Back when I was in University (the early 90s) you had to ability to pay the entire tuition with a credit card. Of course I didn't have my own yet at the time but I would put it on my parents card to ensure they got the 1% cash back with their TD Gold Elite card. Now many post secondary institutions do not allow the entire amount due to be paid by a credit card so that they can keep costs down but you can find some that do. For example, here in Calgary, U of C does not accept credit cards for tuition fees but SAIT does allow full payment by Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Check with your institution to see if they accept cards so that you can maximize your points and miles earning on those payments. If you don't have your own see if your parents or other family members would let you use their card so that someone can be rewarded (or have them use those points and miles for you!) Be sure to check all other services at your institution however for their acceptance of cards like the book store, food outlets, sports activities and more. If they take credit cards pay with them so that you earn the points and miles!

Now there is another option if your institution doesn't accept credit cards for tuition and that option is called Plastiq. We've mentioned Plastiq on occasion here on Rewards Canada as they are a third party payment provider that pays bills and expenses on your behalf. How it works is that you pay Plastiq with a credit card they then submit an online payment or mail a cheque to that merchant you wish to pay. Of course this comes with a cost, depending on the merchant and the type of card used Plastiq charges a fee of anywhere from 1% to 3%. Once again looking at Calgary, Plastiq charges a 1.99% fee to pay U of C tuition on your behalf. So is it worth it to use this service if they charge a fee? Yes, but only if your calculated return is more than the service fee. With the U of C example you would want to use a credit card that has rewards valued at 2% or more. Cards like the BMO World Elite Mastercard, mbna Rewards World Elite Mastercard, Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and a host of others will give you a return bigger than the fee charged by Plastiq.