Yet another one of our resident deer.
If there is one thing that’s certain right now, it’s that we live in uncertain times. If there’s one thing that’s precedented, it’s that times these days tend to be unprecedented. And if you’re reading this, you’re probably living in an added bubble of uncertain and unprecedented personal times. You have either applied to law school or you are planning on it, and you will likely spend months wondering if you got in. If you do get in, you will likely spend a few months between when you get that call and when you are able to start making plans. If you are waitlisted, you will likely sit by the phone waiting to hear for some time. It’s uncertain times for all of those circumstances.
Adding a personal layer of uncertainty in an uncertain world – and, yes, the world is really weird right now – can add a lot of anxiety to the normal baselevel existential dread you feel. However, this is, we hope, an investment in a more certain future, perhaps one where you can turn the dial of the rest of the world into more predictable stability. But we acknowledge that for anyone who has ever applied to any school to study any discipline, there is a commonality in that intersection of absolute personal uncertainty while you are waiting for acceptance.
So what can you do?
The best thing that you can do in a time of uncertainty in my humble opinion is what I call “arming yourself with knowledge.” That is, know what there is that’s available for you to know. Research and understand the world that exists outside of the variables. Then set a timeline for yourself regarding the variables and make a plan for how you will react as things become more certain.
So, let’s say you got an offer for UVic Law already. How does that look?
First, you should understand the timeline for every department or place you are dealing with. You should know (and hopefully accept) that there isn’t much you can do TODAY. It’s only March, and school doesn’t start until September.
From our perspective, a few things will happen:
- You will not start getting emails from us as a class until at least April, though it might be May. Then you will get a LOT of them. Emails are where you get all of the information about the things that you do not know yet – student loans, bursaries, class schedules. Absolutely none of that will happen for a few weeks. We have to wait until we have a mostly formed 1L class to begin sending all of the information. But in the meantime, you CAN ensure you put the right email address on your application (check your application status online, rather than call). Ensure it is an email address that you check regularly. Then check it regularly.
- Housing is tight in Victoria. You can look. You can budget. Then understand the availability window. The term ends for other university students in April. Some students (and generally humans who are in Victoria for reasons other than university) will have a schedule that is askew (while this isn’t exactly the right word to use here, it’s an opportunity to tell you to click here for one of my favourite Internet Easter eggs) from leaving Victoria in April. However, April-ish is when you can expect apartments to begin to become available.
- Financial aid applications generally don’t become available until June. Student loan applications generally open in June. The Law Bursary application is due in June. The general bursary application isn’t due until October. However, here is one place where you can put a real plan in place. I’ll talk about this more below.
- Class schedules are assigned to all 1Ls in You are automatically enrolled. You will need to do nothing.
Secondly, you make a plan with the variables and choices that you know you have.
For example, if you are a student with a disability, you can be in touch with the Centre for Accessible Learning to understand what the process looks like so you have everything you need lined up for the first day of class.
Housing and financial aid tend to be more complicated matters for our incoming students. With housing, my best advice is to be realistic about what you need (including space, proximity to amenities, school catchment, etc.), look broadly, and be patient and persistent. If you need space for others in your life such as a partner, children, or others you care for, additional persistence and patience may be necessary. Definitely be on the lookout for LSS discussions and other opportunities to connect with other incoming (or outgoing) students about housing.
Regarding financial aid, I’m generally surprised at how many students don’t consider how they will pay for school until the last minute. This is one way in which you can really arm yourself with knowledge. It can be generally broken down into four basic steps.
Step 1. Budget. In this consider moving expenses, family care responsibility, tuition, books, a realistic living expense, transportation, and other expenses, including entertainment and emergencies. Have honest conversations with yourself about how much money you need to make it through the school year.
Step 2. Have a plan. The sad reality is that school isn’t free, and we just don’t have the budget to support students through three or four years of school. The good news is that there are options for most students.
Some students are fortunate enough to have family support through school. Others are fortunate enough to have the savings to get them through. Band support, employer support, and external scholarships are all ways students pay for some or all of school. Many students feel fortunate enough to be receiving any sort of external support that they forget to ask the important questions. That is, who will be paying? Where will they send the money (as in, will they pay tuition directly or send to you)? When will they pay? How much will they pay? These four questions are an important part of understanding what your financial health looks like for a move and the start of school.
Students with partners who work full-time fall in a bit of a different category. To funding providers, a household income is generally seen as an opportunity to contribute to educational expenses, even if that isn’t the reality or within the capability of the partner. This is a good thing to think about. If your student loans are lower because of spousal income (or other reasons), how will you make up the difference? Are you in a position to contribute financially to your education?
Step 3. Know the resources to make up the shortfall. If you are one of the many students who is does not have a reliable source for funding all of tuition and living expenses, there are a few places you can look to recover that shortfall. Keep in mind, however, that this generally means borrowing money. Students look to student loans and professional student lines of credit, though they may find some assistance from non-repayable bursaries and scholarships.
Student loans are applied for in June through your provincial student loan provider. Timing and amounts vary, so it’s best to talk to your student loan provider directly about when you are notified about an amount you will receive, when funds are disbursed, and anything else that might affect the amount of your student loans and grants. This is also a good time to understand repayment terms and what life events/choices might affect those.
Professional student lines of credit are offered by all major banks in Canada. However, the terms are not all the same, and not all students will qualify for them. It’s a good idea as early as possible to shop around the banks, figure out how long the process takes, find out what documentation is required, and figure out whether you will qualify.
Student loans and professional student lines of credit can work well together. Students who get government funding may find that they don’t receive enough money from student loans and grants to cover all expenses. A professional student line of credit can make up that shortfall.
Another reason you might take out a professional student line of credit is as an emergency fund. It’s not advisable to take on more debt than you absolutely need to, but a professional student line of credit can serve as anxiety relief. Knowing that you could cope with an emergency is helpful.
Step 4. Know where other money is available. It is asked by UVic Law that you enter your first year of school with a plan to pay for it – all of it. Again, UVic Law doesn’t have the budget to fund all students through school. However, there are opportunities on the way to gain some extra funding. Keep in mind that if funds aren’t announced significantly before the start of the school year, they realistically cannot be part of your first-year budget.
We offer entrance and in course scholarships, as well as a robust needs-based bursary program, all of which you will hear more about as emails begin to drift your way. However, unless you have a guaranteed minimum scholarship listed in your offer letter, you cannot count on getting one. Scholarships are also not announced until later in the summer. Bursaries, likewise, are not disbursed, or even calculated, prior to the start of school. Law Bursaries are announced/disbursed in early November, and the general bursaries in January.
What if you’re waitlisted or haven’t heard yet?
You can still make hypothetical plans and mark dates on your calendar. You can still chart a path that you plan to take and do research. You can still make strides to understand the housing market and make a plan to pay for expenses. You can still mark on your calendar the last possible date you would consider accepting an offer from UVic Law and still be able to effectively deal with all of your outstanding variables (like housing and tuition).