University Tuition Fees and Student Work Patterns: Updated Evidence from Canada

Abstract

This study uses 1980-2011 Labor Force Survey data to investigate the effect of rising university tuition fees on student work patterns in Canada. The main results indicate that tuition fees do not affect either average hours worked or the probability that a full-time university student combines study with employment. Two potential reasons for these inconclusive results are explored in this study: the measurement of the tuition fee variable, and the compositional change in student body due to rising tuition fees. This study has two main contributions: first, it serves as an update to the limited literature that examines the direct effect of university costs on student work patterns; and secondly, it adds to literature that takes into account the endogeneity of tuition fees.