MoneyMatters
ScholarShipS, burSarieS, grantS,
oh my!
Advice,
links& more!
calgaryherald.com/A
llAboutU
november 20, 2013
HUntChoosing a program’s not rocket science,
unless you want it to be.
on the
trading
Up!A career in the
trades doesn’t
mean you’re not
BOOK smart!
aLLboutua student
guide to
post-
secondary
education
Bustin’ a trade Beat
2 aau november 20, 2013 calgaryherald.com/AllAboutU
“Apprentices will spend 80 per cent of the time on the job under guidance of a qualified journeyperson, and the rest training at a post-secondary school.”
— Sorcha Thomas, public affairs officer, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education
tip
1#
Apprenticeship training offers students the best of both worlds: a post-secondary education while at the same time gaining real-world job experience and income.
in Alberta, apprenticeship is considered a form of post-secondary education that combines on-the-job learning with technical training.
“Apprentices will spend 80 per cent of the time on the job under the guidance of a qualified journeyperson, and the rest training at a post-secondary school like SAiT or NAiT,” says Sorcha Thomas, public affairs officer with Alberta enterprise and Advanced education. “At the end of each block of training, you’re required to pass an industry exam. The whole program can last one to four years, depending on the trade.”
The road to apprenticing often begins in high school, where students can enroll in a registered Apprenticeship Program and
begin on-the-job training while still in school; after graduation, they can move into a regular apprenticeship program with credit applied.
“You earn while you learn,” says SAiT Polytechnic apprenticeship co-ordinator Nino Belvedere. “Particularly for students coming out of high school (and rAP), there are great opportunities. They don’t have to wait until post-secondary to determine their career paths.”
A myth surrounding trades education is that it’s aimed at students who aren’t academically inclined. on the contrary, Belvedere says, “you need a strong academic foundation. And like any career path, it’s up to an individual’s capabilities and desire.”
The “earn while you learn” aspect of
apprenticeships, combined with available scholarships and grants — there’s even employment insurance income support available while attending school — means students “can complete the apprenticeship program with little or no debt.”
WHERE TO BEGIN1. Find an employer in your chosen field willing to take on an apprentice. 2. Find a supporting post-secondary institution for the apprenticeship. SAiT, for example, supports apprenticeship training in 30 areas. The end result is Alberta journeyperson certification that can be used for seeking employment. 3. Find the money. There are hundreds of scholarships available to apprentices through the Alberta Apprenticeship and industry Training Board, including scholarships aimed at high schoolers in rAP.
The road to RAP-ing
Resources to click out:• alis.alberta.ca• tradesecrets. alberta.ca
Vocational training is post-secondary that
gives specialized education in a specific field.
GETREAL______________________________________________ ._ _____________________________________________capability
BUSINESS • TECHNOLOGY • TRADES Apply Today at SAIT.CA
Instructors at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alberta are experts in the fields they teach, so they know howto develop employees with value. With years of relevant experience behind every course, SAIT instructorsdeliver practical, industry-based support and a passionate commitment to your academic success.
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Faculty-student interaction — somethingfor which Mount Royal is renowned —
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calgaryherald.com/AllAboutU november 20, 2013 aau 3
Budget adviceWith loans, credit cards and
lines of credit at their disposal, it’s easy for students to find themselves deep in debt even before they get their degree or diploma. Here’s some advice to make sure that doesn’t happen.
LEARN EARLy“Although 99 per cent of
canadians polled in a survey said it’s important for kids to know about good financial habits early in life, only 18 per cent spend a lot of time talking to kids about finances,” says Laura Parsons, financial expert with Bmo. “Learn to look at bank statements, about debit cards and taking money when you need it — about saving for unexpected (expenses).”
LEARN TO BudGET“earlier this year, we did a
survey and found 27 per cent of undergrads in Alberta wish they had used credit cards more responsibly when in university,” says Shawnnette Fraser, branch manager for Td canada Trust Signal Hill. Budget tips:
1. Be realistic about monitoring and spending. organize finances and look at past bank statements, says Fraser. Bank mobile apps can help.
