Toronto, the largest city in Canada, is located in the province of Ontario on the shores of Lake Ontario. There are an estimated 5 million people in the greater metropolitan area; more than the population of Canada's four Atlantic-coast provinces combined! It is home to the world's tallest building (the CN Tower), and its longest street (1,896 km/1,178 miles). Toronto is also known for the diversity of its residents; one-third of Torontonians speak a language other than English at home.

Toronto contains the largest underground pedestrian system in North America. PATH connects 1,200 stores and restaurants, fifty office towers, subway stations, hotels, and entertainment centers. It is the economic heart of Canada and is one of the most globally-focused business centers in the world.

The SkyDome at Rogers Centre has the first fully retractable roof – while closed, it could contain a 31-story building at its center! Toronto has several art museums, theaters, concert halls, and other venues for entertainment. The city is committed to providing accessible parks and recreational activities to residents - about 18% of the city's land is devoted to park land.

According to a Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey in 2004, about 36% of employed city residents had a university degree, compared to about 24% for Ontario as a whole and 21% nation-wide. In the 2003 census, there were 252,895 students over fifteen attending school full time.

The 2000 Census indicated that Toronto had the highest average (median) household income among Canada's urban centers. Toronto's median, $59,502, exceeded Canada's median, $46,752, by 27%. However, in real-dollar terms, Toronto's median household income is lower than it was in 1980 and 1990. Toronto has a greater flux of people than most cities, and this balance does affect its economic picture. Toronto has always welcomed immigrants, and the city tries to attract those immigrants with job skills that will positively contribute to the economy.

There are three schools offering four-year and advanced degrees in Toronto:

• University of Toronto
• Ontario College of Art & Design
• Ryerson University

There are also several smaller schools, such as applied technology schools. These schools are ideal for students who know what they want to do and want to get there in just a couple of years.

• George Brown College
• Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
• Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology
• Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology

It is important to go to an accredited institution. The Ministry of Education oversees public schools, but private schools can be accredited by respected bodies and also offer a quality education. The National Association of Career Colleges is one accrediting body for career colleges.

Universities offer a well-rounded, comprehensive liberal arts or sciences education. Most universities offer studies at the master's and doctoral levels. Colleges offer skills-based courses designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in specific career fields. College credit is usually transferable to universities for further studies. These schools also offer graduate-level certifications for continuing education students.

Many international students come to Canada to attend school. Sometimes they are participating in a short-term program (such as studying abroad for a semester, or in a language-immersion program), but many students complete their whole degree program here. According to Martin Hicks, Director of the Universities Branch at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario recognizes the importance of international students and is actively campaigning to bring more students in. “The Ministry's marketing plan includes the expansion of Ontario's web presence to provide students with greater information on the benefits of studying in Ontario. The Ministry will also participate in international postsecondary education recruitment drives.” They have partnered with the Canadian Education Centre Network to lead the first new recruitment drive in India this October.

Popular degree programs in Toronto schools include the arts (theater, dance, music, and photography); film, broadcasting, and communications; international business; finance; environmental remediation; and culinary arts.

Cost of living in Toronto is relatively low. Students living on-campus can expect to pay $7,000 - $12,000 including a meal plan (that's $6,000 to $10,000 USD).

The City has an excellent public transportation system. Metro tickets are currently $2.50 per ticket (monthly passes and student discounts are also available).

In April 2005, the Canadian government approved new rules to allow foreign students to work off-campus while completing their studies. According to Mr. Hicks, “Our [provincial] government has been in consultation with our postsecondary institutions, as well as the federal government to expedite the implementation of the off-campus work program. This off-campus work program will help approximately 30,000 international students gain work experience while studying in Ontario.” Attending school in Toronto (and in the country generally) is le3ss expensive than attending in America and other countries, making it an excellent choice for international students.

Federal and Provincial Sources of Support

Filling out the OSAP (Ontario Student Assistant Program) application will determine what level of support a student is eligible for. Students need to know the basics: Loans have to be repaid, while grants and scholarships do not. Students may qualify for one or more of the following awards:

• Canada Student Loan – up to $210/week
• Ontario Student Loan – combined with the Canada Student Loan to a maximum of $350/week for single students; $545 for students with dependents
• Canada Study Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Bursary for Students with Disabilities – up to $10,000 in funding, supplemented by the Federal government
• Canada Study Grant for Women in Doctoral Studies – up to $3,000 in federal funding
• Work-study Program – a popular option for Canadian students, a work-study award allows students to work part-time during school to earn money for college and/or to gain valuable work experience.

