ABOUT CANADA
Every year lakhs of students go to Canada to pursue higher education.Canadian educational institutions offer a wide range of opportunities for international students. The education system consists of both publicly funded and private schools. Education is a responsibility of every province under the Canadian constitution, due to which there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, standards across the country are uniformly high. Canada is one of the peaceful countries that have low prevalence of violent crime and with a complete health care system. Study in Canada offers you stimulating and motivating environment.
Canada is basically famous for their cultural activities and attractive lifestyle. It is flourished with numerous parks, gardens and beaches for public use and moreover has excellent sports and recreation facilities. A stable and excellent environment to study increases the interest of the students. It is considered as a traditionally a country of immigrants.So, one can study as well as have the pleasure to travel around.
EDUCATION:
Canadian education system consists of different types of educational institutions they are:
- Universities
- University Colleges
- Community Colleges
- Private Schools
- Public Schools
Majority of Canadian universities are largely public funded due to which they are able to offer consistently high quality education at lower tuition rates for international students as compared to other countries. Universities here offer a broad range of courses and degrees from undergraduate to doctorate. They also offer certificate and professional degrees. Canadian university system offers students a choice of either academic oriented university degree programs and also the practical-oriented college diplomas and certificates. All the programs offered have a strong student support services, small classes and strong campus environments. They also offer combined degree/diploma programs and university transfer programs.
The academic year usually starts in September and ends in May, and is normally divided into two semesters. Some institutes operate on a semester or trimester system and admit students in January and/or May as well as September. Many institutes offer a limited number of courses and special programmes during the summer session.
In order to apply to any under graduate and graduate programs, students are required to submit the relevant academic documents and transcript. Foreign students also need to exhibit their English proficiency .They need to take up either IELTS or TOEFL.
Tuition fees for foreign students vary from province to province. So students should select their University or College depending on their availability of finances. Tuition fees represent only 25 percent to 35 percent of total expenses. Books, supplies and instruments, student activity fees, housing, food, laundry, transportation, health-care, clothing and entertainment are additional costs.
International students are allowed to work on the campus of any publicly-funded, degree granting institution. However student should not plan on earning substantial money from such jobs as they the earnings do not help them to help pay for studies. Even these jobs are often difficult to obtain. There may be opportunities for practical training which entail a period of authorized employment, designed to allow foreign students to have professional work experience related to their field of study.
Scholarships are available, but they rarely cover the full cost of a study program and are not always easy to find. The calendar of each university in Canada includes a detailed list of the scholarships it administers. Obtaining a scholarship is very competitive and applications must be made directly to each university along with the application for admission. Merit based assistance is awarded in many forms, from tuition waivers, various types of assistantships, or fellowships. These are usually for graduate courses.
Students will have a greater chance of getting financial aid if they have high level of academic achievement along with high GRE, GMAT, TOEFL etc. score, demonstrate financial need but have private funding to cover some of the cost, have teaching experience in a subject offered at the undergraduate level (to increase opportunities for a teaching assistantship) or specialize in a field or have a research interest which parallels that of the department and faculty or private funding source (which increases opportunities for research assistantships and grants), has outstanding letter of recommendation and an impressive statement of purpose.
VISAS:
All overseas students are required to obtain a Student Visa before going to Canada for studies. Students must also meet the requirements of the Canadian Immigration Act and Regulations. All the required documents must be either original or photocopies notarized. Under normal circumstances, at least two months are required for visa processing. Application should be made to the nearest Canadian visa office.
Suchitra Surve
Director
www.globaleducationcounsel.org