Although studying in Canada is more affordable than in many other countries, it can still get quite expensive for international students. With tuition often costing tens of thousands of dollars per year, many students are on tight budgets. Here’s the good news: there are so many Canadian scholarships for international students studying in Canada, and you owe it to yourself to research and apply for them!
Scholarships are a great way to bring your college or university costs down, but the way these awards work can sometimes be confusing. To help you make sense of the various kinds of financial aid available, in this article, we’ve broken down the different types of international student scholarships in Canada!
Watch Our Canadian Scholarships Video to Learn More:
Merit Scholarships in Canada
A merit scholarship is awarded based on a student’s level of success and does not take financial status into consideration. These awards are typically given out to students with a high level of achievement in academics, athletics, the arts, or outstanding community work.
University/College Scholarships
Most universities and colleges offer their own scholarships to students. Many of these are entrance scholarships, meaning students don’t need to apply in order to be considered for the award. Always be sure to check your institution’s website to see what kind of financial aid they offer.
Financial Scholarships in Canada
Also known as bursaries, financial scholarships are given to students who demonstrate financial need. Almost many of these awards are only available to Canadian residents, there are some for international students as well. Again, check with your university or college to see if you are eligible.
Government-funded Canadian Scholarships
These are international student scholarships made available by the Canadian government. These government scholarships are available at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Searching online for “international student scholarships Canada” isn’t the best way to find them, though. Instead, visit EduCanada to search for available Canadian scholarships, fellowships, and other funding opportunities.
Country-based Scholarships
A Country-based scholarship is awarded to students from specific developing countries or regions. For example, the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program (CCSEP), which benefits Chinese scholars, or the Canada-CARICOM Skills Training for the Green Economy Scholarships Program, which is specifically for students from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Again, visit EduCanada’s website for a more comprehensive list of currently available country-based scholarships.
Privately Funded Scholarships
There are many businesses and private donors who set up scholarships for students. Often, these awards are targeted towards particular areas of study, so check with your faculty organization to see if there are any available at your school.
Graduate Scholarships
In addition to undergraduate scholarships, there are many financial awards available to students studying at the graduate level. A few popular ones in Canada include:
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
One of Canada’s most lucrative scholarships, this award is for doctoral students. It’s worth C$50,000 per year for three years, and can be used towards a doctoral degree or combined masters and Ph.D. The Canadian government introduced the Vanier Scholarship to help attract and retain world-class Ph.D. students, and establish Canada as a global leader in research and higher education.
Only 166 of these scholarships are awarded each year. Students must demonstrate academic excellence, research potential, and leadership qualities in order to be eligible.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships are for international students in postgraduate natural and social sciences or health sciences. The fellowship is valued at C$70,000 per year, for a maximum of two years. 70 fellowships are awarded each year, with a total of up to 140 awards active at any time. To find out more about the application timetable, visit the Government of Canada website.
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships are for international students in postgraduate natural science or engineering programs. Their award values vary, but the Doctoral program, as an example, provides qualifying students with C$21,000 per year for three years. For further details, visit NSERC’s official website.
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship is funded by the provincial government and is a merit-based scholarship available to all students—including international students—in all disciplines of academic study. The award is valued at C$10,000 for two consecutive study terms, or C$15,000 for three consecutive study terms.
To qualify, students must:
- Be enrolled in graduate studies at the master’s or doctoral level.
- Be enrolled in a full-time program for two or more terms (21 to 52 weeks in total) for the academic year you’re submitting your application for.
- Attend one of the following participating Ontario institutions:
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- University of Guelph
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- OCAD University
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- University of Ottawa
- Queen’s University
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- University of Toronto
- Trent University
- University of Waterloo
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- University of Windsor
- York University
To learn how to apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, check with your institution’s Graduate Studies Office for more details.
With so many Canadian scholarships available for international students, you’re more likely than you think to qualify for financial aid in some form. Spend some time exploring and reading all the above links, and exploring study abroad programs on the ApplyBoard Platform too. The information you find could kick off the next major chapter of your life!
