VANCOUVER, BC - The Alliance of BC Students (ABCS) is pleased with the announcement today of additional funding for the BC Graduate Student Scholarship, which will extend the award program into 2022, and will fund an additional 250 students with awards of $15,000 each.

“We are extremely happy to see a continued commitment from the government to supporting all areas of post-secondary education.” said Grace Dupasquier, the Chairperson of the ABCS. “Graduate students will play an essential role in BC’s economic recovery - investing in student success is investing in our greatest resource - our people.”

According to the most recent data in BC, the average Master’s degree holder will graduate with $36,000 in debt, which is $8,000 higher than the national average. Between 1991 and 2018, the average tuition costs for a domestic graduate student rose by 332%.

“We know that for many, the cost of continuing their education is prohibitive, and this particularly impacts students from lower income backgrounds and students from equity-seeking communities,” continued Dupasquier. “This extension of this program is an opportunity to address these barriers and provide access to education for students who may not have had the chance to continue otherwise."

The National Graduates Survey indicates that 40% of BC graduates owe debt at their time of graduation. Of these graduates with debt, 32% had debt loads higher than $30,000. Data shows that pursuit of a graduate degree substantially increases an individual’s earning potential. However, lower income students face significant barriers to achieving graduate education, limiting their economic mobility and ability to contribute to their communities. These impacts are also gendered - despite making up only 55% of post-secondary enrolments, female students in BC make up 62% of students accessing financial aid. The ABCS looks forward to the benefits that the BC Graduate Scholarship will continue to bring to our province.