What’s a Degree Worth: Who Pays and Who Benefits at Atlantic Canada’s Universities?

Summary

The goal of this project was determine both the financial and social benefits received by the taxpayers of the four Atlantic Canadian provinces resulting from provincial funding of their universities. The author assessed returns on investment in terms of money re-injected into the Atlantic economy and in terms of social benefits, such as effects on crime, job creation, voter turnout, productivity, poverty/inequality, demands on government for social assistance, and health, attributable to university funding. The project concludes that individual students receive a disproportionate benefit compared to taxpayers, and suggests that individual students should therefore bear more of the costs of their university education.

Grant Outputs

What’s a Degree Worth? Who Pays and Who Benefits at Atlantic Canada’s Universities? – http://www.aims.ca/site/media/aims/degree.pdf