WendyS

Hi, just a quick one about fees.

I've noticed on Canadian Uni sites they give two price bands, domestic and international. If we have PR status are we classed as domestic?

My husband has just started to worry about fees for our children when they reach Uni age. Are Canadian fees far more than the UK?

Thanks

Ben W Bell

If you are resident in Canada you are resident, therefore domestic. International is only for students who nominally live outside the country and come in for the university course.

Helen Parnell

My son plans to go to UBC and on their website they estimate with accommodation, food, and fees to allocate $16000 per year.

There is no 'grant' system in Alberta/canada but there is $$$ of dollars available in scholarships. These of course have to be applied for but come from all places. A lot of companies will annually give a scholarship award to relatives of staff, our local church gives money to two students and in Alberta there is the Rutherford award which goes to all students who qualify and apply.

I have met students who have not had to work during university because they got all the scholarships they could. I have also met people who are 30 are still paying off school fees because when they were 18 they could not be bothered to write a name on a form!!

Unlike the UK the school loans do not get 'wiped off'. Students use to declare themselves bankrupt at 25 and get rid of the student loan. Not any more, you can travel, you can go bankrupt, you can be homeless, but be sure that the school loan will be with you all the time!!!

dbd33

Note though that there are different fees according to province of residence and province of university. It's usually cheaper to attend a school in your province of residence.

Cookie

It's cheaper for my son to go to Memorial Uni in NFLD. Fees, including medical, room in 4-bedroom apartment on campus, plus food vouchers are around $9,500 per year which is much cheaper than available in all NS. Of course we will have to pay for flights home for the holidays so we had to add that expense into the pot.

Memorial also has a good reputation and I'll bet a fantastic social-life can be had in St Johns

Butch Cassidy

Will your kids be going to uni within four of years of you becoming PR or do you just not intend to take out citizenship.

TWP holders are 'resident' but their children would be charged Internationally (AFIAK)

Nah you could just leave him there

Cookie

I think a trip up there myself to be screeched in and kiss the cod may be the way to go

Simon Legree

When our two went through school a few years back we were fortunate enough to be able to pay their fees for them but made them sign promissory notes for it. The deal was that if they became "Christmas Graduates" (flunked out) they knew that they would be on the hook for all of the fees. I don't know if that was the incentive but they both ended up on The Dean's List and without Student Loans.

WendyS

Thanks for all your replies

We're hoping to locate to Vancouver Island and with any luck they'll want to go to Victoria Uni and so cut the lodgings cost.

My eldest son is 16 in October so I assume will go to Uni as a PR. We will take citzenship when we can.

WendyS

I think i'll give that a go.

dbd33

Mine liked university so much that they're going back for another round in September. My father must be turning in his grave, he thought their first courses a waste of money on account of them being girls.

JonboyE

Many students take the first year of a four year baccalaureate at a local college. In the Lower Mainland these are colleges like Langara, Kwantlen or Capilano. There must be equivalents on the Island. These have lower fees and the students can live at home for an extra year.

Cookie

We do not have an education fund in place because Uni is free in Scotland. We have decided to pay our son's first year fees, thereafter will pay at least half so he will have a student loan. We are doing this because money comes easy to kids and they don't really appreciate items given to them free throughout their lives. Four years down the line it will be my younger son's time to move onto further education so we will do the same for him. Any extra education after the 4 years will be mainly self-funded because we cannot afford to pay out 2 set of fees at the same time.

However, if we are feeling flush with cash (somehow lol) down the line, then we would not see our kids in poverty but there is no way I will bail them out if they are blowing their money on fast cars, fancy holidays, etc and have no money to live on - tough love . Our oldest already has a p/t job here and has been told he will need one in NFLD too. He is okay with that

I was never handed anything when I was younger. Paid for my own driving lessons, saved for over a year for a deposit on a car, etc, etc. Teaches you a lesson on how to work hard for what you want and pay for it upfront instead of relying on credit cards to fund non-essential items .

Simon Legree

Neither was I ever handed anything. I had to graft for every single thing in one way or another. Sure I help my kids out if they need it but there is always a promissory note, repayment schedule and interest. Fortunately they seem to have learned from it and have made their own way. I still have an aversion to credit cards and personal debt. If I can't afford the gig it doesn't happen. Too many people get in the glue from easy credit for instant gratification. Anything that you don't have to work for has little personal value.

dbd33

Speak for yourself. I find that having to work for things detracts from the enjoyment of them, I like things handed to me on a plate.