People have been feeling a lot of stress since the start of the pandemic, none more so than students. In response, Canadian RESP provider Knowledge First Financial is distributing $100 to 144 post-secondary students in Oakville.
“In spite of all the uncertainty around school, we wanted to commend them and let them know that we thought what they were doing was great,” says Krista Vriend from Knowledge First.
The funding is focused on University and College students. The company and its associated foundation believe that the pandemic has been particularly difficult for these students, especially those in their first year of studies. All in all, the grants are being given to 15,000 people across the country.
“I think there is definitely an impact,” says Vriend, discussing what it's been like attending school in 2020. “Certainly, for post-secondary education students, there’s increased stress in terms of online learning and feeling isolated.”
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Although public schools have been cycling from online to in-person instruction based on COVID-19 rates, University and Colleges for the most part have been operating remotely and likely will be for the rest of the year. Experts worry that this is leading to heightened feelings of stress and anxiety.
In 2019, 41% of Halton students admitted to feeling worried or anxious often or all the time. Based on a 2020 online survey commissioned by Knowledge First, 61% of Canadian parents said that their children’s stress levels had increased since the beginning of the pandemic.
For Julia Hukowich, this has been a very different year at school. The second-year university student attends McGill University, but has been participating in classes online since the pandemic began. She received her money from Knowledge First a month ago.
“I thought that was a very nice message to see a little bit of positive affirmation that we’re doing well,” she says. “You know you’re sitting in your room all day doing the same thing. Sometimes it’s nice to know that it’s going to go towards something and that you’re doing it all for a reason.”
