For many, the decision to pursue college or university is not about ability or interest—it’s about affordability. Tuition fees, textbooks, housing, transportation, and lost income from studying instead of working all add up to a steep entry price.
Debt as a Gatekeeper
Student loans can open doors, but they also lock graduates into years (sometimes decades) of repayment. This debt can delay home ownership, family planning, and even career choices—students may take higher-paying jobs outside their field just to service their loans.
Unequal Impact
Financial barriers are not evenly distributed:
Low-income and marginalized students face higher debt-to-income ratios.
Rural students often incur extra housing and travel costs.
Mature learners and caregivers juggle childcare and family expenses alongside studies.
Scholarships, Bursaries, and Band-Aids
While grants and bursaries exist, they rarely cover the full cost. Too often, the system relies on patchwork fixes—a few awards here, some fee waivers there—without addressing the structural problem of skyrocketing costs.
Rethinking the System
If education is supposed to be a public good, why do we treat it as a private purchase? Should post-secondary education be funded like healthcare—free at point of use, with costs shared broadly—or remain a pay-to-play system?
Financial Barriers to Education
The Cost of Access
For many, the decision to pursue college or university is not about ability or interest—it’s about affordability. Tuition fees, textbooks, housing, transportation, and lost income from studying instead of working all add up to a steep entry price.
Debt as a Gatekeeper
Student loans can open doors, but they also lock graduates into years (sometimes decades) of repayment. This debt can delay home ownership, family planning, and even career choices—students may take higher-paying jobs outside their field just to service their loans.
Unequal Impact
Financial barriers are not evenly distributed:
Scholarships, Bursaries, and Band-Aids
While grants and bursaries exist, they rarely cover the full cost. Too often, the system relies on patchwork fixes—a few awards here, some fee waivers there—without addressing the structural problem of skyrocketing costs.
Rethinking the System
If education is supposed to be a public good, why do we treat it as a private purchase? Should post-secondary education be funded like healthcare—free at point of use, with costs shared broadly—or remain a pay-to-play system?