38% of students in Canada skipped meals to save money last semester. Across the country, many are having to make unacceptable sacrifices to make ends meet.
This is one of the findings from "Breaking the Piggy-Bank", our new report in partnership with Abacus Data, based on our annual survey of post-secondary students in Canada. The student affordability crisis continues, with the percentage of students having experienced homelessness doubling since 2024, an increase in food bank use, and nearly 3 in 4 students having to work during the school year to stay afloat.
While these findings already offer a concerning window into student financial hardship, the part that policymakers should pay attention to is that students haven't lost ambition: 85% are looking forward to finding work in their field, and 65% want to start or own a business someday. Students are still betting on their own futures, but the continued vulnerability to the affordability crisis and the lack of financial support stand in their way.
CASA sees these findings as evidence that the federal government should treat the extension on the Canada Student Financial Assistance programs as infrastructure, rather than a temporary measure to renew year after year, with permanent reliable funding to Canada Student Grants and Loans, and a renewed investment in the Post-Secondary Student Support Program to close the gap for Indigenous students.
Read the full report:
