Financial Information of Colleges (FINCOL)
Detailed information for 2022/2023
Status:
Active
Frequency:
Annual
Record number:
3146
The purpose of the survey is to collect financial information (income and expenditures) concerning all non-degree-granting community colleges and public vocational schools across the country.
Description
The Financial Information of Colleges Survey was developed to provide financial information (income and expenditures) on all non-degree-granting community colleges and public vocational schools in Canada.
This information:
-gives associations and governments a better understanding of the financial position for that level of education;
-helps in the development of policies in this sector;
-helps measure impact of increased tuition fees;
-helps measure impact of federal/provincial support.
Subjects
- Education finance
- Education, training and learning
Data sources and methodology
Target population
The target population is all non-degree-granting community colleges and public vocational schools in Canada. Private institutions that only offer courses at the trade and vocational level are not covered by this survey. For statistical purposes, institutions are classified as follows:
1. Community Colleges
Included in this classification are the colleges of applied arts and technology (CAATs) in Ontario, general and vocational colleges (CEGEPs) in Quebec, institutes of technology and other institutions providing education in fields such as paramedical technologies, nursing, agriculture, forestry, nautical sciences, etc. These institutions offer programs at the postsecondary level (university transfer and career programs), and may offer trade-vocational level programs.
2. Vocational Schools
This classification includes Centres of orientation and training for immigrants (COFIs) in Quebec and any other public institutions offering programs at the trade-vocational level only.
Instrument design
The survey was implemented in 1982 by the then Education Division in consultation with every provincial Ministry of Education as well as with a pilot study telling us what would be available. It was eventually designed and tested by the Questionnaire Design Resource Centre (QDRC).
The definitions for the data elements comprising the variables on the questionnaire are the same as those from the Financial Information of Universities and Colleges Survey (record number 3121) done in conjunction with the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) as there are lots of similarities between the two surveys.
Sampling
This survey is a census with a cross-sectional design.
Data are collected for all units of the target population, therefore no sampling is done.
Data sources
Data collection for this reference period: 2023-11-09 to 2024-09-30
Responding to this survey is voluntary.
Data are collected directly from survey respondents and extracted from administrative files.
Most non-degree-granting community colleges (except those from Quebec's CEGEPs) and public vocational schools report via paper questionnaire. Others send us only their financial statement.
Quebec's CEGEPs report to its own collection authorities (Enseignement supérieur -- Direction générale du financement et de l'équipement -- Direction du financement et du contrôle). This information is sent to Statistics Canada (STC) on hardcopy. A mapping and integration process is then done to convert the CEGEPs data into the FINCOL format database.
All material is mailed out by Operations and Integration Division (OID).
FINCOL questionnaires are returned to OID for processing.
OID conducts telephone follow-up of all institutions except CEGEPs.
View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .
- Date modified: