the university-for-free fairy tale: what about the rest of us, langara?

 the university-for-free fairy tale: what about the rest of us, langara?

When education is advertised as easy to afford, whose reality are we being asked to believe?

I just saw an advertisement aimed at Langara College alumni featuring a young woman talking about how she went through university for free, using bursaries, as though it were all so easy.

Excuse me?

I attended Langara. I walked away with $22,000 in student loans and just $500 in bursary money.

Twenty-two thousand dollars in debt. Five hundred dollars in bursaries.

And now I'm watching an advertisement that makes getting an education without paying for it sound like an easy accomplishment.

What exactly are you selling here, Langara? Education, or a fairy tale?

one student's success story is not everyone's reality

I'm not suggesting this young woman is lying about her personal experience. Perhaps she qualified for substantial financial assistance. Perhaps her circumstances, eligibility, program or funding opportunities were different from mine.

Good for her if she managed to graduate without student debt.

But there is a significant difference between saying one student received enough financial assistance to cover her education and creating the impression that going to university for free is an easy, realistic option for everyone.

Where is the context?

How much did she receive in bursaries? Did she receive government grants? Was her tuition covered by a special program? Did she have help with rent, food, transportation and other living expenses?

And how many students who applied for assistance received nowhere near enough to cover their costs?

If an institution wants to promote a success story, it should be prepared to explain the circumstances behind that success. Otherwise, it risks selling an illusion to prospective students who are already struggling to figure out how they can afford an education.

the numbers tell another story

I investigated Langara's published financial aid information.

The college acknowledges that student loans and grants are intended to supplement students' own financial resources, not replace them. Its current estimate for a typical domestic student taking a full course load is approximately $6,989 for one year of tuition, student fees and books — before rent, groceries and the other costs of living.

Langara also explains that bursaries are awarded to eligible applicants who demonstrate financial need, and that students should not count on those funds to cover tuition or books because the money is generally awarded near the end of the term.

Sources: Langara's financial aid information, student loans, and Langara bursaries.

That doesn't sound like a guaranteed, easy, free ride to me.

And it certainly wasn't my experience.

who gets left behind?

Students are routinely encouraged to pursue higher education as a pathway to a better future. They are told to invest in themselves, build their skills and work toward their dreams.

But what happens when the investment means years of debt?

What happens when the bursary you receive barely makes a dent in the cost of your education?

What happens when you do everything you're supposed to do, yet still leave school owing thousands of dollars?

Not every student has family money, a partner paying the bills, savings in the bank or the luxury of concentrating on school without worrying about survival.

Some students are working while studying. Some are supporting children. Some are struggling to afford housing and food. Some have no financial safety net whatsoever.

These students deserve more than a polished promotional video suggesting that the solution is simply to apply for bursaries.

They deserve honest information about the odds, the eligibility requirements, the amounts available and the financial risks.

langara, answer the questions

If this advertisement is intended to inspire future students, I would like to know:

• How much financial assistance did this particular student receive, and from which sources?
• What proportion of applicants receive bursaries, and what is the typical amount awarded?
• How many students receive enough grants and bursaries to cover their full education costs, including living expenses?
• What information does Langara provide to students whose financial assistance falls far short of their actual needs?
• Does the college acknowledge that a success story about studying for free can create unrealistic expectations when presented without financial context?

I'm not asking Langara to stop celebrating students who succeed. I'm asking it to be honest about what those stories represent.

education should open doors, not disguise the cost of walking through them

My experience at Langara left me with $22,000 in student loans and $500 in bursaries.

That is my reality. It is not necessarily every student's reality, but it is a reality that deserves to be heard alongside the feel-good stories.

Education can change lives. I believe in learning, creativity and giving people opportunities to build a better future.

But opportunity without financial transparency is not enough.

If a college wants to advertise that someone went to university for free, show us the full picture. Explain how it happened. Tell prospective students what assistance is available, who qualifies and what they may still owe.

Don't sell students the dream of a free education without being honest about the price.

And don't confuse one person's exceptional circumstances with a system that works for everyone.

I know what my education cost me.

What I want to know is why the story being advertised makes it sound so easy.

This post reflects my personal experience and questions raised by Langara's published financial aid information. I have not independently verified the student's individual funding or the full circumstances behind the advertisement.