1. TUUM EST PAYING FOR YOUR EDUCATION  Dover Bay Careers Centre is a place to find post-secondary and financial awards information  Post-secondary includes public and private colleges, technical institutes, universities, and trade or vocational schools  How do you figure out how much it will cost, how to pay for it, and whether it’s worth it? 1

2. WHAT DOES IT COST TO CONTINUE EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?  Examples of typical costs of post-secondary for one year:  SFU, UBC, UVic tuition costs are approx. $4000 for a full course load (10 classes)  Malaspina, Camosun, and other regional colleges tuition is approx. $3200/year  Tuition costs are increasing... 2

3. TUITION ISN’T THE ONLY COST  Add to tuition costs textbooks and supplies of about $1000.  Most people will need a computer to do assignments.  If you go out of town or move out on your own, you’re looking at about $800/month minimum to survive (rent, food, health items, clothes, transportation, phone, etc.) 3

4. ADD IT UP - YIKES!  Add it up for eight months and you’ll need to come up with approximately $10,000 - $12,000 each year.  Consider the fact also that tuition fees will likely increase each year. You need to find about $50,000 over a four year period if you’re working on a degree, and go to school full time. 4

5. HELP!!! HOW WILL I PAY FOR IT?  Work part-time, save as much as possible  Work in the summer, including each 4 month period May - August while doing degree  Beg or borrow from parents  Student loans (no interest is charged until program is finished) 5

6. THE FINANCIAL AWARDS OPTION  Get financial awards for scholarship (i.e., high marks and extra curricular involvement)  Get bursaries for affiliation or based on financial need  “You cannot win if you do not play:” You must fill in applications to get financial awards 6

7. WORKING IS THE SOLID CHOICE FOR MOST PEOPLE  Focus in to an occupation that you would enjoy (or at least tolerate)  Use the school arranged work experience to help you find a job if necessary  Save at least half your earnings: NEEDS vs. WANTS  Get into a Co-op program in post- secondary if possible (paid work terms in your area of interest) 7

8. STUDENT LOANS - USE AS A TOP-UP  Can be found on-line at www.bcsap.bc.ca, or we get some print copies in the Careers Centre  A max. of $275 per week can be borrowed ($9350 per 8-month period)  Most of this money has to be paid back, with interest, after your educational program ends  Use this to top up your finances if you can’t get enough in other ways 8

9. FINANCIAL AWARDS - SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES  Bursaries are based on financial need (lower family income) plus good grades and community involvement  Bursaries are sometimes tied to an affiliation (someone in your family belongs to a special group)  Scholarships are based on very strong marks (you are a SCHOLAR) 9

10. YOU HAVE TO BE MORE THAN A SCHOLAR TO STAND OUT  Both scholarships and bursaries usually require involvement in projects, community organizations, writing an essay, making a website, extra-curricular activities, etc.  Scholarship WINNERS usually have several kinds of involvement beyond academic excellence  Sometimes large scholarships are won on the basis of a “B” average when a person has done superior efforts in their community 10

11. ACTIVITIES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR APPLICATION STAND OUT  Citizenship u School u Local Community u National or International Community  Leadership  Initiative and Creativity  Specialization  Mastery shown  Certificates 11

12. FINDING AND APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AWARDS  Local Scholarships and Bursaries  Entrance scholarships (GPA based)  Finding books and advertised awards and contests  Using the InterNet 12

13. USE THE INTERNET AND A COMPUTER AS TOOLS  www.sd68.bc.ca/career_services  www.studentawards.com  www.scholarshipscanada.com  www.fastweb.com  www.canlearn.ca  Search these sites and others you find, and APPLY for everything that might fit your profile. 12

14. TUUM EST - IT’S UP TO YOU!  YOU have to CHOOSE what to get INVOLVED in  YOU have to do the VOLUNTEER work that will be rewarded later, because you want to be a good citizen, BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD  YOU have to DOCUMENT what you’ve done, GET ORGANIZED - start a binder or files to COLLECT INFORMATION  YOU have to APPLY to as many financial awards as you can find 13