KPU STUDENTS & PROGRAMS SNAPSHOT

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN REPORTS GENERATED BY KPU’S OFFICE OF PLANNING & ACCOUNTABILITY (visit kpu.ca/opa to learn more).

3% of domestic students are indigenous

TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS 2020/21 = 19,724 (Total

TOP FIVE ETHNIC IDENTITIES reported by students in the 2021 Student Satisfaction Survey

67% of International students were first-generation students, meaning that their parents did not attend any post-secondary education.

% of Domestic and International students that were studying outside of the Lower Mainland — elsewhere in BC, elsewhere in Canada, or outside of Canada entirely.

KPU OFFERS MORE THAN 140 DIVERSE PROGRAMS IN SEVEN FACULTIES AND CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, INCLUDING CAREER, VOCATIONAL TRADES AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS.

One exciting new program area at KPU is Entertainment Arts, including Foundation, Advanced 3D Animation and 3D Modelling, Advanced VFX and Advanced Game Development . For more information about current KPU programs, visit kpu.ca/find-your-program.

October 25, 2022

Dear Donors of the Psychology Student Leadership Impact Award, I'm writing to express my gratitude as the recipient of the 2022 Psychology Student Leadership Impact Award. I was surprised and honoured to learn of my selection for such a meaningful award, and I am deeply appreciative to receive your support in pursuit of my education. To share a little bit about myself, I am currently enrolled in my second year of my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. My focus is on how I can help improve the lives of children and adolescents with chronic illness and pain.

In order to get a better sense of what I want to do with my future, I passionately work as a patient consultant for the Child Kind pain management initiative at BC Children's Hospital, hold a position on the Youth Advisory Committee and Pain Committee at BCCH, and volunteer with the Children's Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House. I have also recently been brought onto the research team at the Alberta Children's Hospital PEAK (Pain, Education, Advocacy, Knowledge) Research Lab, where I collaborate with an incredible group of psychologists and students who share my passion for improving the experiences of children and families dealing with pain.

All of these experiences have helped me recognize my love of patient advocacy and come to the realization that I would make an incredible social worker, specifically in a healthcare setting. Regardless of where exactly I end up, I truly believe that my experience of facing years of pain and illness and fighting to regain my quality of life will make me a valuable healthcare professional.

I will admit that pursuing a university education with a disability has been one of the most challenging things I've ever done, and it has not come without moments of self-doubt. The challenges that once seemed insurmountable to me, have now become the driving force of everything that I do, but I've realized that I can't do it alone.

Your generosity through this award has not only reduced the financial burden of my post-secondary education but has also reminded me that the number of people supporting me stretches far beyond what I can see. It has also reminded me that I am not only capable of completing my education, but that I am capable of doing it well. For that alone, I extend my deepest thanks.

Sincerely, Katelyn

KPU FOUNDATION STUDENT AWARDS DISBURSEMENT:

May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022

KPU STUDENT AWARDS DISBURSEMENT

May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022

Student Support Is Not Keeping Pace With Assessed Need

Donor-funded bursaries and awards help bridge the gap between demonstrated student need and financial aid sources administered by KPU’s Student Awards and Financial Assistance Office, and are more and more important, as this gap continues to widen.

The following chart demonstrates the exponential growth in unmet financial need over five pre-pandemic years, and the impact of the pandemic during the following two years. Factors such as inflation, including increased living expenses (such as rent, groceries, gas) combined with incremental growth in student tuition and fees, textbook and technology costs, etc. have outpaced the growth of financial aid over the same period.

KPU is working hard with initiatives like Zero Textbook Costs (ZTC) course delivery (over 300 courses at KPU – the first program of its kind in Canada) and finding other ways to cut costs for students, but the unmet need is still growing.

I am deeply appreciative of your support. Like many students, I find it a financial struggle to be a fulltime student, so your generous donation alleviates the burden. The bursary reminds me about the importance of education and community. It feels like an affirmation of my commitment and dream to becoming a nurse. This bursary will allow me to put all my energy and focus on doing well in the program, a career rooted in service, advocacy and care. In the future, I hope to support future nurses and inspire others to work towards their dreams because anything is possible.

– Ran (Deltassist-Family and Community Services Endowed Bursary)

"As a child, I saw my great-grandmother making and designing regalia; often she would sew on the strawberry flower. The strawberry flower represented growth and new beginnings; when the berry would form, we would harvest it and freeze it, make jam or can it for the winter. The wild strawberry is a resilient plant that grows low to the ground. Considered the heart fruit that nourishes, it is one of the first fruit we would harvest for the year. When designing this image, I thought about how I have always been in awe of the random flower that would grow in an unexpected area, and this reminds me of resilience. In the strawberry leaf, you will see the salmon egg, another representation of strength, stability, growth and resilience. The background is stone representing harsh conditions, but the flower is still growing."

– Artist Sylvia Simpson