Students earn extra credit and thank the ones who matter most

RBC and the Student Life Network announce 'Thank You Mom and Dad' contest with a chance to win $20,000

Twitter @StudentLifeNet The Ultimate Thank You. Register for #ThankYouMomAndDad‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ to win $20,000 from @RBC_Canada‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬: http://bit.ly/1I1iPua

TORONTO, May 7, 2015 /CNW/ - When it comes to post-secondary education, students need to balance transition to a new school, finances and independence - all at once. The good news is, the majority (89 per cent) of students say their parents are providing emotional and/or financial support, according to a recent survey conducted by RBC. The support is often an invaluable lifeline to the thousands of students that enroll in post-secondary studies every year.

RBC, in partnership with the Student Life Network, has launched the Thank You Mom and Dad contest, which asks students across Canada to share their stories of thanks to the people who matter the most during their post-secondary journey. Not limited to parents, the stories may be about grandparents, siblings, guardians and mentors. A winner will be selected at random to win the $20,000 prize - to be used to thank the most supportive people in their lives.

While only one winner will be chosen, more than 8,000 students have already used this opportunity to share their unique and heart-warming stories, a gift in itself to the people that are important to the student. Participating students create their very own Thank You page and have the chance to share their thanks through words, videos, photos and social media with what the support has meant to them.

"I personally felt a connection with others after reading some of the story submissions and hearing how others overcame the same obstacles. It's nice to know we aren't alone in our journey. And at the end of the day, we all just want to say thanks," said Sabrina Drooff, student.

Students use multiple sources of financing throughout their education, and 75 per cent of students say a parent or guardian contributes some financial support towards schooling. Emotional support (58 per cent) ranks high in the survey and students also reported support through advice or help in trying to decide on a career path (36 per cent).

"Most students rely on multiple sources to help pay for school, but a common thread among all is the emotional support they receive during post-secondary education," said Melissa Jarman, director, Student Banking. "Students tell us the advice and support helped them make the right choices - so how do you say thank you for something so significant? Thank You Mom and Dad is a way to celebrate these unsung heroes."

Earn extra credit for your story
Each student can enter once, but earn extra entries by following @RBC_Canada on Twitter, Tweeting about the contest, visiting the RBC Facebook page and more. The contest runs until June 30, 2015. For full contest rules and how to enter, visit the Thank You Mom and Dad homepage.

Notable submissions include stories about parents who have immigrated to Canada, single parents going the distance, parents who had overcome adversity, and grandparents, siblings and foster parents helping students achieve their goals in college and university.

"Every student would like to thank their parents for helping them, but most don't have the resources to do so," said Steve Sills, Co-founder of Student Life Network. "That was how the contest came into fruition."

About the RBC Student Banking Poll
The RBC Student Banking poll was conducted by Vision Critical, with a nationally representative group of students who attend a Canadian university or college. The online survey was completed between March 2 and March 12, 2015. In total, 1,507 online surveys were completed. The margin of error — which measures sampling variability — is ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The sample was balanced by gender and region according to the most recent census data.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We employ approximately 78,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 39 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2014, we contributed more than $111 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $76 million and $35 million in sponsorships.

SOURCE RBC