The Importance Of Post Secondary Education In Canada

For many young Canadians, a post secondary education allows them to be one step closer to entering the workforce. Because of its cost, many young adults will delay their postsecondary education. Some people choose not to continue their education even after a “gap year,” traditionally taken to earn more money for upcoming studies. Many students face the challenges of high tuition costs, and other additional expenses such as housing, and high costs of textbooks that students must pay for each semester.

The first issue a student faces when applying to college or university is the cost of tuition. An average college program costs approximately $3500, while the average university tuition costs approximately $6000 per year. On October 5 th 2015, Ontario had the highest

Students can choose to commute by car or bus, according to their financial capabilities. Although inferior to the cost of housing, transportation costs can amount to an average of $1200 a year when purchasing a metro pass in Toronto.

With technology advancing rapidly, some colleges and universities are beginning to offer online courses. The materials needed for the courses come with special codes that give each student access to the online material. Unfortunately, students are unable to

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purchase used textbooks because the codes contained therein can only be used by a single student. Most textbooks cost college students an average of $300, while university student some university students claimed to have paid up to $800 on textbooks.

There is a great benefit for students who move away from home to attend school.

Dr. Christine Proulx, a professor of human development and family studies at the

University of Missouri, explains that moving away for school comes with “The opportunity to carve out your niche and discover your independence, who you are, and learn to become an adult is greater if you’re not living with your parents.” (Hsieh, 2014)

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