The hidden reality of working students on financial aid

When Katie Nash, ConEd ’28, started at Queen’s, she expected financial independence to be the norm. Instead, she discovered how rare it is to meet another student who’s paying for their own education.

At Queen’s, 43.9 per cent of 2020 applicants came from households earning $125,000 or more—one of the highest income profiles in Ontario. But that level of affluence isn’t the reality for every student.

“I didn’t realize I was in the minority until I got to Queen’s,” Nash said in an interview with The Journal. “Back home, most people have to contribute to their own education.”

Nash’s situation isn’t unique, but it isn’t common either. As of 2011, only 29.9 per cent of Queen’s students received funding through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which calculates financial aid based partly on parental income.

The funding structure creates a significant gap for students whose parents earn too much to qualify for substantial financial aid, but who—due to personal or financial circumstances—receive no parental contribution toward their education. As a result, those students are left to cover the difference themselves. Nearly 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students on campus will leave with debt.

READ MORE: What happens when you can’t afford to be a student?

While OSAP supports nearly two-thirds of current students and recent graduates as of 2019, Nash argues the system still overlooks those who need help most. She says the formula assumes parental income translates into parental support—an assumption that doesn’t always reflect reality.

“I think the calculation should be based on how much a student is actually paying for their tuition, not on how much their parents make,” Nash said. “If your parents have a stable income but don’t contribute to your education, you don’t qualify for aid. It ends up being a lose-lose situation.”

In practice, OSAP funding is accessible only to students who fit into narrow eligibility categories. According to the Financial Aid Office in a statement to The Journal, government aid programs—including OSAP—operate on the assumption that “dependent” students receive financial support from their parents.

“The government defines a ‘dependent student’ as one who is fewer than four years out of high school for federal funding purposes or fewer than six years out of high school for provincial funding,” the University said in a statement to The Journal. “Students may be considered ‘independent’ if they have worked full-time for at least two years while not enrolled in post-secondary education, or if they have exceptional parental circumstances.”

Although working throughout high school is often framed as a way to “prove” financial independence, Nash notes that full-time work is nearly impossible when school occupies the majority of the week with few breaks.

“From being at school for six hours a day, plus extracurriculars, and homework, I could only manage a part-time job,” Nash said.

Even when students qualify for assistance, the support often comes with future costs.
Parker Buckland, Eng ’28, is one of many Queen’s students who receive OSAP payments.

“I’ll have to pay off the loans eventually, but right now it’s definitely helpful for what it is,” Buckland said in an interview with The Journal. While Buckland will eventually have to cover all his costs himself, he explains that the financial aid allows him to be at Queen’s today.

When it comes to paying off student debt, students who graduate from Queen’s might be more successful at paying off their loans than students at other Ontario universities. In 2011, Queen’s had an average student loan default rate of 1.2 per cent, compared to the average default rate of 3.7 per cent at all Ontario universities.

READ MORE: Ontario student debt higher than ever

Beyond OSAP, students often try to piece together income, savings, scholarships, and bursaries to offset tuition costs. One option is entry-level bursaries such as the Queen’s General Bursary (QGB), which is “designed to fit the needs of a diverse student body to increase access to Queen’s University.” According to the Registrar and Financial Aid Services webpage, all registered Queen’s students, including part-time students, may qualify for both merit-and need-based funding.

The University added that they’re consistently working to support incoming students financially.

“Building on a longstanding commitment to promote and increase access to Queen’s, the university continues to expand undergraduate admission bursaries and other need-based awards that can supplement government aid, to increase financial accessibility and bring the full Queen’s experience within reach for students with high financial need,” the University wrote.

When choosing a university, Nash was ultimately drawn to Queen’s for its highly ranked Concurrent Education program—even though it was the only school that didn’t offer her a scholarship.

In their statement, Queen’s said it recognizes that university is a significant financial undertaking and that the institution is “actively committed to reducing barriers related to financial need so students can focus fully on their studies.”

But for students like Nash, the reality’s more demanding. Financial planning becomes a constant calculation: saving takes priority, and working during the school year isn’t optional—it’s necessary to stay afloat.

“I feel like when I work in the summer, even though I’m contributing to my education, I get none of the money in the sense that it all goes to my education and not to personal costs,” Nash said.

The experiences of students who receive financial aid are important to bring to light in a school like Queen’s, which has an affluent student body, in Buckland’s opinion. “I guess this topic is [more important] because fewer people are put in this position [at Queen’s],” Buckland said. “But I try not to think about it that much because it’s not like I can control it any more than they can.”

Buckland explains how students must consider not only tuition and residence fees, but also the ongoing costs of food, rent, and textbooks, saying that he is mindful of his spending and noted that students come from a range of financial backgrounds. He added that conversations about finances shouldn’t place blame or judgment on anyone’s situation.

“It was always in the back of my mind to find cheaper rent, or cheaper food, but I can imagine people who have it way worse,” Buckland said. “I don’t think it should be taboo to talk about it; it’s not something you can avoid.”

The University wrote that any student looking for financial advice should turn to Registrar and Financial Aid Services, which work one-on-one with students to help alleviate financial pressures and connect them with financial support programs.

For some students, managing finances becomes part of their day-to-day university experience, involving ongoing decisions about budgeting, employment, and accessing available aid.

Corrections

The Journal regrets the error

Tags

bursaries, Finances, OSAP, Scholarships

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

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