2. rethink spending habits. Between loans and credit, students can “dig a pretty deep hole if they’re not careful, says rick Bell, a Financial Services instructor in the SAiT School of Business. “A lot of students have never done a budget before, and they’ve never had a need to structure their spending and saving and investment plans — they have to learn to budget for tuition and books.”
SEEk ExpERT HELp“don’t be afraid to ask
questions,” says Lynette runions, manager of Student Awards and Financial Aid at mount royal University. “Go to the institutions, to their financial aid offices — come to us before things get complicated and you’re in trouble.”
expert advice is useful for students who receive the bulk of their student loan funds up front, and are now faced with making sure they spend, and save, that money wisely.
“They have to understand what they’re getting, and if they’re going to need to save
some of that for tuition for the next semester, for example,” says runions.
“it has to last.”
Money woes
The Stu-dent Aid Alberta Student Loan Re-payment Handbook has loads of tips for repaying your loan. Click out:• stu-dentaid.alberta.ca
A scholarship
is a monetary award based on
merit in a study or discipline.
“Start a budget and spending plan before starting school and before repayments begin, and change it if your circumstances change.” — Sorcha Thomas, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education
tip
2#
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brainPost-secondary students give advice
“We are not writing for ourselves or our fellow peers; we are writing for the professors of our classes. So it is important that as you start a new class with a new prof, learn what they want. What is the main thing they are looking for? Have they reiterated something multiple times? Focus on it and you will see results.” Calista Naismith, fourth year biology, Ambrose University
who are you writing for?
There are many ways to group schools, but the Alberta government narrows them down to six categories:
1. Comprehensive Academic and Research Institutions: Alberta has four: Athabasca University; University of Alberta; University of Calgary; and University of Lethbridge. Academic programs offered: • Baccalaureate degree• Post-baccalaureate certificate • Post-baccalaureate diploma• Continuing education• Doctoral degree • Post-doctoral certificate• Master’s degree
• Post-master’s diploma• University certificate• University diploma
2. Baccalaureate and Applied Studies Institutions: Alberta has two: Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton servicing northern Alberta and Mount Royal University in Calgary servicing southern Alberta. The academic programs offered are:• Academic upgrading• Applied degree• Baccalaureate degree• Certificate• Continuing education
• Diploma• University transfer• Post-basic certificate• Post-basic diploma• Post-diploma certificate
3. Polytechnical institutions: Alberta has two: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Academic programs offered are:• Academic upgrading• Applied degree• Baccalaureate degree (in specialized areas)• Certificate• Continuing education• Diploma• Journeyman certificate
4. Comprehensive Community Institutions: Alberta has 11: Bow Valley College (Calgary and region); Grande Prairie Regional College (Northwestern Alberta);
Keyano College (Northeastern Alberta); Lakeland College (East Central Alberta); Lethbridge College (Southwestern Alberta); Medicine Hat College (Southeastern Alberta); NorQuest College (Edmonton and region); Northern Lakes College (North Central Alberta); Olds College (West Central Alberta); Portage College (East Central Alberta); and Red Deer College (Central Alberta). Academic programs offered are:• Academic upgrading• Applied degree• Baccalaureate degree (in collaboration with a degree- granting institution)• Certificate• Continuing education• Diploma• Journeyman certificate• University transfer• Advanced certificate• Post-basic certificate
• Post-basic diploma• Post-diploma certificate
5. Independent Academic Institutions: Alberta has five: Ambrose University College (Calgary and region); Canadian University College (Central Alberta); Concordia University College of Alberta (Edmonton and region); The King’s University College (Edmonton and region); St. Mary’s University College (Calgary and region). Academic programs offered are:• Academic upgrading (in specific areas)• Baccalaureate degree• Master’s degree (in specific areas)
Other programs may offer:• Continuing education• Divinity degree• Post-baccalaureate certificate• Post-baccalaureate diploma
6. Specialized Arts and Culture Institutions: Alberta has two: Alberta
College of Art and Design (Alberta and external); and The Banff Centre (Alberta and external). Academic programs offered are:• Applied degree• Baccalaureate degree• Certificate• Continuing education• Diploma• Master’s degree (in specific areas)• Doctoral degree (in specific areas)
School defs
For more up-to-date programs, click out:• alberta.ca/ edinfo
Know your options
Want to Find out hoW much school Will set you back? select your province, school and program from the investor education Fund post-secondary calculator and viola! cost is broken down by tuition, book, room/rent, food, entertainment, transportation and other charges per year. IEF is a non-profit organization established by the Ontario Securities Commission and is funded by settlements and fines from OSC enforcement proceedings. www.getsmarteraboutmoney.ca
tip
3#
A private institution is an
independent business that
offers educational programs.
