Thompson Rivers University
PA-7: Affordability and Access

TRU offers a comprehensive range of programs and initiatives to assist students in financing their educational and living costs. Financial support can be a combination of bursaries, scholarships, awards, work-study situations, co-op work terms, loans and grants. Policies regarding student awards are found here: https://www.tru.ca/awards/award-policies.html

The focus of a recent staff-wide in-service day program included 'inclusiveness' in its theme. inclusiveness was discussed in regards to how to make TRU an inclusive university that welcomes everyone; not only those from low income backgrounds but also those from different sexual orientations, races, nationalities, and cultures. What this meant for staff and faculty was discussed and work-shopped, and there were also presentations. Other social sustainability issues brought forward included diversity, equity, gender/transgender issues, civility, kindness, mental health, Aboriginal experiences, bullying and harassment, respectfullness, cultural differences, and mindfullness. Another program includes the Adult Basic Education Student Assistance Program (ABESAP) which covers basic costs of books, supplies, and transit U-Passes for schooling. Depending on income amount, if applied for, funds can be made available to subsidize day care. In the past, when finances have allowed it, students have also received monies for transportation.

Students and their families can meet with advisors one-on-one in the Student Services department and/or with staff from the Student Awards & Financial Support office regarding student awards and how to plan for one'seducation. TRU offers several programs to address the needs of students from low-income backgrounds seeking higher education: • University Preparation offers a comprehensive array of English, mathematics, sciences and study skills courses designed to prepare students with absent or insufficient high school achievement criteria for further study at the university level. • Employment Skills Training provides academic skills improvement and employment training for adults with developmental disabilities. Regarding the Student Awards & Financial Support office, TRU offers a comprehensive range of programs to both assist students in financing their educational and living costs and to recognize academic excellence. Financial support can be a combination of bursaries, scholarships, awards, work-study, loans and grants. Some of these programs are administered directly through Student Awards & Financial Support, and for others our office works with the appropriate government office. Some funding requires an application, some is provided upon the recommendation of faculty, and some scholarships are automatically awarded based on performance. Students and families can learn more about Student Awards & Financial Support by asking about these programs: Government Programs Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries WorkStudy Program External Funding Financial Advising Open Learning Students

TRU’s Financial Aid office administers more than 500 scholarships, bursaries, awards, and prizes for students who show financial need. An example includes: The TRU Foundation offers the BC Provincial Gaming Fund Open Bursary, which awards funds to full time BC students who demonstrate financial need. A list of TRU scholarships, awards, bursaries, and prizes can be found at: http://www.tru.ca/finaid/awards.html

TRU’s Aboriginal Services Team provides support with everything from day-to-day life, funding applications, and support accessing daycare and housing programs. They also act as liaisons to faculty and other networks on campus, and work to recruit, retain, and help Indigenous students be successful at TRU. One successful program aimed at reaching out to recruit students is the Transition to Post Secondary Program (which is aimed at Indigenous students in Grades 10-12), where students get a first-hand experience of life at TRU (Described in PA-7). TRU Open Learning is also engaging students from low-income backgrounds to reach their post secondary goals through on-line distance education. TRU's Open Learning Program offers more than 55 programs and 590 courses that are fully accredited, and offers students a flexible schedule to meet their lifestyle.

Further support for full time students (who have federal or provincial student loans) includes the TRU WorkStudy program, which allow students some work experience, and a chance to earn extra funds on campus (it pays $10.85 an hour for up to 8 hours a week). Further information is available here: http://www.tru.ca/awards/work-study.html

TRU offers specific grants and loans for part-time students. Information can be found here: https://www.tru.ca/awards/government-programs/part-time.html Eligibility for part-time grants and loans include: Be a Canadian citizen, a Permanent Resident or have protected person status. Be enrolled in a TRU degree, diploma or certificate program (post-secondary only). Be a resident of British Columbia. Be enrolled in a course load that is between 20 and 59 per cent of a full course load (normally 3 - 8 credits, either on campus or via Open Learning).

TRU has a facility for childcare on campus. It is run by a third party (Cariboo Child Care Society) and gives priority to on campus students before accepting off campus families, staff and faculty. It partners with the University to provide learning experiences for those wishing to pursue a career in child development and early childhood education. https://www.tru.ca/daycare.html

Non-traditional students have the opportunity to earn educational credits online through TRU Open Learning. It offers over 55 programs and 590 courses in a variety of flexible formats, including print-based, web-based, online and in-person. Courses and programs delivered by TRU-OL are fully accredited and recognized by other post-secondary institutions, so students can take even a single course (and transfer the credits to another institution) or complete an entire program. Further information is available from: http://www.tru.ca/distance/about/distance.html

The following three notes pertain to the second and fourth fields in Part 2 and the first field in the section Optional Fields. • Note – IPE has confirmed that 1035 is the number of entering undergraduate students and this number is used for calculations in part 2. Students seeking certificates, diplomas, post baccs, others were not included. Part 2, second field: The percentage of entering students that are low-income. To arrive at 55%, the following calculation was used. 1035 entering undergrad students were counted and these students were from all faculties and schools. Of these undergrads, 290 are aboriginal students, and 70% of them are from low-income backgrounds, which equals 203 students. Of the remaining 745 students, 49% are from low-income backgrounds, which equals 365 students. By adding these two figures together then dividing by 1035, the percentage of total low-income students is 55% (203+365=568/1035=55%). Part 2, fourth field: On average, the percentage of need that was met for students who were awarded any need-based aid. To answer this, figures from two sources were used. 1) the BC Ministry of Advanced Education document: Thompson Rivers University – Summary of Student Financial Assistance by Program Year (Aug 1, 2011 to July 31, 2016; Table A2. Full-Time Recipients: Average Funding), and 2) from TRU, the document Student Award & Financial Support – Disbursements, April 2015 to March 2016. From the first document, the average total amount is $9944. From the second document, the average total amount is $1962. To arrive at the aid that students received, both of these figures are added together ($9944+$981 = $11,906). Finally, to arrive at a percentage, $11,906 is divided into the BC Ministry document figure from the document above for ‘Average Federal Assessed Need’ of $13,961 to arrive at the percentage of need that was met = 85%. The figure for the last question in Part 2 (53%: The percentage of students graduating with no interest-bearing student loan debt or for whom no out-of-pocket tuition is required) was arrived at by cross-referencing the data provided by three TRU offices (Student Awards & Financial Support, Office of Integrated Planning and Effectiveness, and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs) with the BC and Canadian data on the same subject (The Research Universities Council of BC (http://www.tupc.bc.ca/pdfs/2015-12-08%20Quick%20Facts%20-%20Tuition%20and%20Student%20Debt.pdf), and Statscan (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-595-m/2014101/section04-eng.htm). Both sets of data are in-line with each other. Optional Fields, first field: What is the estimated percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students? The percentage of students that participated in or directly benefited from the institution’s policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students (45%) is arrived at by dividing the number of students that were assisted with either a student loan, government grant, or bursary (2,925) by the total of full-time students (6540). 2925/6540=45%. Some students in vocational programs and some taking diploma or certificate programs are excluded from these numbers.