Many undergraduate and graduate students will soon be leaving school with a scary amount of debt. According to the 2013 National Graduates Survey from Statistic Canada, graduates with government debt and non-government debt owe an average $26,625.
On top of the debt, more and more grads and tougher competition in the field of their choice slim the chances of finding a full-time, and even a part-time job.
In an effort to help with the financial concerns and burdens that students face, a group of students from the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Centennial College’s East York campus held a spring awards ceremony at Amsterdam Brewery to fundraise for an alumni scholarship opportunity.
Via Dulay, a student in the CCPR program and a member of the group of organizers, understands some of the struggle that students face when it comes to debt.
“Being a student in this intensive eight-month program who also works a part-time job, I understand the financial struggle that students face,” Dulay said. “The fact that I can pay it forward to another hard-working student made planning this event that much more rewarding.”
The 2017 awards ceremony had a goal of recognizing the hard work done of students within the program — while raising $2,000 for future scholarships. That pay-it-forward movement left money for students in the 2017-2018 year.