“Being able to create a new social network and create new relationships with people early on in university can make the whole experience much more enjoyable. It is important to keep up with schoolwork and on top of deadlines, but make sure you don’t get too swamped to forget about your friends. Enjoy and embrace every opportunity you get, because these can be some of the best years of your life!” Daniella Paulich, third year bachelor of arts in psychology, St. Mary’s University College
best years of your life!
“Make sure to look at all your money options for school — student loans, bank loans, line of credit, financial aid, parents. See what fits you the
best and be realistic about repayment once you finish school. If there are budgeting workshops, attend them and don’t be shy about talking to the financial aid office.”
Gareth Lloyd, first year human resources
management, Bow Valley College
“Your post-secondary institution and instructors will work so hard to help their students, so spend some of your free time giving back to the community. It really is a selfless act that never stops feeling good. And it never hurts on a resume.”
Matthew Bultz, first year human resources management, Bow Valley College
look at money options
lend a hand
“There are so many pressures that demand our time, such as assignments, but the healthiest thing I have done is to take a break from my studies and enjoy the company of friends, family and recreation. After a weekend of relaxing (not just playing video games and couch potato-ing) and developing relationships, my productivity in my work has gone up in the following week. Bottom line is, take the time for a break, your marks will thank you! “
Moses Yu, third year bachelor of ministry, youth ministry, Ambrose University
“There is no way anything you learn in class will be used in real life. Unless you decompartmentalize — view your life of class, residence, friends, family, etc. as one big globe. There is gold in each lecture and assignment that will teach you about your world; analyze and discover the truth in each lecture and assignment and how it pertains to yourself.”
Carleen Broody, second year
behavioural science, Ambrose University
Keeping sane
think global
pickin’
A highly employable Bow Valley College Graduate
WHATHAS TWOTHUMBS, A COLLEGEDIPLOMA& IS JOB READY?
“Don’t rush to go to post-secondary. Spend some time to think about what you are passionate about and are interested in. Use your interests and passions to help choose an area of study. If you’re passionate about something, you are more likely to do well and apply yourself.”
Quinton Visser, second year mechanical engineering technology, design and development,
SAIT Polytechnic
don’t rush
“There’s nothing wrong with being a ‘geek’ in college. You need to be disciplined with your time in order to effectively balance your academics, work and social life. Student engagement generally leads to student success. Take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.” Daniel Kwagbenu, second year business administration, management major, SAIT Polytechnic
OK to be a ‘geek’
6 aau november 20, 2013 calgaryherald.com/AllAboutU
How scHolarsHips worKOne of the biggest myths about student
financial awards is they’re only reserved for the absolute top-tier students.
In reality, not every scholarship is based on marks. There are also awards available for those entering specific fields, or who fit other criteria.
“We have over 3,600 awards available — some come in the form of scholarships that can include achievement and grades, but in many cases they look at other things like community involvement, leadership and athletics,” says Brian Bowman, director of Alumni and Development at SAIT Polytechnic. “And, there are bursaries that pay attention to economic and financial needs.”
