This week, I will see my Mount Royal students receive their degrees.

Talk about a lovely vibe. Even those who didn’t think graduating was a big deal get caught up in the excitement. The joy (relief) from parents is palpable – and there’s the fancy clothes, too.

I’ve been teaching at Mount Royal for three years and covered higher education for years as a journalist. So here are a few thoughts: Going to school is one way to take advantage of the system.

The Alberta government pays about 64 per cent of higher education costs. Students pay about 24 per cent. The balance is from other sources.

Statistically, the more education you have the more likely you will be working, and the more you will earn. It’s a good investment.

I heard our outgoing Mount Royal president Dave Marshall say the greatest predictor of university success was the Grade 12 English grade. That makes sense because so much depends on the ability to read, comprehend and write well. This is why I admire the work of our study skills staff who provide free tutoring to students, either by appointment or drop-in. Librarians, too, are a tremendous support to students. You get a lot for university tuition – and, usually, there is a good payoff.

University grads earn the most money, but any post-secondary credentials matter. What’s interesting in Alberta is that fewer of our 17- to 24-year-olds are enrolled in any higher education (from hairstyling to university) than anywhere else in the country. 

There’s another trend: Women are the majority of university students these days, and our national statisticians even cite a threat to “assortative educational mating,” or the propensity to marry someone with the same education. Who are the well-educated women going to mate with? Well, it seems, with a guy who might make more money, but with less education.

And there’s no one path: It’s OK to delay studies. Interesting research from U of C shows that those who return to university after working for a few years earn more after they graduate from university and are more likely to get a job. They are more motivated.

I don’t know if our government gets enough credit for the higher education subsidies we enjoy. But taking advantage of them is a fine way to take advantage of the system.