• Opening Doors (Post-secondary Search)
• Applying Online (PASBC)

• Education Resources
  • For Students & Parents
  • For K-12 Teachers
  • For Teachers, Faculty and Administration
  • Distance Education

Parents' Mini-Guide to Post-Secondary
Education in BC

This Mini-Guide is for adults who want to help a high school student continue their education at the post-secondary level.

It outlines some of the main points to consider, such as financial planning and program choice. It also provides links to other Web resources.

A two-page flyer that summarizes the key points of this online guide is also available. It's called the Parents' Fact Sheet on Post-Secondary Education. (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 139KB)

Comments are welcome by e-mail to: publications@ceiss.org

Table of Contents

1. Making the Grade
2. Paying the Bills
3. Education & Career Choices
4. Grades 11-12 Calendar & Checklist
5. Choosing A School
6. Distance & Online Alternatives
7. How to Apply
8. Take Your Credits With You
9. Ready, Set, Go!
10. Phone Numbers & Web Sites
11. About this Mini-Guide

1. Making the Grade

Every post-secondary institution has rules that govern whether a student is accepted for admission or not. Typically, a student needs certain Grade 12 marks to be accepted. Once the institution accepts a student, the student has to apply for a program of study. Usually, programs will have their own set of admission rules. For example, the student must have taken Grade 12 courses related to the program.

It's important to ensure your child meets the requirements for admission before applying for admission. Otherwise, there may be delays while the student improves grades or takes more high school courses.

Generally, what counts towards admission is Grade 11-12 marks and which Grade 11-12 courses were taken. As well, provincial exam results may be considered, as well as special exam marks (for example, LSAT marks for a legal degree). For more information, refer to these resources:

• "Opening Doors" has full details on admission (entrance) requirements and program requirements
• Phone the admissions office of the institutions to confirm entrance requirements
• "Graduation Information for Grades 8-12" is a great Ministry of Education site

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2. Paying the Bills

Careful attention to finances is important, no matter who is paying tuition and living expenses while your child is in school. The Canadian Government calculates that a single BC student will spend $210 per week on living expenses, plus tuition, books and school supplies. This can total $10,000 to $13,500 for just eight months enrolled.

Help your child work out a monthly budget -- this will help them manage better financially while in school. Your child may also consider a "co-op" program or an apprenticeship, as both provide paid work experience. Contact the chosen institution(s) to see if any financial assistance is available. Learn about RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plan), student loans, bursaries, grants, and entrance scholarships.

Other resources:

• "Comprehensive Financial Planning for Education," is a great first step for financial planning, with an Online Student Handbook your child can complete. It also has tips for spending less, and setting and keeping a budget while at school.
• "Dollars and Sense," CanLearn Interactive, sponsored by the Canadian Government
• "Student Financial Aid," BC Ministry of Advanced Education Web site
  
• "Money Matters," Opening Doors, Centre for Education Information
• Contact the institution your child is applying to.

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3. Education and Career Choices

It may not be easy for your child to decide what to study at school, or what career to choose. Making a choice about post-secondary may be overwhelming: consider that the public post-secondary institutions in BC alone offer 1,900 different full-time, classroom-based programs! This number doesn't include the distance, online or private courses, either.

When it comes to picking a career, it may be helpful to remember that few people have the same career their entire working lives. The Canadian Labour Market Productivity Centre recently reported that graduating students will need to be retrained at least five times in their working lives.

When selecting an area of study, encourage your child to consider their interests and skills, along with present and future job markets. A counsellor may administer tests to help assess their abilities. Ultimately it is best if the student makes his or her own choice, taking into account advice from parents, teachers and counsellors.

Selected Resources:

• "Opening Doors" allows students to search among the 1,900 programs in BC, find out what previous students said about their education and what jobs they have now
  
• "Online Transfer Guide" tells you what courses can be transferred between institutions for credit towards a diploma or degree. Taking transferrable courses means more options for future studies and more flexibility in case a student moves or changes direction. This service is from the BC Council on Admissions & Transfer.
  
• "BC Work Futures" is the official resource on BC careers; it describes jobs and career paths, and provides labour force projections
• "What’s Key in Labour Market Information in BC" is a brochure that lists other resources to help with labour market research.
  
• "BCopportunities.com" offers lots of career and work planning information.
• BC Work Info Net has lots of job-finding information, helpful to determine if there are job possibilities

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4. Grade 11-12 Calendar & Checklist

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5. Choosing A School

BC is the "education province" with 28 publicly-funded post-secondary institutions, including colleges, university colleges, institutes, agencies and universities. You may choose from diploma, certificate and degree programs that are vocational or academic. Institutions are located in all areas of the province--so are apprenticeship programs. Finally, there are hundreds of privately-owned schools too.

