(NC) If your child is attending postsecondary schooling, you know that every bit of support makes a difference. Whether that’s help to choose the right career path or financial assistance in the form of grants or student loans, it all contributes to a more rewarding education.
Information collected in the national census helps support these kinds of initiatives to find out exactly what students need and what would be most beneficial. Here are just some of the ways Statistics Canada data are used:
- Determining eligibility. Student loan funding is often a combination of federal and provincial money, and household income information helps determine who qualifies. Generally, a student with a household income under $140,000 qualifies for support.
- Bolstering funding. Governments use occupation data to see which professions are most in need and therefore qualify for more financial assistance in order to encourage enrollment. For example, occupations related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and computer science are in great demand and there aren’t enough skilled workers in the field, so more funding will be allocated to those programs.
- Obtaining direct feedback. Beyond the census, Statistics Canada also conducts a survey of students to inform policy and enable planning of postsecondary education. This online survey is an opportunity for students to have their say on what matters most to them.
Find more information on census data at statcan.gc.ca/census.
