Algonquin College, a public college, is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario. The institution has three locations in Ontario the main campus in Ottawa and minor campuses in Perth and Pembroke. Algonquin College offers programs in over 357 areas on its Ottawa campus with different graduation degrees including college certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and graduate certificates.
Admission to Algonquin College requires a student to display English proficiency. Students from India need to provide a higher secondary exam report with an average score of 60% for admission into the undergraduate courses. A bachelor’s degree with an average of 55% is required in the case of master’s degrees. A TOEFL iBT of 80-88 or an IELTS score of 6.0-6.5 based on the course is the minimum requirement for being considered for admission.
Algonquin College campus has an overall population of 19,957 with over 4,000 international students hailing from more than 130 countries. The average tuition fees including health insurance and student access fees annually for international fees is 16,200 CAD- 23,000 CAD i.e 9.91 lakhs to 14.08 lakhs for Indian students.
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Algonquin College Campus
There are 3 campuses under Algonquin College- Ottawa Campus, Pembroke Campus and Perth Campus. The Ottawa Campus provides a particularly distinguishable academic environment since it opens the doors for encouraging discussion and setting up valuable relations between faculty and students. Public services and healthy food services provide the students with appreciable facilities.
The Pembroke campus is a recently opened 36 million USD campus offering sixteen full-time programs. Since it has it surrounded by rugged terrain it provides the opportunity for a lot of outdoor activities students can participate in. The Perth Campus offers the chance to work in local buildings as well as use recreational facilities. Some of the other campus facilities can be summed up as below.
- The Food and Conference Services in the campuses offer healthy, nutritious and delicious dining experiences to the students, staff, and faculty as well as meal plans for residence halls.
- The Campus Store provides course materials at affordable costs like school supplies, electronic devices, and other reusable things. They are open during the daytime.
- There are multiple clubs and student-led organizations which cater to the interest of every student ranging from academic to socio-political and many more. Students also retain the liberty of forming their own clubs.
- The Student Association is an active student body on campus and is responsible for managing athletic activities, campus events, clubs, and organizations and for managing the observatory.
- The Student Affairs and Orientation organizes student orientations, forges interpersonal relationships between students, creates events and is responsible for hosting speaker sessions.
Algonquin College Accommodation
Students can choose on-campus housing for their study duration at the Ottawa campus. The Woodroffe campus residence houses 1,050 students in 525 two bedroom suites and provides all the basic facilities and amenities.
- Each suite has two separate, fully furnished bedrooms, a common bathroom and a shared kitchenette.
- By staying in the Ottawa Campus the student will be able to truly appreciate community living and independent lifestyle.
- There are no residential facilities for students at the Perth and Pembroke campuses, but there are private student residences rented out by local landlords.
- Places4students is a verified off campus student housing listing centre which shows apartments, houses or rental studios for students.
- There are several options available for international students looking for housing by exploring housing portals provided in the official websites.
There is a Homestay option where students can live with a Canadian family for the duration of their study where they will be provided with their own private room for studying, internet access and choice of meal plans. The minimum stay in a homestay option is 2 months and a total of four meal plans are offered. Hotels and short term accommodations like Best Western, Embassy West Hotel can be checked out as well.
The living costs including meal plans for a academic year can be broken down as follows.
Off- Campus Accommodation
Students can opt to live on their own or with housemates. Apartments in Ottawa usually cost CAD 1,200-CAD 1,400 a month plus utilities, food, and living expenses. These expenses will be reduced if you live in a house with several housemates. You can make your own arrangements by visiting the Students' Association Housing Board.
Algonquin College Programs
The wide plethora of programs available in the three campuses- Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth. The college offers a total of 357 Ontario College programs. UG at Algonquin College includes 122 College certificates, 93 Ontario college diplomas, 41 Ontario college certificates, 33 Ontario College advanced diplomas.
Apart from this 52 Ontario College Graduate certificates, 10 bachelor’s degrees and 6 collaborative degrees. There are also 19 apprenticeship programs and 27 full time online programs available for students to choose from.
The tuition fees for international students for one year including health insurance, UPass ,and student access fees are 16,200 CAD to 22,000 CAD.
Algonquin College Admission Process
To apply to Algonquin College, international applicants need to provide additional documents and fulfill additional requirements in addition to the standard admission eligibility requirement. International students can apply to the college through following process:
Algonquin College UG Admission
Application Portal: International Application Form
Application Fee: 95 CAD
Application Requirements:
- Completed online application form
- Class X and XII Mark sheet
- Valid passport copy
- International student Health insurance
- Evidence of finances
- Statement of purpose
- English language proficiency Scores
- IELTS- 6.0
- TOEFL iBT- 80
Algonquin College Graduate Certificate/Diploma Admission
Application Portal: International Application Form
Application Fee: 95 CAD
Application Requirements:
- Completed online application form
- Bachelor’s degree & official university transcripts (minimum CGPA of 55%)
- Bachelor Backlog Letter or No Backlog Letter
- Resume
- Grade conversion certificate
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Health insurance
- English language proficiency Scores
- IELTS- 6.5
- TOEFL iBT- 88
Algonquin College Enrollment
Algonquin College Cost of Attendance
Students seeking admission into Algonquin College should look up study and living costs in Canada. The average cost of attendance for one academic year for international students is given below.
| Type of expense | Amount in CAD per year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, health insurance, student access fees | 16,200- 23,000 |
| Books and Supplies | 200- 1000 |
| Room & Board | 11,070 |
| Personal Expenditure | 2,250 |
Algonquin College Scholarships
The college offers fee waivers to international students in the form of scholarships to study in Canada,and also awards and bursaries. Most of them are merit based but need based awards are also there. The types of financial aid can be summed up as follows. Scholarships- Most of the scholarships require a high GPA and noticeable course work from the student.
