And students from all over the world love Island Oak. International learners may come as exchange or boarding students. Exchange students spend half the year in each country along with their exchange partner, while boarding students enroll for three or six months, one year or the full four years. Students say what they love most about Island Oak is its warm, welcoming family atmosphere, and international students tend to quickly feel at home. Faculty and school administration consistently monitor the happiness and well-being of guest students, whether exchange or boarding. We want students to carry home long-lasting, positive memories of their Canadian experience.

Request Information on Our Student to Student Exchange Program Now

With a student to student exchange, a student from Island Oak becomes your partner and you spend time in each other's homes and schools. Exchanging with a partner is limited because there are only a few Island Oak students each year who will become an exchange partner. If you are interested in an exchange with an Island Oak student, it is best to start early, even a year or more in advance.

The first step is to contact us and find out if we have an exchange available. Sending Island Oak a short biography and request for an exchange is the first step. If a family is interested, you will be contacted by the family. After the families agree, you will need to complete an application form and send it to us along with the required items (see Application for Admission International Students, on the Apply page). An advisor will thoroughly review the application. Once accepted, we will help you with the documents you need to study in Canada. We encourage exchange partners to begin getting to know one another through E-mail and telephone before they meet in person. In most cases, exchange agreements require no extra tuition or boarding fees. Just pay your tuition at your local school as you normally would.

Request Information on Our Boarding Program Now

If no exchange partner is available, you can still come to Island Oak High School and Canada, but you will need to board with a local host family. The first step to arrange to come as a boarding student is to contact us to express your interest. We will advise you on the application process (you can download the application and fee information.) Once accepted, we will match you with a host family.

We carefully consider lifestyles, food choices, interests and other factors which are of importance to the guest student. Our host families are selected from within the Waldorf community and undergo a thorough evaluation. Host families care for students as a member of the family, and provide a bedroom with a desk. Host families take students on day trips and excursions so that they can fully experience Canadian culture and the special beauty of Vancouver Island. We encourage international families to make frequent contact with host families prior to students arriving in Canada. Some families like to accompany their son or daughter to Canada to meet the host family in person, visit the school, and experience the community. There is a monthly fee for boarding, and tuition fees apply (see International Student Fee Schedule, on the Apply page).

Request Information on Our Exchange and Boarding Program Now

Plan to arrive in Victoria (YYJ) or Nanaimo (YCD). When arranging flights, we welcome you to call upon us for help; we’d love to help you choose the best flight connections.

Guidelines for international students in Canada vary depending on the length of the study program. Students staying less than 6 months usually do not require a Study Permit from Canada. Some of the Study Permit exemptions are listed on the Canadian Immigration website. For more information, please consult the appropriate government department in your country of origin for country-specific requirements.

• Tuition and Supplies $1,412
• Home-stay Fee $700
• Pocket Money $100
• Total $2,212 (All in Canadian dollars)

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In addition, each family makes their own decisions about extra purchases while in Canada such as clothing and laptops, or extra-curricular programs, such as rowing, basketball, archery, fencing, kayaking, hiking, surfing, or other sports. Please calculate extra costs as required by your student’s individual needs in consultation with the school.