Student Loans : Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications (Working Paper 7)

This paper first summarizes the results of an empirical investigation of borrowing and repayment patterns of post-secondary graduates, then addresses a number of related policy issues, including i) the need for further research to generate the information needed to fully evaluate the student loan system, ii) the advantages of extending the assistance available for those facing problems with their debt burdens in the post-schooling period, iii) the need to increase borrowing limits, iii) the efficiency and equity advantages of providing assistance to post-secondary students through loans rather than the grants which many have been calling for, and iii) a proposal for revitalising the cash-strapped post-secondary system with infusions from both federal and provincial governments and students themselves of equal parts, the latter facilitated by the appropriate changes in the loan system (higher limits and more support for those who run into trouble with repayment).

Student Loans : the Empirical Record (Working Paper 6)

Student loan programmes have been the target of a good deal of attention in recent years and one important set of concerns has focussed on the levels of borrowing and the associated debt loads. This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of borrowing and repayment patterns of four recent cohorts of post-secondary graduates based on the National Graduates Survey (NGS) databases. The paper should be relevant to those interested in access to post-secondary education and the well-being of students, the financing of the higher education more generally, and a range of related issues.

Considering Efficacy of an Outdoor Environmental Education Program: Facilitating Elementary Students’ Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours

Various sources have sought to consider the educational interventions that foster changes in perception of and attitudes toward nature, with the ultimate intent of understanding how education can be used to encourage environmentally responsible behaviours. With these in mind, the current study identified an outdoor environmental education program incorporating these empirically supported interventions, and assessed its ability to influence environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Specifically, this study considered the following research questions: 1) To what degree can participation in this outdoor education program foster environmental knowledge and encourage pro-environmental attitudes and self-reported pro-environmental behaviours? 2) How is this effect different among students of different genders, and those who have different prior experiences in nature? Two motivational frameworks guided inquiry in the current study: the Value-Belief-Norm Model of Environmentalism (VBN) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The study employed a quantitative survey methodology, combining contemporary data measuring knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours with archived data collected by program staff, reflecting frequency of environmentally responsible behaviour. Further, a single qualitative item was included for which students provided “the first three words that [came] to mind when [they] think of the word nature.” Terms provided before and after the program were compared for differences in theme to detect subtle or underlying changes. Quantitative results indicated no significant change in student knowledge or attitudes through the outdoor environmental education program. However, a significant change in self-reported behaviour was identified from both the contemporary and archived data. This agreement in positive findings across the two data sets, collected using different measures and different participants, lends evidence of the program’s ability to encourage self-reported pro-environmental behaviour. Further, qualitative results showed some change in students’ perceptions of nature through the program, providing direction for future research. These findings suggest that this particular outdoor education program was successful in encouraging students’ self-reported environmentally responsible behaviour. This change was achieved without significant change in knowledge or environmental attitudes, suggesting that external factors not measured in this study might have played a role in affecting behaviour.

Student Financial Aid:The Roles of Loans and Grants (Working Paper 37)

This paper addresses the roles of loans and grants as forms of student financial aid. It begins with a simple choice model where individuals decide to pursue post-secondary studies if i) the net benefits of doing so are positive and ii) no financing or liquidity constraints stand in their way. The effects of loans and grants on these two elements of the schooling decision are then discussed. It is argued that based on equity, efficiency, and fiscal considerations, loans are generally best suited for helping those who want to go but face financing constraints, whereas grants are more appropriate for increasing the incentives for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to further their studies. Loan subsidies, which make loans part-loan and part-grant, are also discussed, including how they might be used to address “debt aversion”. Given that subsidised loans have a grant (subsidy) element, while grants help overcome the credit constraints upon which loans are targeted, the paper then attempts to establish some general rules for providing loans, for subsidising the loans awarded, and for giving “pure” grants. It concludes with an application of these principles in the form of a recent proposal for reforming the student financial system in Canada. *