U.S. colleges and universities are the jewel in our educational crown – students from around the world vie for the opportunity to attend our institutions of higher learning. However, a growing number of college-bound Yanks are looking to the north for educational opportunity. College in Canada? Before you ‘just say no’ to going international, take a look at some of the options.

Canadian colleges and universities are seeing a surge in students from the United States for good reason. Canadian colleges offer excellent educational opportunity at a fraction of the cost of many comparative schools in the U.S. With the current recession forcing many families to rethink their children’s college plans, Canadian colleges give some students an affordable option and also provide some real advantages.

In Canada, the primary source of university funding is from the federal and provincial governments. While these schools may not have some of the plusher amenities of U.S. colleges and universities, the academics are excellent. The most recent Fiske Guide to Colleges rates Canadian degrees on a par with those awarded here in the United States well recognized by corporations and graduate schools.

If this type of opportunity interests you, you might want to check out opportunities in:

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon

Sensing an opportunity to lure students north, recruiters from Canadian are beginning to be a regular presence at U.S. college fairs. Says Lynn O’Shaughnessy, author of THE COLLEGE SOLUTION: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right College at the Right Price, ”It makes sense for parents and students to cast a wide net…and for some teenagers, Canada might offer a wonderful opportunity.”

There are cultural differences between the U.S. and Canadian college experience. Athletics play a much smaller role, and sorority and fraternity life is minimal or non-existent…then there is the weather. However, on the plus side, most Canadian colleges and universities are located in or near world-class cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal that offer a wide range of advantages and are all considered exceptionally safe urban environments.

There are some hitches, of course. Pell and other education grants awarded by the federal and state governments are not transferable to Canadian universities, nor do U.S. college loan programs transfer over the boarder. The amount of financial aid offered in Canadian school is minimal by U.S. standards and is usually awarded on the basis of academic achievement; so most U.S. students have to be prepared to pay full freight. However, with the yearly tuition at some first-class Canadian schools just a quarter of their U.S. counterparts, it is no wonder more students are heading north. Case in point: Brandon University, an excellent liberal arts school with a fine music program, located just an hour north of the Minnesota/Canadian border. At Brandon, Minnesota residents are offered the same low tuition package as Canadian residents and a further $3000-per-year tuition break if they maintain a B average. Now that’s real value!

So if you’re looking for real educational value and an international experience, take a look at what Canadian colleges and universities are offering. This just might be the right fit for you.