As an international student, tuition and living costs can add up. Fortunately, the Canadian government offers a variety of scholarships to eligible students to help cut costs.
There are scholarships available at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but specific scholarships may be limited by academic level, course, or a student’s home country. Keep reading for more information on application processes and guidelines.
Before You Apply
Refer to the Government of Canada’s Scholarships page and the EduCanada website. These websites list scholarships offered by the federal government, and a search may be customized by a student’s home country. Also, check if the province or territory where you’ll be studying offers scholarships! Currently, Ontario and British Columbia have scholarships for international students.
Additionally, we recommend creating a calendar of scholarship and program application due dates. A calendar can outline when to start preparing for applications, and which scholarships to prioritize.
Looking at multiple study abroad destinations? Check out scholarships offered by the United Kingdom for international students.
Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED)
- Scholarship Amount: Varies depending on level and duration of study.
- C$10,200 at any level (college, undergraduate, postgraduate) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study/research.
- C$12,700 for graduate students (master’s/PhD) for five to six months of study or research.
- C$15,900 for undergraduate and college students for two academic terms of study or research, lasting up to eight months.
- Levels of Study: College, undergraduate, and graduate.
- Eligible Applicant Countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Students passionate about building a more equitable world could be a great match for SEED. The ideal candidate is already studying in a field aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SEED allows students from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to experience a student exchange at Canadian colleges and universities. Undergraduate and postgraduate students may apply.
Students cannot apply directly for this scholarship, which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development (DFATD). Instead, Canadian schools apply, and waive tuition and/or academic fees for participating students. (Eligible students must already be registered at and paying full-time tuition to their home institution.)
SEED recipients must arrive in Canada by September for the Fall semester, or by January for the Winter semester. Also, students must be proficient in English or French, as no language training is provided. In their application, students must include a letter detailing how their studies will help them support the UN Agenda.
Visit the ApplyBoard Platform to research your study opportunities in Canada!
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
- Scholarship Amount: Up to C$40,000 per year for three years. A research allowance of up to C$10,000 per year.
- Level of Study: Postgraduate – Doctoral.
- Eligible Applicant Countries: Any international student already studying at a Canadian institution may apply.
International students in their first or second year of full-time study at the doctoral level at a college or university in Canada may apply for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship is granted for up to three years.
A condition of funding is that recipients participate in the scholarship’s learning program. Also, scholarship recipients receive leadership training from the program’s Fellows and Mentors. During their study, students are encouraged to become more fluent in English and French, and will have opportunities to learn Indigenous languages.
Eligible students are researching social sciences and humanities, with a focus that relates specifically to the foundation’s central themes:
- Canada and the World
- Human Rights and Dignity
- People and their Natural Environment
- Responsible Citizenship
That said, students may apply from fields outside of the social sciences and humanities if they can demonstrate how their research relates to the themes above.
Study in Canada Scholarships
- Scholarship Amount:
- C$10,200 for college, undergraduate, or graduate study for a minimum of four months/one academic term OR
- C$12,700 for graduate study (master’s and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research.
- Levels of Study: College, undergraduate, and graduate.
- Eligible Applicant Countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, and Ukraine.
Students seeking a short-term international study opportunity should consider the Study in Canada scholarships. A minimum of 50 scholarships are available. Because the scholarship only covers one academic term, or five to six months of research, students must be enrolled in full-time study at a college or university in their home countries to be eligible.
Students cannot apply directly for this scholarship. Instead, Canadian colleges and universities apply to the DFATD, and waive tuition and/or academic fees for successful students.
Students should connect with their current institution to see if there is an existing exchange agreement with any Canadian colleges or universities. If there is, students should express interest in the Study in Canada program, and ask for specific program and selection criteria.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
- Scholarship Amount: C$50,000 per year for three years.
- Level of Study: Postgraduate – Doctoral.
- Eligible Applicant Countries: Canadian and international students may apply.
This prestigious government scholarship is assessed on a student’s:
- Academic excellence
- Leadership skills
- Research potential
Students who are pursuing their first doctoral degree and who have held a first-class average over their last two years of study may be nominated by eligible Canadian institutions.
However, not all fields of study are eligible. Programs must be sufficiently research-focused and require the completion of a thesis, dissertation, recital, publication, or exhibit that is expert-reviewed to attain the degree. If candidates who are pursuing a joint graduate research program with a professional degree (like a combined medical degree/PhD) are in programs with “a significant autonomous research component,” they may also apply.
Looking for more opportunities? We’ve explored different kinds of scholarships available to international students in Canada.
