Three expenses of international students in Canada

International students need to pay more than CAD 50,000 (VND 860 million) for each year of study in Canada, including tuition and living costs - a level that is believed to be lower than the US, Australia and the UK.

Tuition

Canadian universities charge different tuition fees, depending on the program of study, the student's nationality, and the study location.

At the undergraduate level, if Canadian students pay an average of 6,500 CAD (112 million VND), international students pay about 36,000 CAD (618 million VND) per year.

By profession, the tuition fee for Dentistry and Medicine is at 59,000 CAD, higher than that of programs in Humanities and Social Sciences. Management and Business majors have near-average tuition fees, about CAD 36,000.

University tuition fees vary greatly from city to city. Among them, Ontario has one of the highest rates with about 45,000 CAD per year at the undergraduate level, while students in Newfoundland only need to pay 16,000 CAD.

If you follow the graduate system, this is more than 21,000 CAD (360 million VND) a year.

Accommodation

Students studying in Canada have a variety of accommodation options, including homestays (in hostels or student villages), school-provided accommodation or self-renting.

Some homestay services charge an initial fee (or accommodation arrangement fee) of 200 CAD and the rent per month is about 1,000 CAD (17 million VND). Student housing or school dormitories range in price from CAD 250-625 (VND 4-10 million) per month. Many of them also offer food service.

If renting outside and sharing, students need to pay about 1,300-2,500 CAD (22-43 million VND), depending on where they live and the type of house.

University of Toronto campus, Canada. Photo: University of Toronto

Subsistence

If renting a private house, students lose about 150 CAD (2.5 million VND) per month for personal utilities such as electricity, water, heating, council tax. Internet cost about 40 CAD per month and phone plan is 30 CAD.

Average weekly food costs are around $50-65 AUD. A meal in a restaurant in Canada costs about 15 CAD per person and a movie ticket about 9 CAD.

One-way tickets for public transport are about a few CAD, monthly tickets are about 80-100 CAD. Students may be able to get discounts on some public transport systems. Taxis are a popular means of transport in Canada, charging around 2-6 CAD per kilometer.

Another important cost to take into account is health insurance, with fees that vary by region. Some places that cover international student health insurance include Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. However, this depends on the length of stay and the nationality of the student. Meanwhile, if studying in Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island or Yukon, international students must take care of their own health insurance.

Students also need to spend about 600 CAD per year on learning materials. Warm clothing should be invested because winter temperatures in Canada can drop to -40 degrees Celsius.

One way to save on living expenses is to take advantage of student discounts offered by certain businesses, shops, and restaurants. The discount if you have a student card is about 10-15%.

In addition, undergraduate and graduate programs in Canada have scholarships and grants for international students. International students should seek out these support packages early as scholarship funds are often limited and highly competitive. Scholarships may be available to applicants with athletic and academic achievements, or exceptional ability in a particular field.