it’s good that we have change, so we can work with the new minister and the new team.” The Brunswickan was declined an interview with Danny Soucy. According to his bio on the PC Party of New Brunswick website, Soucy has done a lot of work advocating for people with disabilities. He has worked for the New Brunswick Association for Community Living and the Canadian Association for Community Living. He has also been a community representative on the
board of the New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. There was no information given on the website on his experience with PETL issues. This is something New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA) president, Stephen Spence, isn’t surprised by. “I wouldn’t expect a lot of people to [have experience with PETL issues], and that’s something we got to help him with, making sure he knows exactly what’s important about postsecondary education,” said Spence. “But the department is also staffed with a lot of people who will be able to help him with that.” Martel said, though Soucy’s experience advocating for people with dis-
abilities is a great thing, he’s wondering how that experience will translate when it comes to dealing with postsecondary education issues. “My biggest concern is – [though] I realize the change is needed – if he [Alward] put someone in there that can actually speak with students and see progress with these groups,” said Martel. The Brunswickan tried to reach premier Alward, but were told he was not available for comment. Requests to speak with Martine Coulombe were ignored. Alward also appointed a new deputy minister for PETL, Tom Mann, a labour lawyer and former executive director of the New Brunswick Union. Martel said this could be a good thing.
“That could work a lot in our favour, because in that sense, he might understand where we’re coming from, and usually, the deputy minister is a good contact point to get messages across,” said Martel. The NBSA, which includes the UNBSU, will be meeting with the new minister on Oct. 18. “It’s a good starting point. It’ll be interesting to have all the organizations and the unions in there at the same time, and see what we can get with him,” said Martel. “I’m hoping that with Danny only being in the position for a week and a half at that point, that he’s willing to talk and willing to go ahead with discussion… because at this point, time is short.”