Survey Says: Canadian students are worried over debt and getting a job

A poll conducted by CIBC says that post-secondary students in Canada are worried mostly by back to school expenses as well as inability to pay debts after graduation. Students are doubtful about their ability to pay back their student loans because of the uncertainty to find a good paying job.

The poll conducted on July 27-29 was done on 992 post-secondary students chosen randomly and who are forum panellists at Angus Reid.

The results show that almost half of the students (48%) are most especially concerned with back to school expenses and repayment of school-related loans. Thirty-six percent of the students also expect to be indebted by at least $25,000 when they finish school. Thirty-seven percent also said that they are worried about finding a good job that pays well.

Poll results revealed that most students are also expecting less financial help from their parents this year for their school and personal expenses. The same poll conducted last year said that students are expecting their parents to share 33 percent of the expenses down to only 22 percent this year.

A little more than a third of the surveyed students said that they plan of self-support with part-time jobs and 5 percent of them are worried about how to find and keep a part-time job.

Around 37 percent of the surveyed Canadian students said that they are not sure if they will be financially capable of paying back their debts when they finish their studies and 20 percent said that they are certain that they will not be able to financially support themselves after school.

Experts say there are different ways to keep a student on track financially. Among these tips include creating a budget. Before a school year starts, knowing how much you can spend for a specific period can help a student plan his finances well. Include everything school-related such as living expenses, entertainment, school supplies and tuition fees.