CAMILLE DUNBAR and SANDRA ALSAFFAWI-DAVID
<Equity Officer, Student Senator >
In 2013, a Juris Doctor degree comes complete with legal acumen, classic Latin phrases and a swanky price tag to boot. In order to rise to the occasion, as shrewd law students, we have also become proficient at ferreting out all potential avenues of financial support.
After all, for most of us at least, money matters! So as one would expect, when invited to meet with the Office of Student Financial Services and Assistant Dean Mya Bulwa, to discuss the Osgoode Bursary Process, we (Camille Dunbar and Sandra Alsaffawi-David) jumped at the chance. We would like to share with you what we’ve learned.
With rising costs of tuition and increasing student debt, for many Ontario Law students bursaries are essential to funding a legal education. Each year, Osgoode awards upwards of $3 million in bursaries through the Osgoode Bursary Process to students with demonstrated financial need. For the 2012-2013 academic year, 569 applications were thoroughly reviewed for bursary consideration by the Student Financial Services Office (SFS). The integrity of the bursary process, to some degree, relies on student honesty, however SFS continues to monitor the bursary process very closely. SFS ensures that bursary funds are distributed fairly and equitably and to as many students as possible through tireless review and follow-up during the Bursary Process.
Osgoode Bursary funding is derived from 4 main sources:
1. Tuition Set-Aside Funds (TSA): Annually, Osgoode receives $2.21 million in TSA funds from York University. These funds are generated from de-regulated tuition over $4,500 (such as Osgoode Law and Schulich MBA tuition) and their specified use is to address student financial needs. Each academic year, the Deans of Osgoode Hall negotiate with York University for additional Tuition Set-Aside (TSA) funding for Osgoode students.
2. Osgoode Donor Designated Funds: These funds are comprised of endowed and annual bursary funds.
3. Osgoode Unrestricted Funds: These are funds, which Osgoode agreed to provide several years ago to assist students with tuition increases. The funds are unrestricted in that there is flexibility regarding how funds can be used to provide financial support for students and other bursary related projects.
4. Osgoode Accessibility Funds: These funds, which have been recently designated, are strictly for the purposes of making law school more accessible for all students wishing to pursue a legal education at Osgoode.
The Student Access Guarantee
Although the Osgoode Bursary is funded through various means, the policies of the Ontario government significantly impacts how Bursary funds are distributed. In September 2006, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (the Ministry) introduced new guidelines for the Student Access Guarantee (SAG). The principles of SAG provides that: no qualified Ontario student should be prevented from attending Ontario’s public colleges and universities due to a lack of financial support programs, and students in need should have access to the resources they need for their tuition, books and mandatory fees. All universities are now required to participate in the SAG and must report how TSA funds, which represent about 75% of Osgoode’s bursary funding, are being spent.
More specifically, the Ministry mandates that it is the responsibility of educational institutions to ensure that students can access sufficient financial aid to cover their costs for tuition, compulsory fees and supplies, when these amounts are above the usual range of costs covered by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). This surplus of financial need is referred to as the Tuition/Book Shortfall, a student’s remaining financial need after receipt of available OSAP funding that is due to tuition, books and compulsory fees above $4500 per year. In addressing Tuition/Book Shortfall, aid can be provided by universities in various formats including bursaries, work-study programs and employment. Financial aid to students attending second-entry programs, such as law, can be provided through access to bank lines of credit as well as bursaries, scholarships, work-study programs and employment in accordance with the Tuition Set-Aside Expenditure Guarantee Guidelines.
The Impact of the Student Access Guarantee on the Osgoode Bursary Program
Upon application to the Osgoode Bursary Program, a student’s financial need is assessed and determined based on income, debt and special circumstances in direct comparison to other Osgoode students. The Bursary Program distinguishes between 3 levels of financial need (high, medium and low) through a comparative analysis of all Bursary applicants. Accordingly, bursary funding is allocated relative to the needs and circumstances of other students. For some students, it is determined that no funding is needed.
Where possible, the goal of Student Financial Services is to apply the guidelines set out in the Student Access Guarantee (SAG) to ensure that the Bursary Program is not compromised. Maximum OSAP funding is $14,217 for a single student, which is significantly less than a full year’s tuition at Osgoode. Osgoode is notified of a student’s remaining need after OSAP funding through a list received from the Ministry of Education. Under the SAG, Osgoode is required to provide funding for these students as mandated by the Ministry. Consequently, there are many cases where the Ministry who may not necessarily be assessed as a student in need by the Osgoode Bursary Program must allocate funds to students with specified Tuition/Book Shortfalls.
Osgoode’s On-Going Commitment to Financial Support
The recent economic downturn has significantly affected the Bursary Program and the funds available for distribution. Additionally, the Ontario Government’s Student Access Guarantee may reduce the level of funding available for students, who the Bursary Program may deem to be in great need by requiring that funding must go to students identified with a Tuition/Book Shortfall following the OSAP process. These factors, coupled with increasing tuition costs, means that student debt loads are also on the rise.
To address student financial needs, the new Osgoode Accessibility fund was initiated, a positive measure taken by the Dean to provide additional funding for the Osgoode Bursary Program. The new Wendy Babcock Social Justice Award was also established for students pursuing a career in social justice. The Student Financial Services Office continues to provide financial aid to students with demonstrated financial need through the Bursary Program as well as on-going advice and support. The Student Financial Services Office and the funding provided through the Bursary Program is critical to the success of many Osgoode students. As student representatives, we recognize and greatly appreciate the hard work and commitment of the Student Financial Services Office, and the law school more generally, aimed at addressing student debt and financial need. However we are committed to ensuring that student financial needs and concerns are met not only through back-end, reactive methods, such as bursaries, but also through proactive, front-end measures like addressing the rising costs of tuition and supplies. The ferreting continues!
Welcome back and have a safe and successful 2013!