Students

According to Statistics Canada, in 2011 the group between the ages of 20 years and 24 years made up the largest proportion of the population in Saskatoon.  As with other demographics, this group will continue to increase, and it will see one of the most significant increases.

Specifically the student population in Saskatoon does not have proper access to affordable housing and with arelatively large amount of post-secondary students, Saskatoon has a lower-than-average campus housing-to-student ratio.

There are approximately 28,000 post-secondary students in Saskatoon. Of those, just over 21,000 attended the University of Saskatchewan in the fall of 2012.  Only 10 per cent of University of Saskatchewan students have access to on-campus accommodations which is well below the national university average of 15 percent. In addition, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) does not have any student housing available for those enrolled.

The low amount of student housing in Saskatoon means that more students have to seek accommodations through the traditional housing market. In general, many full-time students have a limited amount of income at their disposal as many work part-time jobs and finance their studies with the assistance of student loans. For the student population, even marginal increases in rental prices can place a significant strain on their budgets. Student housing will become an increasing probem as enrollment at the Univeristy of Saskathcewan continues to rise.