Enhancing Access to Student Financial Assistance for Adult Learners
Helping Canadians access post-secondary education (PSE) and acquire the skills and training they need to participate in a changing labour market is a key priority for federal, provincial, and territorial governments. While many existing programs respond to the needs for skills development, education, and training for adults, a significant portion of adults in Canada are not proactively upskilling or participating in existing continued learning programs. The primary objective of the project is to identify ways to improve access to student financial assistance (SFA) for such adults across Canada. SRDC is designing, conducting, and analyzing the results of interviews and discussions with individuals aged 25-64, who have expressed interest in enrolling in post-secondary education but who have not done so. The project goes beyond identifying already known barriers, to clarify the knowledge, understanding, and perspectives of adult learners who are interested in pursuing PSE and exploring access to SFA from adult learners’ perspectives.
Project Details
Published: October 2021
Capability: Policy Research
Policy Area: Post-Secondary Education - Access and Persistence - Student Financial Aid
Population: Low-income Populations - Low-skilled Workers - Older Workers - Students
Other Related Projects
Development of Brief Resources to Support the Implementation of the National Standard of Canada for Mental-Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students
In collaboration with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, SRDC is developing two resources for post-secondary institutions to provide recommendations and suggestions to facilitate…
Read More
Evaluation of Riipen’s Level UP
SRDC is working with Riipen to evaluate its Level UP program. Riipen is a mission-driven social enterprise and the world’s largest experiential learning marketplace…
Read More
Using Pay-for-Performance to Incentivize Manufacturing SMEs to Promote Active, Continuous Training (Pay-for-Performance IMPACT)
This project examines several key questions related to the effectiveness of a pay-for-performance (PFP) funding model in facilitating and incentivizing small- and medium-sized enterprise…
Read More
