Funding Your Education and Training

Average Costs

There are generally four types of costs related to your education and training after high school. Your choices can increase or decrease these costs:

  1. Tuition
    Your choice: Some programs are more expensive than others; some schools may be less expensive for the same program; and some programs include opportunities to earn while you learn (apprenticeship or co-op).

  2. Mandatory fees
    Your choice: Different schools have different student fees; some might have none at all.

  3. Textbooks and supplies
    Your choice: The school bookstore may have all the books you need, but buying them new can be expensive. You might find those books second-hand. You might even get a deal if you go online.

  4. Living expenses (rent, utilities, telephone, food, clothes, medical needs, etc.)
    Your choice: Can you save money by living with family? Or would you prefer to live on campus or in a house or basement suite, possibly with roommates? How you get to school (bus, walk or drive) or where you eat (restaurant, cafeteria or at home) will also affect your costs.

The following information can help estimate your costs for your first year of a certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree program.

NOTE: these costs are current as of the 2009/2010 school year. Always confirm costs with the post-secondary institution you are interested in attending.

Type of Institution/ Training  Estimated Costs as of June 1, 2009
Aboriginal Colleges
  • tuition: $1,650 – $5,265 (median = $2,889)
  • mandatory fees: $0 – $710 (median = $63)
  • textbooks: $500 – $1,250 (median = $800)
Public Colleges
  • tuition: $288 – $9,430 (median = $3,920)
  • mandatory fees: $0 – $3,300 (median = $536)
  • textbooks: $0 – $4,447 (median = $1,600)
Private University Colleges
  • tuition: $5,820 – $10,720 (median = $7,874)
  • mandatory fees: $555 – $1,449 (median = $801)
  • textbooks: $1000 – $2,000 (median = $1,380)
Technical Institutes
  • tuition: $1,700 – $16,100 (median = $4,117)
  • mandatory fees: $0 – $623 (median = $544)
  • textbooks: $0 – $4,570 (median = $1,688)
Universities
  • tuition: $4,770 – $11,799 (median = $5,355)
  • mandatory fees: $0 – $1,020 (median = $555)
  • textbooks: $0 – $3,028 (median = $1,040)
Apprenticeship Programs

Every apprentice pays a $35 apprenticeship registration fee. There are also two other costs related to apprenticeship training:

  1. On-the-job costs:
    - tools
    - protection equipment (steel-toed boots, coveralls, eye protection, ear protection, hard hat, etc.)

  2. Technical training costs:
    - technical training tuition: $92 per week
    - other items (shop materials, technology, textbooks, etc.)

For more details on the requirements for apprenticeship training, contact your local Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) office.

Private Vocational Training Institutions Costs at private colleges offering licensed vocational training vary widely. You will need to contact the school you are interested in attending to find out the cost to attend.

Try out the CanLearn budget estimator to see how your resources stack up, or go straight to the CanLearn Student Financial Assistance Estimator to get an estimate of your potential federal and provincial student funding