Cohort

Choosing an SIS for a Canadian career college (2026)

What a career college SIS has to do in Ontario and BC, the questions to ask every vendor, and an honest overview of the systems colleges shortlist — STARS, Orbund, Campus Cafe, Classe365 and Cohort.

Last checked October 29, 2026

Short answer

For a Canadian career college, the right student information system is the one that handles clock-hour attendance, signed enrolment contracts, payment plans, T2202 slips and transcripts in Canadian terms — not US financial-aid reporting. Shortlist two or three systems, run a few real students through each one, and compare the total yearly cost including setup.

What a Canadian career college actually needs

Most student information systems are built for US schools or for universities. A career college in Ontario or BC has a narrower but stricter list, and the things that matter most are the ones generic systems leave to spreadsheets:

  • Admissions that end in a signed enrolment contract with the terms your province requires.
  • Clock-hour attendance recorded per student, with totals per month and per course.
  • Tuition, payment plans and refunds in Canadian dollars, with automatic reminders.
  • T2202 Tuition and Enrolment Certificates in the CRA layout, from the payments already recorded.
  • Grades and transcripts in your college's format, and a clean export for your transcript service provider.
  • Class schedules for day, evening and rolling intakes that respect holidays and college breaks.
  • A student portal, and a full history of who changed what — for unannounced inspections.

Questions to ask every vendor

  • Is the product built for Canadian career colleges, or adapted from US Title IV software? Can I see a T2202 it produced?
  • How are clock hours recorded, and can I print a student's monthly hours for an inspector?
  • Can students sign the enrolment contract online, and is the signed copy stored on their record?
  • What does it cost per year for my number of students — including setup, data migration, training and support?
  • How long does it take to move our current students in, and who does the work?
  • Where is our data stored, and can we export all of it if we leave?
  • Can I try it with my own programs and a few real students before signing?

Systems career colleges commonly shortlist

Prices below are the starting prices shown on software directories in October 2026, in US dollars unless noted. Directories often disagree with each other and vendors quote individually, so treat them as a starting point and ask each vendor for a written quote.

  • STARS (Training Masters) — a campus management system designed for post-secondary career schools, covering leads, scheduling, grades and attendance, student ledgers and US compliance reporting such as Title IV and 1098-T. Listed from US$350 a month on Capterra.
  • Orbund — a student information system aimed at career colleges, technical schools and online institutions. Quote-based; directories list a starting point around US$500.
  • Campus Cafe — a web-based SIS designed primarily for post-secondary career schools, covering admissions, student services, the business office and alumni. Directories list a starting price around US$1,200 a month.
  • Classe365 — a general education platform used by schools, colleges and training providers, priced in flat tiers by student count; Capterra lists from US$100 a month for up to 100 students.
  • Cohort — a student information system built in Canada for career colleges in Ontario and BC, covering admissions and e-signed contracts, clock-hour attendance, payment plans and reminders, T2202 slips, transcripts, rolling-intake schedules, Moodle and a student portal. From CAD $99 a month for up to 100 active students, with a free 3-month trial.

How to run a fair trial

Pick three real students: one who started on time, one who joined mid-cycle, and one with a payment plan and a refund. Enter them into each system and check four things: their class dates, their attendance hours for a month, their payment history, and the T2202 the system would produce. The differences between systems show up quickly, and so does how long each one takes.

Where Cohort fits

Cohort is a good fit for Canadian career colleges with up to a few thousand students that want Canadian forms and rules handled out of the box and a short setup. A college that needs US federal financial-aid processing, or runs a university-style credit system, is better served by a system built for that.

How to do it in Cohort

Sources

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change — check the sources above and your accountant or advisor before relying on this for your college.

Cohort is the student information system for Canadian career colleges.