Studying in Canada: A Guide for Non-Canadians
Guest post by James Cave
With the introduction of compulsory course fees at English and Welsh universities, many potential UK undergraduates are seriously considering studying overseas for the first time. The thinking goes that if you’re going to be paying thousands each year to expand your mind at university, why not enhance the experience by submerging yourself in the culture of a different country at the same time?
As an English speaking Commonwealth country, Canada is emerging as a top choice for many getaway students from the UK. This is understandable for the reason that Canada is different from home but not different enough to be scary or alienating.
However, here are many good reasons to consider studying in Canada. Firstly, it’s a big place, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific in the west, and offers a huge variety of locations to choose from. From cutting-edge festival cities such as Montreal and Toronto which regularly poll as offering among the highest quality of life anywhere in the world to visually stunning and unique places such as Quebec, Alberta and Newfoundland, Canada has a university town to attract everyone. And, although it is a long plane journey away, there are plenty of companies that fly to Canada, especially to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
On a practical level, tuition fees in Canada are generally competitive with those in the UK and other English speaking countries. Many educational institutions in Canada offer scholarships, grants or bursaries for international students. Each institution is different, though, so it’s best to research the institutions you’re considering applying to individually to find out what sort of financial support opportunities may be available. You can find contact information for each university at the Study in Canada website. You’ll also find information on the admission policies of each institution.
Crucially, the education you receive and the qualifications you gain from an accredited Canadian university, college or business school will be recognised throughout the world. You can check that a particular institution is fully accredited by visiting the website of the