Search

This paper begins by briefly describing Canada's student loan system, including the typical costs of a year of post-secondary schooling and the levels of financial support available. It then reports the results of an empirical analysis that shows that borrowing remains at reasonable levels and repayment difficulties are still relatively uncommon. Various reforms are then suggested, including higher borrowing limits, wider eligibility, and more assistance for those facing difficulty in repayment. A proposal for revitalizing the cash-strapped Canadian post-secondary education system with shared contributions from governments and students, the latter facilitated by the proposed changes to the loan system, is then offered. The paper should be of interest to those concerned with these issues not only in Canada, but also in other countries that face similar questions regarding access to post-secondary education and the financing of the post-secondary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of an empirical analysis of the school-to-work transition of Canadian post-secondary graduates based on three waves of the National Graduates Surveys, representing those who successfully completed their programmes at Canadian colleges and universities in 1982, 1986, and 1990. Information was gathered during interviews conducted two and five years after graduation for each group, thus facilitating a dynamic analysis of the critical early post-graduation years. The analysis is generally broken down by sex and specific level of education (college, bachelor's, master's, PhD) Outcomes analysed include: the number and characteristics of graduates (by level and sex); the number of graduates who went on to further degrees and the types of degrees thus obtained; the job-education skill match and the relationship between the current job's educational prerequisites and graduates' qualifications; job satisfaction and the overall evaluation of the educational programme; and inter-provincial mobility in the post-graduation years. Various implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]