TORONTO — A life-changing milestone awaits hundreds of thousands of first-year students preparing to head off to university and college in the coming weeks.
It's a moment teary-eyed parents will also remember as they drop off their kids at campus dorms, making sure to offer some last-minute advice: Study hard, eat healthy and don't forget to call mom and dad.
But the independence that comes with post-secondary life could mean making such phone calls on their own dime from now on.
With back-to-school sales in full swing across Canada's cellphone providers, experts say now is the ideal time to capitalize on a promotion that sets you up for the school year.
"There's a few dates that are important when you want to save on your cellphone plan and internet plan," said Nadir Marcos, founder of PlanHub.ca, pointing to well-known shopping bonanzas such as Boxing Day and Black Friday.
But he said back-to-school is also "a big one."
"Back-to-school is really a good period to shop," he said. "What people don't know and don't realize is that prices are very dynamic. They change on a daily basis."
Marcos, whose website helps shoppers compare offers across dozens of providers, said there are "very aggressive" deals out there targeted toward students.
While those include promotions from the Big Three cellphone companies, he said he often recommends students opt for plans offered by "flankers" — the discount brands owned by the major carriers — which are even cheaper.
"Of course with these brands you don't have customer service that is by phone. But these days ... I think that will not be a problem for students," he said.
Marcos said those brands, including Rogers' Fido, Bell's Virgin Plus and Telus' Koodo Mobile, are "pretty much" aligned on pricing.
"What they also offer is flexibility, so you can change your plan on their portal on their site," said Marcos.
"If you're tight on your budget or you want to change your expenses, you can always do so without having to pick up the phone and talk."
But while having your very own phone plan for the first time may feel empowering, staying on the family plan and contributing your share of the bill may be the more economical option.
"If you're currently on a plan that has other family members on it and you might be getting a bit of a discounted pricing, I would just suggest staying on that shared plan because it's probably going to be cheaper than going on your own," said Mohammed Halabi, director and founder of MyBillsAreHigh.com, a company that helps customers negotiate with telecom providers.
"With that being said, there are some decent rates for stand-alone plans out there as well."
For those going away for school, Halabi said he recommends choosing a premium brand because of the superior network coverage they offer. He said the last thing you want is to be out of service range when trying to make a call, especially when travelling between home and school.
"Depending on where you are, it does justify the cost increase," he said.
The Big Three providers offer similar back-to-school promotions each year, Halabi said.
This week, Rogers was offering a 60-gigabyte plan for $60 per month on its website, which includes a discount for setting up autopay, while a near-identical offer was available from Telus.
Bell's "back to school ready" promotion included a package of 100 gigabytes for $55 per month when you bring your own phone and bundle with internet. A mobile-only version of the plan was available for $70 per month.
Halabi said his advice for young customers is to be aware of the "areas where bill shock can come from," such as international calls, roaming charges and extreme data overages.
But these days, he said most plans offer so much data that the majority of customers don't end up using the full monthly allotment.
"Just ensure that you understand the plan that you're getting and that it suits how you're using your phone," he said.
"I always advise, whether it's business or personal customers, to choose a service that properly meets your needs versus trying to meet the needs of the plan."
Marcos said the main risk of overspending doesn't usually come from selecting the wrong plan, but rather from purchasing the accompanying hardware.
He said cellphones have grown more expensive even though the latest models "tend to change less and less."
The biggest mistake a student can make, he said, is purchasing an expensive new device that must be returned to the provider at end-of-term. If you break the phone, you'll owe more money later on.
"There are some really good devices that are almost brand new and they cost much less. And most of these flanker brands, they offer the possibility of buying a used device that is in good condition," said Marcos.
"You can always get out of the contract and if it's bring-your-own-device there's no strings attached really. You can leave at any time."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI B, TSX:T, TSX:BCE)
Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