GOOd TO kNOW1. Easy process. Many post-secondary
schools provide a single application process that covers all applicable awards.
“It will automatically match you for the awards you’re eligible for, including scholarships and bursaries,” says Kristen Chappell, scholarship co-ordinator with Mount Royal University.
2. No stigma. “You don’t have to be destitute for bursary assistance,” says Claudia Barrett, manager of the Student Awards Office at the University of Calgary, which also offers one-stop application. “It’s based on the level of financial need — the resources you have for going to school, minus the cost of education.”
Adds Bowman: “We would rather see you in school (on a bursary) with school as your full-time job, rather than having to take two or three part-time jobs and stretching yourself so thin, you can’t excel.”
3. Research. The key to finding the right scholarship or bursary is by asking questions, either of high school guidance counsellors (or equivalents) or post-
secondary financial awards office personnel, attending post-secondary open houses (which usually offer financial-aid and awards information), and making use of online resources, adds Barrett.
4. Awards. In 2012, the province awarded close to $74 million to about 38,500 Alberta learners, says Sorcha Thomas, public affairs officer with Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education.
5. Knowledge = money. There are many awards that students may be eligible for that they don’t know about, says Thomas.
GETTING A LEG upThe Advancing Futures bursary,
through Alberta Human Services, is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 22 who was either under a Permanent Guardianship Order between age 13 and 18, or was in the care of Alberta Human Services for at least 18 months between 13 and 22. This may include custody agreements, apprehension orders and custody orders. Up to $40,000 is available to cover education expenses toward a degree or diploma, learning a trade,
earning a licence or certificate, or attaining high-school equivalency.
Free money
for schol-arship and bursery in-formation, click out:• alis. alberta.ca• scholar- shipscan- ada.com• studenta- wards. com• human- resources. alberta. ca/family commu- nity
A bursary is a monetary grant based primarily on
financial need. For a lot of students, the changing job
market is like a moving target. At the University of Calgary, career
services are available to all 33,000 students throughout the year, says Colleen Bangs, manager of career services.
The office offers students a variety of job-related services, from one-on-one counselling appointments, resume reviews and help with job searches to job fairs and special events to help prepare students for the world after university.
For employment in 2014 and beyond, the market has changed and will continue to evolve, Bangs says.
“If students start a degree with a mind to be one certain thing, they’re almost doing themselves a disservice,” she says. “They need to be acquiring knowledge but also focusing on doing other things, networking, asking good questions and looking at what other people do who inspire them.”
EVOLVING INduSTRIESCareers are continually evolving, says Paula
Wischoff Yerama, the executive director of the Career Development Association of Alberta. “The notion of picking something that is going to be your lifelong occupation doesn’t exist the same way as it used to.
“We’ve seen a movement from full-time permanent positions to contract work, project work, entrepreneurship and temporary assignments, and all of those kinds of things impact people’s ability to follow that linear career path that is ingrained in so many of us,” Yerama says.
The job students might get today might not be the job they’ll have forever, Yerama says, but they can use it to develop and evolve into other things that might be of interest as they grow.
career cHoosing
Field study
All About U is a special publication of the Calgary
Herald Special Projects Department
Special Projects co-ordinator/designer: Karen Petkau; e: [email protected]; t: 403-235-7513
Contributors: Alex Frazer-Harrison, Jessica Patterson, Joel Schlesinger
On the Web: calgaryherald.com/allaboutu
aLLboutua student
guide to
post-
secondary
education
www.ambrose.eduCalgary, Alberta
university degreesministry training
seminary educationfacebook.com/ambroseuc
twitter.com/ambroseucyoutube.com/ambroseuniversity
There is the inevitable triangle which consists of sleep, homework and a social life. Make sure you always sleep enough to be healthy; this is what the rest of your life will be built on. — Jillian Shipley, third year bachelor of ministry, international studies, Ambrose university
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4#
calgaryherald.com/AllAboutU november 20, 2013 aau 7
Seminary education is attracting students from all ages, with some looking to one day lead a congregation.
