University enrolment up, as grads return to school

The AUCC found the biggest spike, 7.1 per cent, in enrolment at the graduate level, compared to 4.1 per cent at the undergraduate level.

Katherine Giroux-Bougard, national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students says many disillusioned job seekers return to school and take on bigger debt loads.

The increase of graduate students during the recession contributes to an increase in the number of students turning to loans.

Giroux-Bougard said student debts can have negative repercussions on the economy because students in debt are less likely to graduate, and to start a family, and purchase homes and cars.

“When we’re looking at rebuilding our economy, at getting out of this recession high debt loads are going to make that more difficult,” she said.

James Cote, a professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario who studies academia said the increase in graduate students can also be attributed to government pressure on universities to increase enrolment in grad programs by 50 per cent.

Turk added that expanding graduate enrolment is one way universities attempt to recoup funding because government funding is higher for graduate students than undergrads.

Number crunching by the AUCC indicated that “in the last 12 months there have been more than 60,000 new jobs for university graduates, while there were 390,000 fewer for jobs for those without higher education.”

Cote said the dismal job market feeds credentialism, meaning employers can push up the credentials necessary for students to get a foothold in the job market.