The Secret Life of the Canadian Student: The Consequences of Student Debt

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The Secret Life of the Canadian Student: The Consequences of Student Debt

Sharlet Devenz

Biography

Hello! My name is Sharlet Devenz. I am 21 years old, living and working full time in Toronto, Ontario. I love pasta (meaning I’m obnoxiously Italian, and self-aware too), as well as running, painting and the real housewives franchise! As I am finishing my degree, I wanted to research a topic that is personal to me, being student debt. I am passionate about government systems and government aid, and I myself have relied on student debt in order to finance my own studies.

Research Summary

My research used content analysis to analyze the system of student debt in Canada. I looked specifically at three major factors of the student debt system; the financial systems and how they educate young people, the value of a degree in our current society, and the stress student debt adds to the student experience. From this, I uncovered certain variables that effect a student’s relationship with their debt. For example, variables like lifestyle, choice of school, income, and mobility all factor into how a student deals with their debt. I also found that different types of media framed student debt in different ways. Whereas newspaper articles were much more opinion based, and to be quite frank negative, about the student debt system, academic journals were much more neutral toned.

Tags

Education, Student Life, Finance

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