High post-secondary expenses leave Alberta college students in a pinch

Some post-secondary students in Alberta have begun to prepare for the start of the semester, be it moving into dorms, finding housing nearby, and buying costly supplies and textbooks.
But before classes start, students at the University of Alberta say they’re already feeling the pinch.
First-year neuroscience student Farhaan Iyub was shocked to learn how much his school costs added up.
“Welcome to the real world, you know. You’re growing up, I guess,” Iyub said.
Iyub said he’ll be shelling out at least $9,000 this school year on tuition alone. He said sacrifices were made to save money between tuition, living expenses and groceries.
“I like to play a lot of sports, hang with my friends, travel and stuff so obviously I haven’t been able to do much of that,” Iyub explained.
First-year forestry student Julian Strelkov said he tried to apply for as many scholarships and bursaries as he was eligible for, but he was not chosen to receive them.
He’ll be staying with his parents to save money.
“I’m saving costs in terms of places to live but still paying for car and gas and insurance on top of tuition,” Strelkov said.
Education saving specialist Embark and Leger surveyed post-secondary students across Canada about their expenses, and found many are struggling or having to live at home in order to go to school.
The survey found 64 per cent of respondents said they would not be afford to post-secondary schooling without financial help from parents, 41 per cent say they will have to live with their parents for a prolonged period after school because of debt.
The survey also revealed 26 per cent of students have considered dropping out of school because of financial costs. Another 39 per cent say their grades have been affected by financial obligations.
Students at the University of Alberta aren’t surprised by the findings.
Many of them told Global News they’re breaking even between tuition and cost of living expenses, or having to rely on family to help carry the financial burden.
“Honestly I have been blessed — my dad is paying for college tuition,” first-year student Kidus Asfaw said.
Abdul Abbassi, the University of Alberta Student Union vice-president(external) said if the Alberta government wants people to stay in the province and contribute, it needs to prioritize supporting post-secondary students.
“Once you are putting money into these students, once they complete their degrees, they are going to give back to Alberta’s economy. They will work and give back to the community,” he said.
Abbasi is striving to get the province to provide more grants to alleviate financial burdens and decrease the debt load of post-secondary students.
“I myself was doing two jobs. And if you’re doing two part-time jobs or full-time jobs, you don’t have time to study. Not studying? You’re not getting those good grades. Then it affects your scholarships, so supporting students with needs-based grants are really important,” Abbasi said.
Global News contacted the Alberta government for a response but did not hear back.
On Tuesday, federal minister Randy Boissonault is expected to announce financial support to improve access and affordability of post-secondary students.