The number of foreigners coming to study in Canada is increasing by about 15% every year. There are several reasons for the growing attractiveness of education in Canada:
- High quality educational standards
- Significant state contribution to education
- Relatively low price of training (in comparison with other developed countries: USA, Great Britain, Australia)
- Convenient conditions for obtaining permanent residence by graduates of Canadian educational institutions.
The country has two official languages: English and French, education in Canada is conducted in both languages. There are bilingual programs. There are no general educational standards in the country, they are set by each province, but diplomas are accepted both in any corner of the country and abroad. What language will be needed for work in the specialty, the employer decides.
How to enter a university in Canada for free?
An important argument in choosing Canada as a country of study will be the fact that Canadian universities accept school certificates and certificates of other countries for consideration. It is not necessary to present the results of local or international final exams, as in other countries, but the requirements for the assessment of certificates are very serious.
A prerequisite for admission to universities in Canada is high scores in the language certificate. In English, TOEFL and IELTS are most often accepted, but the exact conditions should be found on the university's website. To enter the University of Canada, the TOEFL results must be at least 95 points, IELTS - at least 7 points, college - a little less.
Particularly popular specialties may require you to pass or provide:
- Interview
- Test on the profile discipline
- Essay
- Portfolio.
Especially popular in Canada are specialties related to medicine and law. In the best universities in Canada, foreigners may not be admitted to these specialties at all or accepted on a residual basis.
You can enter universities in Canada from the age of 17, in the province of Quebec - from 18. Applications for student visas can now be submitted online on the immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website of Immigration Canada. Foreign students of Canadian educational institutions are advised to start processing documents immediately after graduation - so it is easier to get a study visa.
Universities and colleges in Canada
You can get a higher education in Canada at a university or college. For a bachelor's degree, you can enroll in:
- Vocational colleges
- University Colleges
- Universities.
University education is aimed at training scientific and teaching personnel, colleges - at training specialists for business and industry. Training in colleges has a more practical direction, university colleges - an intermediate option - more practical orientation than in the university, but there are also research disciplines.
College education will cost less than at the university, and those who want to quickly start a career in this country promise a lot of bonuses:
- Up-to-date knowledge
- Practical skills required for the profession
- Internships in enterprises and institutions
- Extension of visas for university graduates for employment.
In addition to the bachelor's degree, colleges offer short-term programs:
- Certificate – 1 year
- Diploma – 2-3 years (Diploma – 2 years, Advanced Diploma – 3 years).
Training in diploma and certificate programs is cheaper, and the career prospects of graduates are not worse, and sometimes better than those of bachelors. In addition, graduates of these programs have the opportunity to continue their education later, having received work experience and a residence permit. A residence permit allows you to get a discount on studying as a resident.
For holders of a bachelor's degree, colleges in Canada offer Postgraduate programs, an analogue of professional retraining. You can study in your specialty in order to adapt to Canadian realities and requirements, or get a new profession based on the knowledge gained.
Free education in Canada: scholarships, grants
Free higher education in Canada as such is unattainable even for citizens of the country, and even more so for foreigners. However, each student can apply for a scholarship, which will help to significantly reduce the cost of training. The basis for obtaining a scholarship may be:
- Brilliant academic success
- Research successes
- Active participation in the life of the university.
In some universities and colleges in Canada, you do not even need to apply for a scholarship - the best students receive help automatically. But there are few such students in any university, it is not easy to get a scholarship or grant. Student scholarships in Canada are:
- State
- from the funds
- from universities.
State and provincial scholarships:
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (for talented researchers)
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) (for Ontario universities)
- Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS) (for graduate students).
Scholarships from foundations:
- Trudeau Foundation Awards (human rights research)
- Mitacs Accelerate (for business school students)
- Anne Vallee Ecological Fund (studies of the life of animals in Quebec and British Columbia).
University scholarships:
- York University International Student Scholarships (for international undergraduate students)
- University of British Columbia Scholarships for International Students
- Carleton University Entrance Scholarships for International Students
- Entrance Scholarships for International Students at Emily Carr University of Art and Design
- Abdul Majid Bader Graduate Scholarship
- Molly and Spencer Dier Memorial Scholarship.
