Finances is the most prevalent barrier to seeking higher education in the United States. Compared to tuition at domestic schools, studying in the states can cost up to 10x more, totaling up to $400,000 CAD. Factoring in the cost of living, the total cost of pursuing a degree at a top American university goes up to $500,000 CAD+.

Take Columbia University for example. Their current cost of attendance comes out to $93,417 USD for the 2024-25 school year. Source: https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/affordability/cost That comes out to $128,294.24 CAD. Assuming a 10% increase in COS (Cost of Attendance) year over year, the total bill for your Columbia degree would come out to $580,612.42 CAD.

Need-Aware Schools: Some schools consider your ability to pay in their admission processes. These schools are known as "need-aware", and can provide unique advantages and disadvantages for Canadian students. At need-aware institutions, if you are unable to pay the near 600,000 dollars the school requires, you will be at a massive disadvantage for admissions. If you are able to pay the full tuition, making you a "full-pay" student, you will have a unique advantage in admissions. At most need-aware schools, requiring financial aid as an international student effectively drops your chance of acceptance to zero. Need-Blind Schools: Similarly, some schools do not consider your ability to pay in their admission processes. These schools are known as "need-blind", and are the best opportunity for students who require financial aid. Similarly, if you are able to pay full tuition, your unique wealth advantage is now non-effective.

While almost every prestigious institution is need-blind domestically, there are only eleven schools who are need-blind for international students. With an additional two schools that are need-blind for Canadian students, requiring financial aid effectively limits your application pool to thirteen schools.

• Amherst College • Bowdoin College • Brown University • Dartmouth College • Georgetown University • Harvard University • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Princeton University • University of Notre Dame • Washington and Lee University • Yale University

• University of Pennsylvania • University of Rochester

If the COS for your school is too high, you will have to apply for need-based financial aid. Financial aid can alleviate the cost burden of your post-secondary degree, but may come with disadvantages in the application process.