- The Gary Neville Memorial Scholarship is given to students who are in media studies and display high merit.
- The guard.me scholarship is meant for students who have a very high GPA of 3.6 (86%). The scholarship amount ranges from 800- 3,000 CAD.
- The paramedic scholarship is offered to a full time student with the highest GPA in their program. Similarly, a number of scholarships based on academics are provided.
Awards- The awards given to students depend on a specific set of skills including merit, verbal and communication skills as well as leadership qualities.
- The David Loye Award is given to students with a 3.8 GPA (88%) in the Applied Museum Studies with an expertise in the field.
- The Sarah Grantier Award is for students demonstrating appreciable writing and verbal skills.
Bursaries- Over 2.2 million CAD in bursaries were given to more than 4,100 Algonquin Colleges students according to previous year statistics. The students can apply for bursaries through ACICS.
Algonquin College Work Study
Algonquin College offers options for on-campus part-time employment while you study. Recognizing the significant demand for employment opportunities on campus among students in financial need, Algonquin College distributes a portion of its TFSA (Tuition Fee Set Aside) funds through the College Student Employment Program (CSEP). Every year, Algonquin College departments can apply for funding for CSEP employment possibilities.
Students must be enrolled in a full-time program at the time of application. Students that are not qualified include Second Career, Apprenticeship Programs, International Students, Algonquin College workers receiving discounted tuition, Collaborative programs with the University of Ottawa or Carleton University, and any non-Ministry-approved programs.
Algonquin College Placements
Algonquin College has a work placement system which connects Ottawa area employers with graduates from Algonquin College. The programs ensure that the students receive the relevant experience before entering the employment field. Employers and business owners from all over Ottawa attend the work placement program to hire students.
The most recent Key Performance Indicator results showed nearly 80% of Algonquin College graduates find work in their field within six months of graduation, and 92% of employers are satisfied with the quality of the Algonquin College graduates they hired.
Algonquin College Alumni
Algonquin College is home to a dynamic network of more than 200,000 alumni all over the world. Some of the most notable benefits enjoyed by the alumni are as follows:
- The alumni members get lifelong discounts from the bookstore, fitness zone, print shop and food services.
- They can obtain benefits from the Employment Services and look for potential employers in the college or look for jobs themselves.
- They can avail home and auto insurance through Johnson Insurance’s partnership with Algonquin College.
- The members can also apply for a no-fee mastercard through the partnership with MBNA rewards credit card and get in-campus residence stays in a two bedroom suite in Ottawa for 85 CAD per night.
The college has produced a number of successful alumni over the years. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Larry O’brien- Former mayor of Ottawa
- Jason Blaine- Canadian singer-songwriter
- Tom Green- Canadian actor
- Janice Dean- Canadian meteorologist
- James Cybulski- Famous broadcaster
Algonquin College ranks among the best institutes for higher education in the country due to the presence of an abundant number of programs, appreciable graduate outputs, commendable campus facilities and noteworthy diversity on campus. Its 3 campuses provide all necessities for the enrolled students including a qualified faculty, highly advanced classrooms packed with facilities and presence of a campus buzzing with events and activities. Due to the reasons stated above Algonquin College is witnessing a rise in the number of applicants with every passing year.
FAQs
What other options does an international student have if they cannot take English proficiency tests for admission to Algonquin College?
Due to closure of test centres around the world due to COVID 19, Algonquin College is currently accepting TOEFL online and IELTS indicator as valid english proficiency tests.
Can an international student apply to Algonquin College for the winter 2022 term?
Yes, international students can apply for the Winter 2022 terms currently since the college is accepting international applications for the same.
Will the Winter 2022 intake be offered remotely for Algonquin College applicants?
All studying sessions and learning activities that do not require a physical or hands-on instruction will be offered remotely. Limited on campus activities will be held with minimum physical interaction and under strict guidelines.
How should an international student choose a program at Algonquin College?
While selecting a campus or a program, an international student should keep in mind that the two campuses Perth and Pemrboke do not have an International office. Students should keep in mind that they are not choosing any ‘on-line’ programs and are opting to study at the Woodroffe campus.
Are any special steps required for international students before attending Algonquin College?
An international student is required to complete a Bridge/pre-arrival course which will cover their health/dental insurance plan, accommodation option and help them with the next steps. The invitation to attend the bridge course comes through email, approximately 1 month before the semester start date.
