Settling

What about the practical things?
Finances, housing, building new relationships.

For most of our students, moving to Hamilton won’t be a simple thing. Thankfully, Hamilton is a great place to settle—even if it’s just for a few years. As you get ready to come to CRTS, you’ll want to be thinking about housing, financial support, a new church home, and many more details. The FAQs below will give you some useful information about the process of moving to our city.

Key Takeaways

  • Several Reformed congregations are located near the seminary

  • Hamilton has public transit, convenient shopping, and opportunities for getting outdoors

  • CRTS tuition is attractively affordable

  • We are available to help you find housing

There’s a lot to think about before moving to Hamilton and beginning your studies. For the next four years, you will be living in (or near) this city, which means that you need to consider practical things like your housing, transportation, finances, health care coverage, schools for your children, insurance, and much more. Each of these matters will take some time and effort to sort out, but if there is any advice that we can serve you with, please do reach out to our staff.

Besides the practical things, there are equally important matters to prepare for, like finding a congregation to join and helping your family to settle well. Moving means that you’ll be saying farewells in one place while meeting new people and starting to form relationships in another place. Moving is a daunting venture, but also one rich with opportunity—and it’s one that you can do with the strength of God’s presence, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go” (Gen 28:15).

Many people are surprised by how low our tuition fees are, given the high quality of the training that is offered. Because CRTS is the seminary of the Canadian Reformed Churches and receives the churches’ generous financial support, the cost of attending is quite affordable.  Click here for the tuition schedule.

We realize that one of the many considerations around going to seminary is financial. Moving to Hamilton will involve many costs, not just for tuition, but for all the necessities of daily life. Of course, there is a significant difference between going to seminary as a single student or as a married man with children. To give you an idea of what’s involved, this chart outlines various costs. You should also know that financial help is available, depending on your circumstances.

Because studying for four years is going to be an expensive venture, students are always interested in finding ways to save money. Some have found that living near the seminary is best because that can eliminate the need for two cars (if you have a family), or you can cut down on the use of a vehicle through walking, cycling, or car-pooling. On the other hand, rent is generally cheaper outside of Hamilton. Students will have the opportunity to earn some income through Catechism teaching and (once classis has granted permission) preaching in local Canadian Reformed churches.

While CRTS does not offer any formal scholarships or financial aid, members of the Canadian Reformed Churches may apply for financial aid through the Needy Student Fund. Please contact the Registrar for more information.

The seminary owns the house next door to our building and rents out rooms to single students. You can inquire with the administrative office to see if there are rooms available and for further details. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the administrative office who may be able to offer assistance in finding suitable housing through our contacts in the local churches.

Essential to your time in Hamilton will be joining a church family. This will be a place where you can get connected to fellow believers, be nourished by the Word and sacraments, and find the opportunity to use your gifts. Our city is home to no less than eight Canadian Reformed Churches and one congregation of the United Reformed Churches, with several more Reformed churches in the regions around Hamilton. For a full listing of local CanRC and URC churches, please click here.

The seminary is in the southern Ontario city of Hamilton. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario and is called the city of waterfalls, with more than one hundred found along the Niagara Escarpment. Ours is a city of over 500,000 people. It has its own airport for domestic flights, while international flights are generally routed through Toronto, about an hour away. The CRTS building is in a quiet residential neighbourhood on the west side of Hamilton mountain.

For more information on our beautiful city, please visit www.hamilton.ca.

Visit CRTS

Sit in on classes and chapel. Meet with faculty. Talk to current students. Join one of our scheduled campus visit days for prospective students or arrange a visit that works with your schedule. Contact the Registrar’s office for more information.