Youthink PS is Western Canada¹s post secondary resource guide for high school students planning on attending university, college or other Canadian post secondary institutions and is distributed to 400 high schools across BC and Alberta.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/869948
YOUTHINK.CA 10 > YOUTHINK PS > FALL 2017 How to Pay for Post-Secondary: A Guide to Financial Aid By Joy Lizette Aguilar W ithout a doubt, the cost of post-second- ary education can take a heavy toll on students. Luckily, students can take ad- vantage of financial resources that are administered by the government, schools, banks and other organizations. Here is a breakdown of the financial aid options available to students. Government Student Loans Government loans are distributed annually. The amount of money that a student may borrow is determined by a combination of factors: educa - tional costs, family income and other student re- sources (i.e. scholarships). After students graduate from university or college and find employment, interest is added to the loan and repayment com - mences. Bank Student Loans If students are rejected for a government loan (usually this is attributed to their family income exceeding a cut-off amount), they can obtain a line of credit from a bank. Bank loans can usu- ally be secured by an adult with credit in good standing. Students must make low interest-only payments while in school and they are required to pay off their loan after they leave their post- secondary institution. Internal Scholarships Based on academic merit, most entrance scholar - ships are awarded to full-time students (who are entering university for the first time) with ex- ceptional grades. In addition to academic stand- ing, extracurricular activities may be taken into account. Throughout the three or four years of undergraduate study, students may also be consid - ered for in-course scholarships (upon the recom- mendation of their faculty), athletic awards and service awards. External Scholarships Different organizations offer a variety of ways to win prizes and cash. Discover more opportunities by visiting these websites: yconic.com; scholarshipscanada.com. Bursaries Students in financial need may apply for entrance bursaries upon their acceptance to an undergrad- uate program. Students may also apply for more bursaries every year during undergraduate study. The allocation of bursaries is predominantly de - pendent on the degree of financial need, but may also be based on academic standing. Get Involved Extracurricular activities enrich post-secondary life By Aliya Dossa T he life of a university student is busy enough. The amount of studying, reading and writing that's required can be overwhelming — espe - cially when making the transition from high school. Considering this, it's easy to see why there are students who don't prioritize getting involved in their campus community. But many more will attest that, busy though they may be, their post-secondary life just wouldn't be complete without extracurricu - lar clubs and activities. Youthink PS spoke with three UBC students who are actively involved on campus to see why. YTPS:What are some of the benefits of getting in- volved on campus? Wil Longard (5th year philosophy major and UBC rec- reational sports team member): "To be honest, I didn't know what involvement was before I got to universi- ty. But when I got to UBC, some friends asked me to play campus-organized futsal [indoor football] and volleyball with them. I loved it. I started to take on more leadership roles. I got out of my comfort zone and learned so much from it — things that I couldn't have learned in my classes alone. I realize now that university is so much more about the people you meet than it is about the piece of paper you get at the end of it all." Nirel Marofsky (3rd year psychology major, founder of campus health and nutrition group VegUBC, which now boasts over 350 members): "University is super time-consuming, to the point where you can forget to take time for you. Being a part of this commu - nity that gets students excited about eating healthy foods is great for my own well-being. Being in- volved provides an almost family-like community where I feel included and a part of something im- portant. It's also great for networking, which can open doors to future career opportunities. " Sepideh Khazei (3rd year honours history major, campus theatre actress): "Getting involved in act- ing was a completely new experience for me. Uni- versity is a great time to try new things that you would never consider doing otherwise. It helped me develop skills I would have never picked up in class. And it actually helped me manage my time better! With more commitments on my plate, I knew I had to stay on top of things, and was even more on top of my school work because of it." The Cutting Room.indd