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Rochelle Viray estimates that her bachelors of science in microbiology at the University of Manitoba cost more than $20,000. When she was finished, she had a clean slate and no debt since her mom and dad foot the entire bill.

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An allowance for adult children could be the answer for wealthy seniors, a way to help their offspring live more comfortably with less emotional trauma





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“My parents grew up in the Philippines and they didn’t have a chance to go to school,” says the 26-year-old city clerk, who lived at home during her school years in Winnipeg. “When my dad got here, he worked really hard and created his own business. He wanted to make sure no opportunity was wasted.”

She worked part-time at a sushi restaurant so she could cover her own entertainment costs, shopping and cellphone bills. Her parents paid the rest.

While 51% of Canadian students will have to borrow money to make ends meet for their post-secondary education, according to a CIBC survey released Monday, that suggests the other half are not. They may be funding the whole thing themselves from employment, parents maybe be underwriting the experience, or it may be a bit of both.