Most students pick their program first, then look for schools that offer that program. When considering which program or institution to select, consider the following:

• Programs offered (for example, co-op options)
• Location (amenities, proximity to home, family)
• Admission/entrance requirements
• Costs

To research program options, use Opening Doors, "the guide to 1,900 programs in BC." Opening Doors is an online database that allows students to search by field of study, subject, or keyword. Each program write-up provides details on tuition costs, admission requirements and more, making it easy to compare options. It's online at: http://www.openingdoorsbc.com/.

Once your child narrows down a list of programs and schools, visit the schools and communities with your child. Talk to students and staff. Once a decision is made, help your child apply for admission, as well as for scholarships, grants, bursaries and loans.

Selected resources:

• "Opening Doors," the guide to programs in BC
• "Learn and Earn," is the official guide to apprenticeship programs in BC, from the Industry Training and Apprenticeship Commission (ITAC)
• "Career Planner 2002" is a 40-page booklet that provides an overview of all programs at institutions at a glance.
• For privately-owned schools, try the "Find an institute" feature at the Web site of the Private Post-Secondary Education Commission of BC.
  
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6. Distance and Online Alternatives

These days, it’s possible to go to school without leaving home. For example, a student may continue studies through distance learning, such as correspondence and Web-based courses.

• "BC Courses.com" is a directory of more than 1,000 credit courses at the post-secondary level, offered by 25 BC institutions
• "Open School," "Open College," and "Open University" list programs offered by BC's premier provider of distance education, the Open Learning Agency. Or call toll-free: (800) 663-1663.
• "EdInfo" lists distance courses in Western Canada; search by program or school.
• "Canadian Virtual University" offers courses from 13 Canadian universities; the participating BC institutions are University of Victoria (250-721-7211), Royal Roads University (250-391-2511) and the Open Learning Agency (800-663-9711).

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7. How to Apply

Application deadlines and procedures vary considerably between institutions, but generally the deadline to apply for admission is in the spring. Be sure to find out what application procedures must be followed as soon as a program and institution selection has been made.

Apply for admission using the Post-secondary Application Service of BC. This is the official application site for most of the public institutions in BC. The service is convenient for students too; no waiting in line for forms, no long-distance phone calls, and no need to fill in different forms for each program. All the information needed to apply is online at the site (http://www.pas.bc.ca/).

For information on private programs, contact the Private Post-Secondary Education Commission of BC, which registers and accredits private post-secondary schools. Review the "Consumer Info" and "For Students" sections at its Web site (http://www.ppsec.bc.ca/).

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8. Take Your Credits With You

If your child may switch programs or schools after a year or two, or take post-graduate studies, it's important to find out which course credits may be transferred to another institution. This will prevent your child having to repeat course material.

The "Online Transfer Guide," tells you what courses can be transferred between institutions for credit towards a diploma or degree.

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9. Ready, Set, Go!

We hope this Mini-Guide has helped you to assist your child to prepare for post-secondary education. But this is only the start! Do your research carefully and thoroughly. Good luck!

10. Phone Numbers & Web Sites

There are 28 public post-secondary institutions in BC, listed below.

• BC Institute of Technology, (604) 434-5734
• Camosun College, (250) 370-3000
• Capilano College, (604) 986-1911
• College of New Caledonia, (800) 371-8111
• College of the Rockies, (250) 489-2751
• Douglas College, (604) 527-5400
• Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, (604) 844-3800
• Institute of Indigenous Government, (604) 602-9555
• Justice Institute of BC, (604) 525-5422
• Kwantlen University College, (604) 599-2000
• Langara College, (604) 323-5686
• Malaspina University-College, (250) 753-3245
• Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, (250) 378-3300
• North Island College, (250) 923-9700
• Northern Lights College, (250) 782-5251
• Northwest Community College, (250) 635 - 6511
• Okanagan University College, (250) 762-5445
• Open Learning Agency, (800) 663-1663
• Royal Roads University, (250) 391-2600
• Selkirk College, (250) 365-7292
• Simon Fraser University, (604) 291-3111
• Technical University of BC, (604) 586-6000
• University College of the Cariboo, (250) 828-5000
• Univ. College of the Fraser Valley, (604) 853-7441
• University of BC, (604) 822-9836
• University of Northern BC, (250) 960-5555
• University of Victoria, (250) 721-7211
• Vancouver Community College, (604) 443-8300

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11. About this Mini-Guide

This Mini-Guide has been produced as a information service only by the Centre for Education Information. We are an independent organization that provides research and technology solutions to improve the performance of education systems. Learners and decision-makers rely on our expertise to save time and money, to improve accountability, and to make informed decisions.

Comments and questions are welcome:

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Updated: December 2001