Who are graduate students? Graduate students are the lifeblood of universities, responsible for conducting cutting-edge research and assisting with teaching high-quality courses. While graduate students may still be early in their career and focusing on training, their work often exceeds 40 hours a week. Graduate students depend on their stipends to pay tuition (the same price as undergraduate tuition, and often doubled for international students) and other living expenses.
Why does funding need to be increased? When graduate scholarships and stipends do not cover basic living expenses, students need to take on additional debt to complete graduate degrees. They also need to make hard choices about their lives - for example, graduate students may avoid medical treatments that are not covered by their benefits (including vision and dental work). Low stipends exclude those who have additional caregiving duties or who cannot rely on the financial safety net of family or a partner. This disproportionately affects first-generation, low-income people interested in pursuing advanced degrees. For Canadian innovation to thrive, no one should be prevented from pursuing a Master's or P.hD degree for financial reasons.
.png)