Canada’s education system is excellent and ranks among the best in the world. Moreover, Canadian tuition fees are among the lowest in English-speaking countries. There are more than 150,000 international students who go to Canada every year to study.
In Canada, the admission process and requirements vary from institution to institution. Some of the information that you may be required to produce may center on academic, character, and financial evidence that show you are a deserving candidate for admission to the respective university.
Test scores such as SAT, and TOEFL are not required for admission into the undergraduate program once the applicant has a school in an English-speaking country like Ghana. The major languages used in Canada are English and French. But most universities offer courses in the English language.
So you need to show your efficiency by means of English Language tests. IELTS is the most widely recognized and accepted English language test in Canada, however, some universities even accept TOEFL. The score that you must obtain in these language tests varies from institution to institution and the course of study students choose.
For admission at the undergraduate level, the student must have completed twelve years of academic education, but for the postgraduate level applicant must have completed sixteen years of academic education. If you’ve done three years of bachelor’s course then you’ll have to do a diploma for one year in Canada to be eligible to study in Canada as a postgraduate student.
For management students, students may be asked for two years of work experience before being admitted to the university. In most of the cases, GMAT is compulsory for MBA students.
Though education isn’t free in Canada, tuition fees are cheaper in comparison to other similar nations like UK, USA, and Australia.
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Students Visa Process
The student visa in Canada is most commonly known as Study permit. Either a student need to obtain or don’t need to obtain Canadian study permit depends upon the country of residence of the student. Students from most of the countries need to obtain Canadian student visa to study in Canada, but students from some countries don’t have to obtain any Student visa to study in Canada. Students from Ghana need to obtain Canadian student visa to study in Canada.
Types of programs Ghanaian students can study in Canada
- Undergraduate programs: These programs are for you if you just graduated from high school and want to study in Canada from Ghana.
- Graduate Diploma: These programs enable you to earn credits to further your graduate studies.
- Masters: Of course, there are varieties of Masters degree programs availed by Canadian institutions. These include MSc, MA, MPH, MLA, MFA, MSM, MPA, MSW, etc.
- MBA: Master in Business Administration degree seems professional than other masters programs. For the most part, MBA study lasts for up to two (2) years.
- PhD/Doctorate: PhD is the highest degree you can get in a post-secondary institution. Besides, Doctorate degree programs usually last for a minimum of 3 years Documents Required for Study Permits in Canada
There are several documents that students will have to present to obtain Student visa for Canada. Those documents are listed below:
Completed Application for Study permits
- A valid passport
- Two recent passport photos of the student. Back of the photo, the name and date of birth of the person appearing in the photo should be written.
- Proof that shows the educational institution has accepted the student for admission in their institution
- Evidence of sufficient funds to overcome all the living expenses and study costs in Canada
- Bank transaction statement of last four months
- Proof of payment of fee in acceptable format. This format varies according to country and region. However, the most general method is presenting it through Bank Draft
Evidence that show students have no criminal records
Students from some nations may even need to present medical reports
Any other documents that may help for obtaining a Student visa for Canada
financial aid
Some financial aid is available to international students. Merit based assistance is awarded in many forms, from tuition waivers, various types of assistantships, to fellowships. Students will have a greater chance of getting financial aid if they:
Show evidence of a high level of academic achievement
Achieve high Standardized Examination scores (GMAT, TOEFL etc.)
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)
Have outstanding letter of recommendation and an impressive statement of purpose.
Very few international students get any kind of assistantships and most people get it after reaching there. So you have to arrange for funds for the first few semesters, at least till the time you can arrange something there.
Steps to apply for admission from Ghana
Are you thinking of traveling internationally for study? Below are steps that can help you complete the application process for study in Canada from Ghana.
- You need to check the educational institution’s list of programs in order to confirm its availability.
- It is essential to check if you can afford the institution’s tuition and other fees, as well as if you have met its admission requirements.
- Apply for admission into the college or university and submit all supporting documents as requested by the institution.
You also need to pay an application fee to the institution. International application fees for studies usually vary institution to institution.
- Wait for the college or university to process your application.
- If you receive a Letter of Acceptance from the institution, this means that you’ve been accepted for study into your preferred academic program.
- Use the Letter of Acceptance, amongst other documents to apply for your Canadian study permit.
If your study permit application gets approval, you can now leave your country of origin for study in Canada from Ghana. International tuition fees in each institution vary program to program.
The average tuition costs for students enrolled in different program types at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Undergraduate program: CAN $15,000 to CAN $22,000
Graduate program: CAN $10,000 to CAN $25,000
You are required to set aside a minimum of CAN $10,000 as allowances during study in Canada.
You need to make some other payments apart from your tuition. Examples of these payments include flight fees, textbooks, health coverage
Thus, below are the estimated costs for each of these fees.
- Flight fee from Ghana to Canada: ranges from CAN $900 to CAN $1,400
- Health insurance coverage: CAN $800
- Textbooks & supplies: may cost up to CAN $600
- Student Services fees: CAD $300
Scholarship for Ghanaian students in Canada
The cost of studying in Canada is extremely high. Thus, you can check if you are eligible for scholarships in order to lower the expensive cost. Undoubtedly, scholarships in Canada are merit-based and are awarded to students based on their academic performance. For this reason, you only need to attain an entrance average not less than 70% before a scholarship can be automatically awarded to you.