Why Halton Catholic District School Board?
Families who want an orderly, family-friendly suburban life near Toronto often choose Halton. The board serves over 36,000 students in Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. It describes itself as a model learning community offering quality education at every age.
- Academic goal: Suited to students preparing for university through IB or AP.
- Suburban comfort: Suited to families who want homestay in calmer communities near a large city.
- Short program: Students can start with a 10-, 12- or 15-week program. Credit courses are also offered in the summer.
Reasons: a broad program range and supervised homestay
- IB and AP: Both are offered, so students can choose the program that fits their target university system.
- S.T.E.A.M. and SHSM: The science, technology, engineering, arts and math program and the Specialist High Skills Major areas let students develop a specialization in high school.
- Extracurricular variety: Activities include robotics, engineering, business, culinary arts, music, dance and photography, plus band, theatre club, visual arts and social justice programs.
- Family screening: Every host family is visited at home and passes criminal record and reference checks. Homestay is run with Canada Homestay Network and Dream Homestay Ontario.
- Insurance included: Health insurance is part of the tuition, so families do not need to calculate it separately.
- Secondary schools: International students are admitted to ten secondary schools, so a school matching the program and homestay location can be found. A French Immersion option is available.
- Two airports: Toronto Pearson and Hamilton International are nearby, giving more flight options.
Cost analysis: what one school year costs
| Item | CAD | As published on CAPS-I |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, one school year | 16,500 | $16,500 (fees for the 2027-28 school year will be higher and will be posted on the ISP website as of September 2026) |
| Application fee | 400 | $400 |
| Health insurance | 0 / included | Medical insurance included in the tuition fee (provided by StudyInsured) |
| Total of the published items, without homestay | 16,900 | Homestay is priced by the homestay provider and is not included in this total. |
Tuition alone works out to about CAD 1,650 per school month over a 10-month year. Flights, pocket money, the study permit fee and biometrics are not included.
The tuition figure for the 2026–27 school year was confirmed on the district's own website on 11 October 2026.
The other items are taken from the district's CAPS-I member page, read on 11 October 2026. Items shown as "see text" could not be read as a single amount and are left out of the total.
How this fee compares
At CAD 16,500, this fee is CAD 1,000 above the median of CAD 15,500 among 32 public school districts in Ontario.
Outcome: a university-ready student growing up in a safe environment
- Competitive profile: An IB, AP or S.T.E.A.M. background helps students stand out in university applications. Full-year and single-semester options are available. Intakes are in September and February, and students are accepted from Grade 1 to Grade 12.
- Parental trust: Screened host families and two homestay partners keep the home environment supervised.
- Location: Toronto is about 33 km away and Niagara Falls about 72 km. The region is in southern Ontario, within the Greater Toronto Area.
- International community: About 230 international students attend. Single-semester tuition is CAD 8,325.
Who it suits and what to consider
- Cost: Annual tuition of CAD 16,500 is higher than in many Ontario boards. Fees are stated to rise for 2027-28. A CAD 400 application fee and homestay costs are paid separately. The current fee should be confirmed with the school before applying.
- Early timeline: The deadline for September entry is April 30, so preparation should start in winter. The deadline for February entry is October 15. Programs longer than six months require a Study Permit, which IRCC decides. Secondary school study is exempt from the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
- School identity: This is a Catholic school system, and families should assess that in advance. Students under 17 arriving without parents must have a guardian appointed in Canada. Homestay fees are explained on the board's homestay page.
Let us review together whether Halton Catholic matches your child's academic goals. Book a free preliminary consultation with Canadian Edu Centre.