Accommodation

Homestay & Student Residence Accommodation Options

With the homestay accommodation option, students stay with a Canadian host family and this host family will be their home away from home for the duration of their studies in Toronto. The residence accommodation option is available for students in their senior year of high school who have completed at least one year with a homestay.

Homestay in Toronto

Homestay Accommodation

Living with a homestay family is a popular way to host international students in Canada and a great opportunity for students to learn about Canadian culture and practice their English. Typically, host families will include students in family events and activities.

At Keystone, we work with Casa Toronto to provide homestay accommodation for our students. They have served tens of thousands of students from over seventy countries in the last 25+ years. All of our host families are carefully selected to ensure that students can stay in a warm, welcoming, and friendly living environment. All homestay families go through extensive background and police checks to ensure the safety of our students.

Students are provided with a fully-furnished single room and three meals a day. See Tuition & Fees under Admissions to find out more about the fees.

What is a typical host family?

Typically, families whose children have left home for university will host international students.

Are there other students in the homestay?

Families can host one or more students at a time. Sometimes, their school-age children are also living at home. Typically, there are 2 – 3 students in each homestay.

How far is the homestay from the school?

We select homestays within 30-60 minutes by public transportation from the school.

How safe is it?

Through Keystone’s Homestay Program, students have access to a wide support network, including international program staff, a homestay coordinator, their host family, and a custodian. These people will check in on a child’s personal safety and wellbeing regularly. As well, all homestay families go through a rigorous selection process and extensive background check, which includes a criminal record check and references.

How are host families matched?

Before arriving, all students must complete an application form listing their interests, hobbies, dietary requirements, and other details. Every effort is made to match families to students with shared interests, whether it be sports or theatre!

What are the benefits of living in a homestay?

Students who live with host families pick up English much faster than those who don’t. This is because living with native English speakers means that students develop an “ear” for the language and practice their conversational skills on a regular basis.

Living with a Canadian homestay family can be a culturally enriching experience. Whether going to watch a sports game, or simply listening to the radio and watching Canadian TV shows, your child will have plenty of opportunity to learn more about Canadian culture.

Student Residence Accommodation Options

Parkside Student Residence (Must be 16+): May be suitable for students in their last year of high school.

Parkside is a vibrant student community where you will create lasting friendships and unforgettable memories. What makes the Parkside community special is their curated residence life program designed to help with academic support, health and wellness programming, financial literacy and community engagement.

There are shared and private bedrooms with shared living space.

Parkside provides state-of-the-art accommodations with a full dining program, 24-hour fitness centre, dramatic study & lounge spaces, and an active social calendar – all in a perfect location in the heart of the city, minutes away from Keystone.

The fees are based on the chosen unit and range between $1375/month to $2495/month. Meal plans are mandatory at an additional cost.

HOEM On Jarvis (Must be 16+): May be suitable for students in their last year of high school.

HOEM provides a comfortable, modern, and low-maintenance living space for students. There are a variety of suite options to choose from; students share their living space but have private fully furnished bedrooms. There is a shared kitchen where students can prepare their meals. There are double, triple, and quadruple suites to choose from and biweekly in-suite cleaning is included in all housing fees.

Living at HOEM comes with a foundation of support, a hub to connect with others, a built-in network of resources and opportunities to get involved, how and when you want – you’ll never feel out of place in this diverse community! Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, you’ll be steps away from Keystone.

The fees are based on the chosen suit and range from $1,540 to $1,840/month, meals are not included. Students must cook for themselves.