Re: University in Canada
 

It's all relative I suppose vs what income one has. 20,000 is a huge amount of money just to go to school in my eye, but again all relative.

I find BC tuition far too high, if you don't have parents or a good income, it's incredibly difficult to pay the going rates, and prevents people from accessing higher education.

Re: University in Canada
 

plan wisely for your childs future

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/t.../menu-eng.html

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/resp.shtml

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/student_loans/resp/index.page

http://www.ontario.ca/education-and-...ntario-tuition

http://www.ontario.ca/page/student-l...-and-bursaries

Re: University in Canada
 

We're not contemplating anything like $20,000 a year. Each Semester's tuition is about $2900 in total. She's going to be doing 2 Semesters per year as most students work during the summer. The teaching university I mentioned is about $2,000 a Semester I think but not 100% sure.

S

Re: University in Canada
 

That is certainly more reasonable. I am trying for a 6 month certificate program and the cost is nearly as much as some degree programs, makes no sense. 2,000 is doable, but 17k which is what I need to figure out, not so affordable.

Re: University in Canada
 

My direct experience is with funding courses at McGill, Kings and Concordia. Other schools may have different arrangements. I'm slightly bemused to find that Western charges a fee to attend, less so that it's the same for all students.

Re: University in Canada
 

Yes, I heard from a friend about the out of province fee in relation to McGill (the son goes there and the family live in BC).

JSmith: are you a citizen or a PR? It is usually cheaper (and often significantly so) than if you classed as a temporary resident, in which case for many courses, especially of significant length, you have to pay international student fees.

S

Re: University in Canada
 

I am a permanent resident. There is just a lack of schools offering medical lab assistant program in the LM, VCC is the only public college that does, but they have a slew of pre-requisites and an extensive wait list and by the time I complete all the pre-reqs the cost is nearly the same.

The hurdle is I went to college back in 2008 and got over my head and struggled through, and didn't do so well, so I no longer eligible for student loans so have to find a way to pay totally out of pocket which we are trying to work a way out to do so, just haven't figured out how yet.

Re: University in Canada
 

Yes I was looking at VCC for something for someone and I thought they were expensive.

Have you looked at Thompson Rivers or are there any private colleges who offer that course?

S

Re: University in Canada
 

I can confirm that's right (we live in BC and my son goes to Western too). In fact, you don't even have to have PR (we don't). It seems that as long as you're a Canadian taxpayer then you're treated the same as domestic students.

Re: University in Canada
 

Thompson Rivers does offer it semi-distance and if I can line up the practicum and be able to get to Kamloops (or maybe it's Kelowna) for the part that is on campus it might be a possibility.

There are a couple private colleges that offer the program, and that is where I am looking at, the school that has the best reviews runs 17,000 for the program, so not cheap, and considering it's 6 months long, pricey, but all the short term stuff is.

I just need a skill for a specific kind of job that pays an okay wage, and medical lab assistant meets my needs and doesn't require a degree and a bunch of academic classes I don't do well in...lol

Re: University in Canada
 

When I was looking at doing a TESL course last year, some of the (private) colleges I rang to enquire said they were willing to offer a discount because I was a PR, so I don't know if it's worth asking if they offer reduced fees. One or two, I remember, offered without me asking and another said they were willing to discuss it when I asked.

S

Re: University in Canada
 

use the following to get a ballpark cost

http://www.getsmarteraboutmoney.ca/t...alculator.aspx

Undergraduate tuition fees for full time Canadian students, by discipline, by province (Ontario)

Re: University in Canada
 

I wonder if that's changed over the years or if different universities apply things differently? When my daughter was applying 4 years ago, the universities she applied to classed PRs the same as citizens as far as fees were concerned - if we were still on TWP, her fees would have been higher. She didn't apply to Western however.

Re: University in Canada
 

I know that at Quebec universities, students from Quebec pay less than students from outside Quebec.

Despite the "party school" reputation, Western is a good school. Every school is a party school if you chose to make it so by hanging out too much with the wrong people. It also depends on what you are actually studying. My daughter is doing a very tough medical science degree and has been more challenged there than her US friends have been at some of the better known US universities. For example, in her first year at Western she had 3 mandatory lab courses which is a workload frowned upon in the US. Also the marking is much tougher than at US schools.

The fees are the same for all Canadian citizens and PRs. They do charge higher fees for international students.

Re: University in Canada
 

Interesting because Western's domestic fee schedule specifically says it is for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Maybe their definition of "permanent resident" includes anyone legally living in Canada? My daughter went to high school in the US and had to submit evidence of her Canadian citizenship to Western in order to pay domestic tuition.