1. Debt Load & Financial Barriers for Students with Disabilities in Canadian Postsecondary Education Centre for the Study of Students in Postsecondary Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto) Presenter: Melissa Bolton (M.A. Candidate OISE/UT)

2. Partners National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation - Project Funder Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) - Project Funder Canadian Association of Disability Service Providers in Post-Secondary Education (CADSPPE)

3. Presentation Overview Purpose Phases of research Methodology Preliminary analyses & results

4. Purpose To assess the academic/educational debt load and financial barriers of students with disabilities. The goal is to understand the relative debt incurred by students with disabilities in post secondary education, the financial barriers and the impact their debt has on their educational experience and decisions.

5. Phases of Research Phase 1:Phase 1: Interviews with disabled students in Canadian postsecondary education Phase 2:Phase 2: Interviews with financial aid offices and disability service providers across Canada

6. Phase 3:Phase 3: Pan Canadian online survey of students with disabilities in colleges and universities in Canadian postsecondary education. Phase 4:Phase 4: Quantitative analysis of National archival data supported by the Data Liberation Initiative (Statistics Canada)

7. Phase 1: Phase 1: Interviews with disabled students in Canadian postsecondary education

8. Telephone Interview Access To Resources Aspirations Post Graduation Employment Status Housing Situation Expenditures Type of Disability Level of Debt Incurred Financial Supports Field of Study Enrollment Status Survey

9. Preliminary Analyses

10. Methodology Preliminary Analysis Grounded theory- ‘constant comparison’ Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13.

11. Financial barriers encountered during studies Qualifying for external funding (for example: OSAP qualifications). Limited number of bursaries, grants or awards for Students with disabilities

13. What individuals or organizations were involved in assisting students? Financial aid officers Disability services Provincial disability support programs (eg. ODSP) Family members Community centers and religious groups

14. Impact of Financial Barriers on the Student Experience: ‘How did financial barriers facilitate or hinder postsecondary educational experience?’ Hindrance Stressor Limitation on social engagement

15. Educational & Employment Aspirations after Graduation Jobs related to field of study Educational attainment Helping professions

16. Feedback from Students with Disabilities Systemic Changes in Policy and Funding Greater access to resources Having a voice/advocating for change

17. For more information, please contact the ‘Centre for the Study of Students in Postsecondary Education’ http://css.oise.utoronto.ca/index.html

18. References Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13. Statistics Canada. Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (2001). CANSIM (database). Using CHASS (distributor). Version updated May 31, 2005. http://dc1.chass.utoronto.ca/ (accessed September 1, 2008).