January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 1

Post-Secondary Education in Saskatchewan

Presented to the Citizen Consensus Forum in Regina,

SK – Jan. 10, 2007

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 2

Context: Post-Secondary Education (PSE) in Saskatchewan

Importance of PSE • PSE System in Saskatchewan

1. Participation in PSE• Who participates?

• Are there barriers to participation?

2. Employment and PSE• Benefits of pse

3. Supports for PSE• Financing and providing non-financial supports for

PSE

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 3

Importance of Post-Secondary Education

Participation in the resource-based and knowledge economies

Increasing demand for post-secondary graduates in Saskatchewan

Benefits to the individual Benefits to society

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 4

PSE System in Saskatchewan

Publicly-funded system: Eleven Regional Colleges Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and

Technology (SIAST) with four campuses Universities, along with Federated Colleges Aboriginal institutions, such as Dumont Technical

Institute and Saskatchewan Indian Institutes of Technology

Privately-funded Institutions: Private Vocational Schools

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 5

Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan I

Students with diverse backgrounds• From all over the province and all ages• “Sequential” and “non-sequential”

In very diverse programs• Adult Basic Education• Apprenticeships in 37 trades • Certificates in Office Education, Business• Degrees in Indigenous Studies, Biochemistry, Public

Administration, Nursing, Engineering, Dentistry, Law, Veterinary Medicine

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 6

Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan II

Enrolments in the publicly-funded system (2004-05)• Just under 32,000 in degree programs

• ~5,500 in certificates/diplomas

• ~6,800 apprentices

• ~5,200 in Adult Basic Education

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 7

Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan III

Graduates in the publicly-funded system (2004-05)• Just under 5,200 in degree programs

• ~4,900 in certificates/diplomas

• ~1,100 apprentices received journeyperson status

• ~3,300 in Adult Basic Education

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 8

Publicly-Funded PSE System in Saskatchewan IV

Government support for public post-secondary education (2005-06 financial results)• Post-Secondary

• Operating funds

• Research

• Capital (infrastructure)

• Totaled $519 million for 2005-06

• Training programs• $35 million

• Student supports• $51 million

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 9

1. Exploring Barriers to Post-Secondary Education

Factors influencing participation include:• Parents

• Expectations

• Education levels

• Income

• Knowledge of costs and funding options

• Academic achievement and preparation

• Grades

• Part-time work

• Extra-curricular activities

• Influence of peers

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 10

Post-Secondary Participation and Parental Education

More parental education increases the likelihood children will go on

Any post-secondary

University College/ CEGEP

Other post-secondary

Parental Educational Attainment

% % % %

Less than high school 52 14 31 16

High school diploma 61 21 33 18

Some PSE 73 28 36 19

PS certificate/diploma 83 45 40 18Source: Lambert et al, using the Youth in Transition Survey, 2004

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 11

Academic Performance and University Participation

Average entering grades have increased over the last decade

Average Entering Grade: Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan 1996-2006

(Macleans Magazine)

7075808590

Year

Pro

po

rtio

n

U of R

U of S

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 12

Post-Secondary Participation and Continuation cont’d

• Other factors influencing participation include:• Distance from post-secondary institution

• Saskatchewan’s rural populations

• Challenges of leaving home communities

• Family status• Single parents

• Children of single parents

• Aboriginal status• Multiple challenges

• Disabilities

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 13

Factors Influencing Completion of Post-Secondary Education

Financial barriers• Access to on-going sources of funding

• Part-time/full-time employment

• Student financial assistance

• Financial assistance for Aboriginal students

• Adapting to financial challenges

• Housing, living expenses, transportation costs Adjustment/adaptation barriers

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 14

Participation In PSE: Intentions of Saskatchewan Youth

Percentage of Students Planning to Pursue Post-Secondary Education, 1999 & 2003

75%81%

64%

79%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1999 2003

Source: 1999 and 2003 High School Leaver Surveys.

(% o

f va

lid r

esp

on

ses) Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 15

Why Youth Don’t Plan To Go On

The main reasons Grade 12 students were not planning to attend a post-secondary institution in the next year were:

1. Undecided (21%)

2. Cost of Education (19%)

3. Work Opportunities (16%)

4. Planning to Travel (13%)

5. No Interest in Further Study (10%) Source: 2003 High School Intentions Survey

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 16

2. Employment and Post-Secondary Education

PS graduates spend less time unemployed

PS graduates tend to earn increased salaries compared with high school graduates

PS graduates are more likely to access lifelong learning, and stay competitive

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 17

Labour Market Demand for Post-Secondary Graduates

Post Secondary Graduates as Percentage of Employment, 20 to 64 years of age, Saskatchewan

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

actual projected

Source: special tabulation from the LFS microdata files, projection by Sask Trends Monitor

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 18

3. Supporting PSE Opportunities in Our Future

Costs of post-secondary education Financing post-secondary education Financial and non-financial contributions:

• students

• their families

• employers

• provincial government

• federal government.

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 19

Education Costs: Tuition Fees for Post-Secondary Education

Cumulative Annual Increases of PSE Tuition (university arts & science programs only) and CPI since 1989-90

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%

1990-91 1992-93 1994-95 1996-97 1998-99 2000-01

U of R

U of S

SIAST

CPI

Source: Saskatchewan Learning, Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 20

Other Education Costs

Other costs include accommodation, transportation, food, and other necessities both for those living away from home and with families.

For many, living expenses exceed their direct educational costs

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 21

Benefits of Post-Secondary Education Personal benefits: “rates of return”

• Graduates of most post-secondary programs will earn more than they would with a high school diploma or less

• Shorter periods of unemployment• PSE as a good personal investment

Societal benefits• Greater community involvement and participation• Increasing health status• Lower crime rates• Higher levels of funding contributed to the public purse

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 22

Meeting Educational Costs

Saskatchewan post-secondary graduates report three main sources of funding:• Employment earnings

• Government and Private Student loans

• Parental/family support

Nearly half (48%) of Saskatchewan graduates relied on student loans to support their post-secondary education (NGS 2002)

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 23

Student Financial Assistance: Student Loans

In 2005-06, Saskatchewan provided $55 million in Student Loan assistance to ~15,100 students (total: $134M with federal funding)

Over half of provincial funds was provided as non-repayable bursaries and/or grants

There are students with “unmet need” – those whose needs are assessed as higher than the amounts they receive in loan and bursary.

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 24

Student Financial Assistance: Student Debt Levels

Saskatchewan Students' Debt Levels (At Consolidation, 2002-03)

49.64%

28.74%

12.20%5.15% 2.38% 0.94% 0.95%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

Debt Level

Pro

po

rtio

n

The majority of students who borrow leave their programs with less than $20,000 in government student loan debt.

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 25

Manageability of Debt

Manageable debt • could be largely context-specific and dependent

both on amount of debt, family status, and income levels

Saskatchewan students in the first 170 weeks of post-secondary study face a maximum of $200 per week in repayable debt.

January 10, 2007 Presented by A. Rounce 26

Other Sources of Financial Support Private student loans/lines of credit

• Saskatchewan students compared with students in other provinces

Bursaries, scholarships, grants Training allowances

• Provincial Training Allowance (PTA) Part-time/Full-time/Co-op/Summer work Family (parent/spousal) support Support from employers Federal government funding for First Nations

students