Scholarships

The schools themselves usually offer several merit-based and program-based scholarships. Students should explore these resources after admission. Private scholarships should be pursued in the beginning of the college search process, if possible. Some of the scholarships offered in Canada are:

• Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation General Award – based on financial need
• Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top Tuition Scholarship – Awards between $100 and $3,500, based on academic merit and financial need

Additional scholarship opportunities can be found through The Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada.

Private Loans

Banks generally allow students or their families to borrow sums between $5,000 and $10,000. Students must pay interest on the loans each month, and then begin repaying the loans shortly after school is completed.

International Students

American students can use some of their federal financial aid awards in Canada, including the Stafford loan and PLUS loan. Students should also complete the US Federal Family Education Loan Program application (FFELP), which is available from the school's admissions office. Students from other countries may also be eligible to use their aid in Canada.

International students are often eligible to receive scholarships offered privately and from the schools themselves. Students should contact the admissions or financial aid offices of the institute they are attending to learn more.

Internships are offered by a number of business, groups and agencies in Canada. Some of these include:

• The Toronto Star - a city newspaper
• Ontario Legislature Internship Programme places students with members of the legislature to learn about the political process and help make a difference
• The popular Natural Resources Canada Science & Technology Internships place students in projects all over the country
• The Ranger Program is another good way to get experience in resources management
• Area hospitals and clinics hire interns. One such hospital is St. Michael's Hospital which accepts nursing interns
• Community Experience Initiative accepts business and MBA student interns

One organization to look into is Career Edge, a not-for-profit organization offering internships to recent graduates to help launch their careers and benefit participating companies and organizations. Career Edge also launched Ability Edge, providing entry-level internships for recent grads with disabilities, and Career Bridge, which provides mid-management internships for qualified new immigrants. The organization works with employers across Canada to create internships for recent graduates, while Career Bridge internships for qualified immigrants are currently available in the Toronto metro area.

According to John Mason, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Career Edge Organization, the Career Bridge program has created 250 paid internships since it started in November 2003. “Better than 85% of the interns who have completed their Career Bridge internships are working now working full-time in their fields in Canada…Much of this success is due to the high calibre of employers participating in Career Bridge. Some of our current top hosts participating include the Proctor & Gamble Inc.; Manulife Financial, a global insurance company: and Hudson's Bay Company, a leading Canadian retailer and the oldest company operating in Canada.” Mr. Mason also noted that the pool of qualified candidates is much larger than the number of internships available; Career Bridge hopes to continue expanding the number of hosts, so that these immigrants can find internships and jobs.

Toronto is home to 90% of Canada's foreign banks, as well as its top accounting and mutual funds firms. The bulk of the country's research & development (R&D) firms, law practices and advertising companies are found here. It is the Canadian headquarters of Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems.

Toronto ranks third among North American cities for TV and film production. The industry provides 28,000 jobs and generates $1.5 billion per year. The Toronto International Film Festival is held each year and attracts many of the world's up-and-coming filmmakers as well as big stars and directors. Animation and design are popular fields in the Toronto area.

With tourism a large part of Toronto's economy (16 million visitors per year), there are over 8,000 restaurants and 35,000 hotel rooms. The tourism industry employs students from hospitality management, culinary arts, restaurant management, event planning, and more.

Multilingual job seekers have a distinct advantage in a city where over 100 languages are represented. Canada has two official languages; English and French.

Like much of Canada, Toronto and the greater area rely on immigration to augment their population. Immigrants can bring valuable services, skill, and perspective to an area. Toronto is one of the most diverse and multi-cultural cities in the world and Torontonians pride themselves on accepting and integrating immigrants that help improve the economy and community. Forty-nine percent of Toronto's residents were born outside of Canada. Immigrating to Canada is fairly easy, especially for Americans. For more information, please visit the city of Toronto's helpful page "Information for New Immigrants."