Cost of studying in Canada for a Moroccan student: budget, proof of funds and exemptions

The four cost blocks

A Moroccan student's budget has four blocks. Application fees are paid before departure: study permit, biometrics, Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) if you study in Quebec, language tests. Proof of funds is not an expense, but you must hold the required sum and show it. Tuition depends on the institution, program and level of study. Finally, the cost of living (housing, food, transport, insurance) weighs on every month of the stay.

The following sections give, for each block, what official sources allow us to state.

Application fees to plan for

The study permit costs $150 and biometrics $85 per person, valid for 10 years, according to the IRCC pages covered in our study permit guide. To study in Quebec, the temporary selection application for an international student costs $135 since January 1, 2026, according to the fee table of Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI). Depending on your situation, a comparative evaluation of studies completed outside Quebec may also be requested: it costs $141 since January 1, 2026.

Add language test fees, which vary by test and centre, and each institution's application fees, which each sets itself. Never pay an intermediary who promises a guaranteed admission or CAQ: see our fraud guide.

Proof of funds required by IRCC (outside Quebec)

For a study permit application outside Quebec, IRCC requires proof of three things: first-year tuition, living expenses and return transportation. For living expenses, the annual amounts that apply since September 1, 2026 are $23,448 for one person, $29,192 for two, $35,888 for three and $43,572 for four. Between January 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026, they were $22,895, $28,502, $35,040 and $42,543. IRCC specifies that these amounts do not include tuition or transportation, which are added.

For a program longer than one year, you must also explain how you will fund the full duration. Proof of first-year tuition and housing payment, a bank student loan or a scholarship are among the examples IRCC gives.

Proof of funds to study in Quebec

In Quebec, financial capacity is assessed according to the Government of Quebec's criteria, as part of the CAQ application. The government announced on November 19, 2025 that the minimum amount to hold to study in Quebec rises to $24,617 for a single person from January 1, 2026. The Government of Quebec's “costs of studies” page (January 1, 2026) also gives annual amounts for a family: $34,814 for two people, $42,638 for three, $49,234 for four, $55,045 for five and $60,299 for six, with $5,254 more per additional person. Financial capacity must also cover round-trip transportation.

MIFI accepts, among others: bank statements from Canada or abroad covering the last six months, a guaranteed investment certificate issued by a participating Canadian financial institution, proof of a student loan granted by a bank, scholarship confirmation stating the amount, payments and duration, proof of tuition payment, or a signed declaration of financial support from another person with their financial proof. A funds transfer authorization from the exchange control office is accepted only if the country limits the outflow of funds. Check the current list on the official page.

Tuition

In Quebec, universities set international students' undergraduate tuition themselves; at graduate research levels, a lump-sum charge is added to basic tuition. At college level, international students pay lump-sum amounts that serve as tuition. The amounts are not on the Government of Quebec's page: use the calculator or tuition page of your target institution, the only reliable reference for your program. Université de Montréal, for example, offers a tuition calculator on its page for students from Morocco.

Outside Quebec, each institution publishes its own international student fees. Always compare the total cost of the program, not just the first year.

The Quebec–Morocco agreement on supplementary tuition exemptions

An exemption lets a Moroccan student pay the same tuition as Quebec students. It is provided by the agreement “on student mobility at university level” signed between the Government of Quebec and the Government of Morocco on April 1, 2021: 45 exemptions at first cycle, 34 at second cycle and 11 at third cycle. They are awarded in priority sectors (information and communications technologies, engineering, administration and management, education, environment, tourism and hospitality, water resources, marine sciences, literature and Quebec studies), with at most 20% for English-language institutions.

To benefit, you must notably: hold a valid Moroccan passport, a CAQ and a study permit, be recommended by the exemption manager for the Moroccan side, prove admission to a Quebec university program, enrol full-time in fall and winter terms, and complete the prescribed application form. The maximum duration is 3 or 4 years for a bachelor's (90 or 120 credits), 2 years for a master's and 3 years for a doctorate; short programs, certificates and specialized graduate diplomas are excluded.

The Government of Quebec states, on its page about exemptions under agreements, that no request sent directly to the ministry by a student will be reviewed: the application goes through your country's designated manager. Université de Montréal states, for its part, that Moroccan students can benefit from exemptions and that 84% of students from Morocco at first cycle received one.

What to check before counting on an exemption

First, the 2021 agreement is concluded for five years from signing and can be renewed by exchange of letters: confirm with the exemption manager and the institution that it is still in force for your year. Second, an exemption is never guaranteed in advance: it depends on selection and the number of places available. Third, do not confuse this agreement with another measure: the Government of Quebec announced that no new supplementary tuition exemption will be granted from the fall 2026 term for students selected by an institution in certain priority fields, outside the Montréal Metropolitan Community. That announcement concerns a measure distinct from the exemptions provided by international agreements.

Without an exemption, plan for the full cost of international tuition in your budget.

Building your budget: a five-step method

First, note your program's tuition on the institution's official page, for the whole length of the program. Second, add up application fees: study permit, biometrics, CAQ if you study in Quebec, language test and diploma evaluation if needed. Third, check the proof of funds required: IRCC outside Quebec, MIFI in Quebec, adding first-year tuition and return transportation. Fourth, estimate the cost of living locally using the official amounts as a floor, because they are a minimum to show, not a comfortable budget. Fifth, keep a margin for the unexpected and for housing in the first months.

If your budget does not work, look first at exemptions and the institution's scholarships, then at other programs, before borrowing or asking an intermediary for help.

Official sources consulted

IRCC, “Proof of financial support” (updated August 28, 2026); Government of Quebec, release on amendments to the Regulation respecting immigration to Quebec (November 19, 2025); Government of Quebec, “Required documents for an application under the International Student Program” (January 13, 2026); Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration, “Increase in fees for the Ministry's services” (January 1, 2026); Government of Quebec, “Exemption from supplementary tuition fees under international agreements” (July 9, 2026) and “Exemption by program of study and region” (May 5, 2026); Agreement between the Government of Quebec and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco on student mobility at university level (April 1, 2021); Université de Montréal, “Student in Morocco” page. Consulted on October 26, 2026.