In today's economy, it's more important than ever to "stand out from the crowd."

Time spent studying abroad looks great on your resume and can give you that competitive edge when applying for that dream job. Companies worldwide operate in a global environment, and it makes sense that they prefer to hire employees who have had international experience, and even better, knowledge of a second language. Don't get left behind!

Any study abroad experience is good, from a two-week Architecture field trip to a full degree program, but the longer the stay, the bigger the return on your investment.

To help you finance your studies abroad, here are a few tips to help you:

• Many international universities offer academic or sports scholarships — here are a few to check out
• Many governments also offer scholarships; Fulbright scholarships (USA), Erasmus Mundi (Europe) and Australia Awards are just a few
• A few countries offer free tuition to everyone, including international students — for example, Germany and Finland
• Degree programs are sometimes shorter abroad, so it may be cheaper to study abroad than to study in Canada when you consider that you are paying for tuition/accommodation for less time. For example, in the UK, undergraduate degrees are generally three years and some Masters' degrees are one year
• Some provincial governments offer financial assistance (for example the Ontario Student Assistance program
• Programs might be available abroad, but not available — or totally full — in Canada (for instance, Medicine and Law).

Check out events in and around your city, such as the Study and Go Abroad Fair, Canada's largest international university and student travel expo, as this is a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with universities from around the world. The Fall 2019 fair circuit will visit Calgary, Vancouver, Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto from September 28 – October 6.