“About 10 years ago or more, it was assumed that the average student coming to a seminary was actually training for full-time vocational ministry, whether that’s being a pastor, part of church staff or missionary,” says Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary and College president Robert Blackaby. who is also a former pastor who attended seminary in the ’80s. “That does not tend to be the case today, and I think it will continue to change as we move forward.”
While the career options are
good for graduates, a fair number do have to work part-time at other jobs once they find a position at a church.
“Employment options vary from city to city or town to town,” says Paul Spilsbury, vice-president of academic at Ambrose University College. Positions at larger churches in larger centres, for instance, often tend to offer full-time positions with very livable salaries.
“If you got a small rural charge in Central Alberta, you might find the wage is significantly less than that, and you’d have to work at
something else part-time.”
For some seminary grads, that may
suit them just fine, Blackaby says.
“They might not necessarily want to go into full-time ministry,” he says. “There could be any number of motivations, such as sheer interest or they’re at a stage in their lives where they have some discretionary money and have always wanted to study the Bible at a deeper level.”
To accommodate the changing demographics, many schools have adjusted their programs to include online learning, intensive one-week courses and shorter but more practically focused
curriculums. At Ambrose, curriculum
still has a strong emphasis on classroom learning with high-quality teachers but the seminary program also involves significant hands-on experience, Spilsbury says.
“People are very personally motivated and have a high degree of wanting to do ‘good’ in the world,” he says. “There tends to be that altruistic element that draws people to this kind of work.”
Divine callingseminary careers
Campus Alberta seeks
to encourage theprovince’s 26 pub-licly funded post-secondary schools
to collaborate.
8 aau november 20, 2013 calgaryherald.com/AllAboutU
St. Mary’s University College may be a small institution, but the less than 800 students at the Calgary school will graduate with some big ideas about creating a better world.
The post-secondary institution has been offering arts and science undergraduate degrees for almost a decade, but vice-president of academic and dean Mark Charlton says St. Mary’s provides its students with more than a quiver full of skills to shoot for a good career.
“We’re a Catholic liberal arts university so we do place a lot of emphasis on the whole person: the body, mind and spirit,” he says.
While students at small schools such as St. Mary’s certainly get degrees that will prepare them for a job down the road, they also get an education with a holistic perspective that encourages them to be engaged in the broader world that surrounds them, Charleton says.
To that end, St. Mary’s recently launched a liberal arts degree program to complement the other
Life learnin’well-rounded
SMALL CLASS SIZES
PICTURESQUE CAMPUS
GROWING PROGRAMS OF STUDY
DISCOVERST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
TEACHERS WHO CARE
STMU.CA/DISCOVER
degrees it offers in arts, education and science.
Response from students has been very positive, he says.
“Students tend to be very job focused these days, but they also don’t want to commit too early to something that is too narrow,” he says.
“They like a broad-based education where they can select from a variety of subjects and be exposed to ideas from a number of areas.”
The King’s University College in Edmonton is another Christian post-secondary institution that primarily offers liberal arts degree education for its students.
Like many other faith-based schools, The King’s liberal arts education provides graduates with the skills to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers with the intellectual and spiritual flexibility to make the most of their abilities.
That’s crucial in today’s world, says The King’s University College president Dr. Melanie Humphreys.
“The world is changing rapidly and people have eight to 10 careers throughout their lifetime,” she says. “They understand how they can use their gifts in a way that allows them to adapt to the rapid changes that are happening.”
There’s also an emphasis on educating individuals to be good citizens who act responsibly at work and in their communities, says Charlton.
Humphreys says this is the kind of education that many young Canadians — regardless of religious belief — are often seeking from post-secondary learning, a fact reflected by increased enrolment at many schools.
“These students want to learn how they might contribute, how their gifts might be important and how their skills and strengths might be developed to contribute positively to society,” she says.
