As college tuition continues to skyrocket here in the U.S., many families are looking at different options that are easier on the bank accounts. But they aren’t only looking at community colleges and trade schools---they are also researching the benefits of sending their children off to attend college in Canada. There are more benefits to going north for college than lower tuition though; Canadian universities offer many opportunities that you may want to consider when deciding what college to attend.
Canadian colleges offer first-rate education with degree programs that are globally recognized. Because Canada more carefully standardizes higher education than the United States, practically any of the universities there provide students with an outstanding education which draws some of the best educators from around the world.
Numerous Canadian colleges do not require ACT or SAT scores to apply. This is a real benefit for students who tend not to score well on standardized tests. Additionally, some of these colleges only consider junior and senior high school grades when determining acceptance, so a student with a lower GPA early in their high school career may have an easier time getting admitted to their preferred college.
Most U.S. students who attend college in Canada agree that the application process for Canadian universities is less demanding, requiring fewer essays and recommendation letters. This can be a considerable plus when considering the time-consuming task of applying to multiple US colleges, not to mention the price of rising application fees.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are able to work on Canadian campuses without gaining access to a work visa. This makes it easier for students to pay for their college costs while attending school, instead of having to rely on student loans. Additionally, students who graduate from a Canadian college are offered the chance of staying to work in the country for 3 years after graduation. This offers new graduates twice the amount of career opportunities than if they had attended school in the U.S., especially considering Canada’s lower unemployment rate for recent college grads.
Because all Canadian colleges are generously and equallyfunded at both the Federal and Providence level,the cost of attendance is much more standardized than in the U.S.In fact, no other country with a similar Gross National Product funds its colleges more. Because of this, the cost of attending can be a fraction of what it would cost to get a similar education in the United States.
It is a little-known fact that U.S. Federal loan monies can be used to pay for college tuition in Canada. Though students may not need to worry about accruing as much student debt, if they are eligible for loans such as Stafford and PLUS, they can use them to attend a university in Canada.
Typically, the exchange rates between the United States and Canada are favorable to the U.S. dollar. When comparing cost between American and Canadian colleges, this is one thing you should figure into the decision. Current exchange rates can easily be located on the Internet.
Because of government funding in many aspects of daily life, the cost of living in Canada is usually lower than in the U. S.This is something to consider since many Canadian colleges are customarily commuter schools. This fact alone could be a big savings since many college students live off campus, meaning they pay rent and purchase groceries rather than pay for room and board on campus, which of course, is much more costly.
More and more Canadian universities are offering international merit scholarshipsto their American students. The ability to access scholarships, combined with the option to use U.S. Federal loans, work on campus, plus the lower cost of tuition offers U.S. students a way to start their life off with fewer student loans hanging over their heads.
