Increase in university applications expected

Students staying close to home

Dalhousie is expecting an increase in applications this year. Photo: Natalia Roque-Cuadra

With the current economic situation forcing employers to lay off large numbers of people, many are deciding to go back to school.

Those who already have some university education see it as an opportunity to upgrade their skills by enrolling in graduate programs and those who are in school are thinking about staying.

"We are expecting a higher number of applications, certainly," says Dalhousie President Tom Traves, who also said the university is expecting a 10 per cent increase in students within the next three to four years.

Last week Ontario reported that early numbers show a 10-per-cent jump in applications from those returning to school. It also recorded a 1.1 per cent increase in applications from high-school students.

"People increasingly see the importance of a university degree to building a successful career in the knowledge economy, particularly when economic conditions are challenging," said council Chair Dr. Peter George.

Traves said that because of the bad economic times there is likely to be an increase in the number of university applicants because they won't see a very attractive job market with good opportunities.

The increase of applicants will come from the demographic of students who are typically undecided about whether or not to go to university.

"High number of high school graduates in Atlantic Canada"

Traves says that aside from the economic downturn, there is also going to be a high number of high school graduates in Atlantic Canada, although he expects that number to drop in the next few years as the province's population ages.

Dartmouth High School councillor Francis Lefort says a little more than 300 students graduated last year -- 25 per cent more than 10 years ago.

Lefort says that about 90 per cent of these high school graduates are likely to stay in the province to attend post-secondary education "because it is cheaper." "The kids that go away are those that get scholarships," he says.

That's good news for Mount Saint Vincent University, whose vice-president of enrolment Michael Whalen says most of their students come straight from high school. Whalen said they haven't received a large number of applications yet because applicants' first-semester grades won't be processed until the first week of February.

Traves, who also serves as chair of the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents, says Nova Scotia doesn't have the same problem as Ontario, which doesn't have enough room to accommodate a large increase in the number of students.

"We just don't have these issues," Traves emphasized.

Community college enrolments tripled in five years

Universities aren't the only ones benefitting from the difficult economic circumstances.

Nova Scotia Community College Vice-President of Academics Jamie Hilts says the university is receiving more applications, although he wouldn't confirm the exact number "because of confidentiality" issues.

He says, however, that NSSC has seen an increase in the number of applications to IT and science fields and more qualified applicants - all the last couple of years.

Hilts say the increased number of qualified applicants may be because people aren't applying to so many places at the same time, limiting themselves to perhaps one-to-two applications. And that gives students more time to work with NSCC's applications.

Lefort says he has seen an increased amount of interest in community college trades among the students that come to see him for career counselling.

"I'd say that interest doubled or even tripled within the last five years," the councillor said, who also noted the trend probably has a lot to do with cost and the fact that community colleges are more about hands-on jobs.

Comments on this story are now closed