Having to work multiple jobs alongside full-time research, constantly worrying about finances and not making enough money each month for rent are just some of the challenges described by current graduate students at the University of Ottawa and the University Carleton. Three graduate students spoke to CBC News about the financial hurdles they had to overcome during their education in Ottawa.
Sarah Laframboise: 10 years of sacrifice
After 10 years of post-secondary education, Sarah Laframboise, 27, is increasingly worried about paying off her student debt. The biochemistry PhD student at the University of Ottawa said she has racked up more than $100,000 in student loans so far. The money he earns as a graduate student hardly covers living costs, let alone savings. “It’s kind of slightly disturbing,” he said. Her tight budget also means she is constantly making sacrifices to save more money. “I still get stressed out when I go to a grocery store. I’ve never been able to go and buy what I wanted or buy what I’d like to make,” she explained. It also means no socializing with friends, eating out or other small luxuries, especially once Laframboise and her partner start thinking about settling down and starting a family. We want to continue our studies, we want to encourage higher education. But it’s a huge financial burden to pursue that path.- Karine Coen-Sanchez, PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa As a master’s student, Laframboise earned $19,000 a year, and her salary increased to about $23,000 as a doctoral student. After winning a coveted scholarship last year, he now receives $35,000 a year. Laframboise said she’s lucky to earn more now, but she doesn’t think it’s enough to make up for the 60 hours of research done each week.
Karine Coen-Sanchez: Unequal access to finance, opportunities
Karine Coen-Snachez says many graduate students face financial barriers, but students of color often have additional financial challenges. (Submitted by Karine Coen-Sanchez) As a mother of two in her late 30s, Karine Coen-Sanchez said there was “absolutely no way” she could pursue her PhD at the University of Ottawa without also working full-time. “We want to continue our studies, we want to encourage higher education. But it’s a huge financial burden to go that route.” Coen-Sanchez said she spends about 35 hours a week working and another 30 hours studying. It can be difficult to have some sense of work-life balance when you’re “stretching yourself to reach your means,” she added. Many graduate students struggle financially during their studies and have to turn to external funding to support themselves. But he said that’s an added challenge for many students of color, who face systemic barriers in the application process. Coen-Sanchez also co-chairs the Advisory Committee on Countering Anti-Black Racism created by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). She said she has seen firsthand how these types of funding are not accessible to students of color, especially since many of those students also lack guidance and direction on how to apply. “There is a problem with the way these awards are given.”
Courtney Robichaud: Not just a financial cost
A postdoctoral fellow in conservation at Carleton University, Courtney Robichaud says her graduate studies have taken a toll financially, physically and emotionally. (Submitted by Courtney Robichaud) For Courtney Robichaud, a postdoctoral fellow at Carleton University, the cost of graduate education was more than financial. “My hair fell out and stopped growing from the stress of that time, and I didn’t even realize it because I was used to being under so much stress,” she said. She also developed arthritis in her jaw from the clenching and put off treatment until she could afford it, further escalating the chronic pain. With more than $30,000 in debt, the 31-year-old said she can’t help but feel behind her peers. “They have like, houses and families and savings and a retirement plan, and it’s not me right now,” she said, adding that not being able to buy a car or buy gifts for her friend’s weddings are other concessions she’s had to make. does. During her PhD, Robichaud earned $21,000 a year, but had to pay $4,000 in tuition each semester, even when she wasn’t taking classes.
The stress and financial burden of PhD programs is causing some graduates to “desperate”.
Courtney Robichaud, a postdoctoral fellow at Carleton University, says the financial burden of her program has caused her severe stress over the years and often leaves her feeling behind her peers. “I worked as many jobs as possible,” she said, adding that her job options were limited by the “10-hour rule,” which puts a cap on the hours doctoral students are allowed to spend working outside the lab. As a postdoctoral fellow, she now earns $60,000 a year working about 37 hours a week. Robichaud said this is at the high end of scholarship opportunities, and she turned down other options paying an average of $45,000. “I’m still basically living paycheck to paycheck because I haven’t had much opportunity to save.” Robichaud said she is optimistic about her future, but with the pandemic, inflation and a looming recession, “the precariousness of our finances seems very much at the forefront.” Both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa said they are helping graduate students find and apply for different funding opportunities, including external grants and scholarships. In a statement, U of O spokeswoman Isabelle Mailloux-Pulkinghorn said the school “recognizes the significant increase in the cost of living in recent years” and has expanded its scholarship offerings in response. Ottawa Morning10:46 Students, postdocs protest for increased funding Students, faculty and researchers are gathering on Parliament Hill today to advocate for increased government funding for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
