University in Canada for Americans: OUAC, fees and your FAFSA

A Canadian degree can cost less than a private college back home and sometimes less than out-of-state tuition, and you can often bring your federal student loans with you. The catch: you pay international fees, and the application system works nothing like the Common App.

The short version

• Ontario universities use one central application, the OUAC. Americans and other applicants outside Ontario high schools use the OUAC 105. The base fee is CAD 156 for three choices, plus CAD 50 for each extra choice [1].
• There's no common deadline. Each university sets its own, so check every school's page [2].
• International tuition is steep but often below elite US private schools. At the University of Toronto, first-year international fees for 2026–27 are about CAD 69,000 (about USD 49,400) including health insurance [3].
• You need a study permit for a degree program. The fee is CAD 150, plus CAD 85 for biometrics [5][6].
• US federal Direct Loans can work at eligible Canadian schools. Pell Grants don't [7][8].

Why Americans look north

Some of the draw is practical. The all-in bill at a selective private college back home is real sticker shock, and big Canadian research universities like the University of Toronto, McGill and UBC are known worldwide. Other reasons: cities with good transit, a different take on campus life, and a short flight or drive home for Thanksgiving. Canada's Thanksgiving is in October, so you might get two.

A few differences to know before you apply:

• You apply to a program, not just a school. Many Canadian universities admit you straight into a faculty or program, like engineering, commerce or life sciences. Switching later can be harder than changing majors stateside.
• "College" means something else. In Canada, a college usually offers diplomas and applied programs, more like a community or technical college. Degree-granting schools call themselves universities.
• Less rah-rah. Varsity sports exist, but there's nothing like the SEC on a Saturday. Residence life and clubs carry more of the social load.
• Admissions are grades-first. Universities lean heavily on your transcript and course prerequisites. Each school publishes requirements for applicants from US high schools, including what it wants for SAT, ACT and AP scores.

Applying through OUAC

Ontario's universities share one application service, the OUAC. Ontario high school students use one form. Everyone else, including students at US high schools, American transfer students and adults, generally uses the OUAC 105 undergraduate application.

Step by step:

1. Shortlist programs at Ontario schools such as the University of Toronto, York, Toronto Metropolitan University, McMaster, Queen's, Western, Waterloo and Ottawa.
2. Check each program's prerequisites for US applicants. Math and science-heavy programs often want specific senior courses.
3. Submit the OUAC 105 well ahead of each school's deadline. OUAC needs time to process your choices before the universities' cutoffs [2].
4. Upload or send documents through each university's applicant portal: transcripts, test scores if requested, and any supplementary applications.
5. Apply for scholarships. Many entrance scholarships are automatic, but some need a separate form with its own deadline.
6. Accept your offer, then start the study permit right away.

Outside Ontario, schools like McGill in Montreal and UBC in Vancouver use their own applications.

What it costs

Canadian universities charge international students far more than Canadians. Fees vary by program, with engineering, computer science and business near the top.

Here's a real example. For 2026–27, the University of Toronto lists these first-year international fees for its St. George campus Arts and Science streams [3]:

U of T's own cost-of-attendance estimate for a first-year Arts and Science student, including housing, food and books, is about CAD 102,000 (about USD 72,900) for September 2026 to April 2027 [4]. USD conversions use the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3989 CAD per USD (November 5, 2026) [10]. Exchange rates move, and your tuition bill is in Canadian dollars.

That UHIP line matters. International students at Ontario universities are covered by the University Health Insurance Plan rather than OHIP, so health coverage is built into the bill.

The study permit

Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada, and IRCC says to apply before you travel [5].

What you'll need [6]:

• An acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI). All the big universities qualify.
• A provincial attestation letter (PAL), which your school usually issues after you accept. From January 1, 2026, master's and PhD students at public DLIs no longer need one [9]. Most undergraduates still do.
• Proof of funds. The amount depends on how long you'll stay and your living situation. Check IRCC's current figure when you apply [6].
• Biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) if you're 14 to 79, with a CAD 85 fee [6].

Americans have one perk. IRCC's eligibility tool lists US citizens and US permanent residents among the groups that may be able to apply at the border, which can mean asking for the permit at a port of entry [6]. Walk through the tool before you count on it, and carry every document.

Using US federal student aid in Canada

This surprises a lot of families: many Canadian universities take part in the US Direct Loan program.

What's available at an eligible foreign school [7]:

• Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS loans, if you qualify
• No federal grants. Students at foreign schools aren't eligible for Pell Grants or other federal grant programs.

You still file the FAFSA. You must be enrolled at least half time in a degree program at least one academic year long, and distance programs don't count [7].

The Department of Education keeps a list of participating international schools. A school is either "eligible," meaning you can borrow there, or "deferment only," meaning you can defer existing loans but not take new ones [7][8]. A sample from Ontario:

Search the FAFSA school list by foreign country to confirm before you apply [7]. U of T, for example, processes Direct Loans, works with some private US lenders, accepts 529 plan money and is a VA-approved school for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits [4].

Federal loan rules and limits for new borrowers have been changing, so check studentaid.gov for the current year before you plan how much you'll borrow. A US expat tax preparer can check whether you can use education credits or 529 withdrawals for your Canadian costs. For repayment once you're abroad, see our guide to student loans while living abroad.

A few more American angles

• Register with STEP through the State Department so the US consulate in Toronto can reach you in an emergency.
• Uncle Sam still wants your return if you have a US filing requirement, even as a student. Part-time campus jobs count as income.
• Bank accounts count for FBAR. If your Canadian accounts top USD 10,000 combined at any point in the year, you file an FBAR.
• Parents moving with you? If your family is relocating to Toronto anyway, residency rules for Canadian tuition rates depend on immigration status, not US citizenship. Ask the university.

Parents swapping notes on Canadian admissions hang out in our community group for Americans in Canada.

Sources

1. OUAC: Undergraduate application fees
2. OUAC: Undergraduate (105) key dates
3. University of Toronto Tuition Explorer: 2026–27 international fees, Arts and Science
4. University of Toronto Registrar: US student aid
5. IRCC: Study permit
6. IRCC: Study permit, how to apply
7. Federal Student Aid: Foreign school frequently asked questions for students
8. Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov): International schools participating in the federal student loan programs
9. IRCC: 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap
10. Bank of Canada: Daily exchange rates

Keep reading

• Schools in Toronto: American and international schools
• Moving to Toronto as an American: visa routes
• Student loans while living abroad
• FBAR: reporting your foreign bank accounts