By: Anastasia Fast, SFU Student
Nicholas Fast is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto and an SFU alumni hoping to change graduate studies funding. He is starting a petition with the goal of providing graduate students with more financial support. Specifically, he’s calling on the Tri-Agency organizations to increase their scholarships. The Tri-Agency organizations are the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. They give out the highest amount of financial awards, offering scholarships totalling $20,000 for PhD students and $17,000 for Master’s students.
In an interview with The Peak, Fast said, “Graduate student funding has not increased” in nearly twenty years. He noted, “Since then, the cost of living has skyrocketed, meaning that many [ . . . ] researchers are unable to support themselves as they complete their projects.” Fast’s petition demands a rise in the monetary value and the number of scholarships awarded.
Fast’s main goals are to upgrade the current living conditions for graduate students, which are barely manageable, and improve the Tri-Council funding. He told The Peak he was inspired to start this petition by talking to other graduate students in Canada that live based on these “below poverty level funding packages” and agree on the urgent need to take action. As the cost of living continues to rise, Canadian researchers are facing increased financial difficulties while working on their projects.
Students can spread awareness by contacting their local Members of Parliament, since the Tri-Council organizations and federal government work tightly together.
Fast noted some provinces, like Ontario, offer their own provincial funding aids if students fail to secure one of the bigger awards. He noted these awards differ in monetary value and are “barely sufficient at best.” He suggested appealing to the government of BC, and all provincial governments, to develop a strategy for providing support to their local graduate students.
The hope is that this petition will open a door of discussion into the House of Commons, so that a conversation about the improvement of graduate funding awards can take place.
Another suggestion from Fast is to take Ontario’s provincially funded scholarship program, called Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS), as a role model for other provinces to integrate. However, only Canadian citizens are eligible for these awards, which is hindering the ability for international students to access already limited resources.
Amid the financial crisis, graduate students have to rely on multiple forms of income like taking a second job to further pursue their goals. Fast noted, “Most funding packages are actually below the poverty line in their host cities, putting significant financial strain on those who wish to pursue post-secondary — let alone postgraduate education.
“This disproportionately affects prospective and current students who are first generation scholars [ . . . ] women, visible minorities, working-class people, and people with dependents. With government intervention, conditions can at least start to see an improvement.”
To sign Fast’s petition, visit the e-4287 petition on the House of Commons website.
