Douglas College (Canada)

Date: Dec 20 2018
Major: Music - Performance (This Major's Salary over time)
I want every parent to know that Douglas College utterly failed me as a student.

Three years ago I was in Douglas's music program with my husband, Josh. While we were attending he became very sick and died within a couple weeks. There was difficulty determining whether it was the mono or cancer or liver failure that killed him.

He had life insurance through Douglas College. It was supposed to cover up to $7,000, which would have stabilized me at the time. But after dragging their feet for almost a year, the life insurance company finally refused to pay out.

By this time I was in a horrible situation financially and I was having a mental health breakdown. I'd injured my back at work and lost my job, I'd borrowed money from friends and family that I could no longer pay back because the life insurance money was not coming, and I couldn't pay my rent anymore. I was so desperate that I even considered prostitution to survive. I sank into deep depression and anxiety, and it developed into severe C-PTSD.

I contacted Douglas college and told them what had happened. I begged for their help. I begged them to help me get the insurance company to give me the money I was due- because otherwise I would end up on the street, homeless and selling myself to survive. Or, to help me with housing and food until I could get back on my feet.

They refused to help. They wouldn't do anything. It wasn't their problem. They would not challenge the insurance company.

I had nowhere else to turn. Fortunately the kindness of my friends saved me from ending up on the streets or having to sell myself to survive, but I've spent the past two years homeless and couch surfing and financially ruined because of the life insurance company refusing to pay me what I was due.

It's been a couple years. I've worked hard to survive, despite all these odds stacked against me, despite losing many friends when I was unable to pay them back. I've recovered enough to start going after the institutions that allowed these monstrous events to happen to a young widow who just wanted to play the violin and make art. That's all I ever wanted. Why would nobody at the college help me?? Why was I dropped into financial ruin and homelessness, when I was grieving my husband's death???

I want Douglas College to be held accountable for this, because you can bet I'm not the only student whose life has been destroyed by the school's apathy (or impotence) when it comes to protecting their students from corruption when they are at their most vulnerable!!

Parents and students- do NOT trust this college's insurance coverage. The company they use will screw you over if they think they can get away with it, and the school won't lift a finger to help you.