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After years in the finance and loyalty industry, including AirMiles, Suzanne Tyson wondered why so many unused points weren\u2019t used to help pay for higher education? Enter HigherEdPoints - a company she founded and runs to do exactly that. Her site helps students figure out how to pay for school and lobbies with the government to find new solutions. She\u2019s a mom, a self-proclaimed silverpreneur, and we\u2019re so happy to have her on the show today, welcome Suzanne.\xa0

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[0:00 - 1:33] intro\xa0

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[1:34 - 4:08] MONEY MISTAKE/MAKEUP: TIny home kitchen, checking your chequing, and using cash

[4:09 -\xa0 5:34] INTERVIEW - The average Canadian student now graduates with $27,000 in debt. I hear stories of when my parents attended post-secondary where a summer job could cover tuition and some of their living expenses. So what changed? What are some of the costs and/or fees driving up the bill for post-secondary education? Is it tuition? Why is it so difficult to pay for now?\xa0

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[5:35 - 6:56] What\u2019s driven the change in tuition costs, it must be more than inflation. Or was it all the other costs?

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[6:57 - 9:42] What are your top 3 tips to help students manage their finances?

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[9:43 - 12:28] How do students help pay those costs? There are government support programs like student loans and RESPs, as well as scholarships, right? Seems like there\u2019s lots of money out there, no? How can students pay for school? https://www.higheredpoints.com/2020/08/13/5-financial-to-dos-before-back-to-school/

https://www.scholarshipscanada.com/

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[12:29 - 13:45] You should stay on top of your finances, have conversations with roommates, right?

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[13:46 - 15:19] Parents should take cues from students to manage their finances. People need to spend the time to budget and manage cash flow.\xa0

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[15:20 - 16:07] How did you devise a plan for each one of your children to manage their finances differently?

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[16:08 - 18:33] Something you\u2019ve identified is this concept called the \u2018middle 60\u2019. For those out there who haven\u2019t heard about this \u2018middle 60\u2019 could you give a bit of an overview of who they are since and how can programs like Higher Ed Points support them?\xa0

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[18:34 - 20:43] Do you think the awards that only go to the top 10-20% of students should be changed to be more accessible?

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[20:44 - 22:30] The COVID pandemic has changed almost every element of our lives. The government launched the CESB, Canada Student Service Grant, CSSB. These have gotta help, right?

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[22:31 - 25:26] How else can the current scholarship model improve? If I were a large corporation or institution setting up a new scholarship program, how should I design that program? Shelley Clayton University of New Brunswick - https://www.unb.ca/fredericton/studentservices/financial-aid/contact.html

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[25:27 - 26:29] Should we seek more from corporations to help fund education? Is there not a conflict of interest?

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[26:30 - 29:04] Should we look to institutions or the government? Should tuition be free? What do you think the future of higher education should look like for Canada?\xa0

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[29:05 - 30:22] Any hot tips to repay those student loans after graduation?\xa0

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[30:23 - Rapid Fire Questions \xa0- What\u2019s in your wallet? What book do you think everyone should read? https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Your-Writing-Sucks-Business-ebook/dp/B015JLXR2C Where do you spend most of your money each week? If you had a giant billboard on the side of the highway, what would it say? What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you\u2019ve ever made? Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc. Should people take gap years? What\u2019s your number - to live independently wealthy and life on your own terms? What\u2019s next for you? How can people get in touch with you? https://www.higheredpoints.com

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[41:07 - 44:36] The Knowledge Bank - Insurance for university students is cheaper than you think - https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/tenant-insurance-university-students/

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[44:37 - 45:29] Outro

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