news
To Student Debt
It’s always nice when the place where students unload most of their OSAP money gives something back. Canada’s Firkin Group of Pubs has started a clever-ish “Un-scholarship” fund/contest thinger that’ll give away $25,000 annually to current post-secondary students and recent grads who have the best sob stories about their debt situation. The most pitiable schmucks will be voted on by the general public and sent on to final round judging! Weeeee.
We’re probably blowing the chances of the few people who currently know about this under-publicized thing, and in doing so are also giving many more dollars in free publicity to the Firkin (oh, you got us!). But with 40% of Canadian college and university graduates entering the workforce in debt, this is a McDuck-sized pile of free money for the worthy and a pretty unique way of doling it out, so, hey. Check it.
Clicking through the current entrants reveals many photos of people holding babies and puppy dogs, plus a lot of sad sack stories about dead/deadbeat parents, knocked up young couples, and other typically unhappy times. Some use their application as a forum to expound on the cost of tuition. Others, like Ralph from Toronto (the majority of entries are from the GTA), probably have the right idea by appealing directly to the Firkin judges who pick the final winners: “I deserve the Firkin debt-eliminating award, because throughout my years at University I have drank and eaten more than 25,000 dollars at local Firkin Pubs!”
Still, most of the entrants so far are total boring mcboringsons. Even when we clicked on pictures that looked like they might hold a little humour about their situation within, there was none to be found (but maybe that’s insurmountable debt for ya). Someone needs to lighten up the bummer party to get our vote. Get in there, tiger.
Details and entry forms here. Application deadline is September 26.
Photo by deepwarren.