Scholarships in Canada: Fully Funded Awards for International Students

Studying in Canada is a goal for a large number of international students, and tuition, rent and living costs are the usual obstacle. Canada does have a deep pool of funding. Some awards are fully funded and cover tuition, residence, books, living costs and in a few cases travel. Others are one-time entrance awards that take a few thousand dollars off the first-year bill. If you are looking for fully funded scholarships in Canada and want to understand who actually qualifies, this guide sets out the main federal, provincial and university programs, what each one pays and how the application works. It also explains where a scholarship fits into a Canadian study permit application.

One point before the list. Scholarships are awarded by universities, foundations and government departments, not by IRCC. No consultant can obtain a scholarship for you or influence a selection committee. What a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant can do is advise on the study permit side once you have an offer and funding in place.

Why Canada is a strong choice for international students

If you want to study in a developed, safe country that also has clear immigration pathways, Canada is worth a close look. It has well-regarded universities, and it offers routes into work and, for some graduates, into permanent residence in Canada. The main advantages are these:

• Quality of teaching: Canadian universities are internationally recognised. Programs are broad, facilities are modern and there is a lot of research activity for students who want it.
• Tuition and funding: tuition at Canadian universities is generally lower than in the United States or the United Kingdom. International students can also apply for entrance awards, faculty bursaries and fully funded scholarships, which brings the net cost down further.
• A multicultural environment: Canada is a country built on immigration. You will study alongside people from dozens of countries, and campuses are used to supporting international students.
• Work during and after study: study permit holders can usually work part-time during their studies within the hours IRCC allows, and many graduates of eligible programs can apply for a post-graduation work permit and then for a Canadian work permit in a longer-term category. Check the current work-hour rules and post-graduation work permit eligibility criteria before you enrol, because both have changed in recent years.
• A route towards permanent residence: studying in Canada is not only an academic experience. Some graduates go on to apply through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). A study permit is not a promise of permanent residence, and every application is decided on its own merits.
• Safety and public services: Canada consistently ranks among the safer countries in the world and has strong public healthcare and social services.
• Study in English or French: you can study in either official language. French ability in particular is useful later, because French-language skills carry extra points in several immigration programs.

Eligibility for the Study in Canada Scholarships program

There is no single set of eligibility rules that applies to every scholarship in Canada. Each award has its own criteria. The rules below belong to one specific federally funded program, the Study in Canada Scholarships administered by Global Affairs Canada, which is often quoted online as though it applied to all Canadian scholarships. It does not. Under that program, applicants must:

Be a citizen of one of the following countries or regions:

• Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan
• Europe: Turkey, Ukraine
• Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda

Be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in one of the eligible countries listed above. Applicants must remain enrolled and continue paying tuition at their home institution at the time of application and for the full duration of the exchange.

Applicants are not eligible for this program if they:

• Hold Canadian citizenship or have a permanent residence application in progress
• Have already taken part in a scholarship program funded by the Government of Canada
• Are currently enrolled for a degree, diploma or certificate at a Canadian post-secondary institution

Canadian institutions that want to host these students and receive the funding must also meet conditions. They must:

1. Be a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
2. For college or undergraduate courses, hold a student exchange agreement with the student’s home institution that waives tuition for the incoming scholarship students

Country lists and criteria for this program change from one intake to the next, so confirm the current call for applications before you build a plan around it.

Undergraduate scholarships in Canada

Canada is not only a graduate-study destination. There are fully funded undergraduate scholarships as well, usually awarded on a mix of academic results, community involvement and demonstrated leadership rather than on financial need alone.

If you are in your final year of secondary school and are preparing to apply for a Canadian study permit, these are the undergraduate awards worth targeting:

Here is a closer look at each of them.

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, University of Toronto

This is one of the best-known undergraduate awards in Canada. It covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years, and it is aimed at students with outstanding academic results and a strong record of leadership and community involvement.

You must be in your final year of secondary school and be nominated by your school. After the nomination, you register on the university portal and submit the scholarship application there. The award is highly competitive and nomination alone does not lead to selection.

International Leader of Tomorrow Award, University of British Columbia

This award supports students who combine strong academic results with leadership and community involvement. The amount is assessed on financial need: it covers the gap between your family’s demonstrated ability to pay and the cost of tuition and living expenses. To apply, you must be an international student, not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and be applying to UBC for your first undergraduate degree.

International Entrance Scholarship, University of Calgary

This entrance award is for international students with strong academic results and leadership experience who are entering their first year of an undergraduate program at the University of Calgary.

The award has been valued at CAD 15,000 per year and is renewable for up to four years, to a maximum of CAD 60,000, provided the student keeps the required grade point average. Applicants must be admitted to an undergraduate program, meet the university’s English language requirements and maintain academic standing for renewal. Award values are reviewed periodically, so check the current figure.

International Student Excellence Award, University of Saskatchewan

This entrance award goes to international students with a strong academic record and clear commitment to their field. The University of Saskatchewan has more than 25,000 students from around 130 countries and is one of the more affordable of the larger Canadian research universities.

The award has ranged from CAD 10,000 to CAD 20,000 as a one-time entrance payment. Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and be admitted to an undergraduate program at the university.

Graduate scholarships in Canada for master’s and PhD students

Graduate study in Canada, at master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral level, can be expensive, and international tuition at that level is significant. Canada also offers some of the more generous fully funded scholarships available to international graduate students anywhere.

The strongest of these awards go beyond tuition. They include an annual living allowance, a research budget and in some cases travel funding, so the student can focus on the research rather than on cost.

Here are the main fully funded graduate awards.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Vanier is among the most prestigious doctoral awards in Canada. It is open to Canadian and international doctoral students in health research, natural sciences and engineering, and the social sciences and humanities. The main details:

• Valued at CAD 50,000 per year for three years
• Open to doctoral students, including international students, with an outstanding academic record
• Intended to support living costs and research during the doctorate
• Assessed on three criteria: academic excellence, research potential and leadership

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

If you are finishing a doctorate and want to continue your research at a postdoctoral level in a Canadian institution, Banting is the flagship federal fellowship.

• • Valued at CAD 70,000 per year for two years
  • Open to postdoctoral researchers in health, natural sciences and engineering, and the social sciences and humanities
  • Covers salary and research activity during the fellowship

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships

This award is for doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities whose research contributes to public debate and social change. International students are eligible.

• Valued at up to CAD 60,000 a year for three years, including an annual travel and research allowance of up to CAD 20,000
• Open to doctoral students committed to social innovation, leadership and community engagement
• Supports tuition, living costs, travel and field research
• Scholars are paired with mentors and take part in the foundation’s leadership program

IDRC Research Awards

The IDRC Research Awards are run by Canada’s International Development Research Centre. They support master’s and doctoral candidates working on global development questions, with a focus on applicants from developing countries.

• Valued at up to CAD 20,000, plus research and travel support
• Open to students from developing countries who are enrolled at, or recently graduated from, a Canadian institution
• Research areas include climate change, global health, education, food security and digital development

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The OGS is a merit-based award for master’s and doctoral students, domestic and international, studying in Ontario. It is jointly funded by the Government of Ontario and the participating universities.

• Valued at CAD 5,000 per term, up to CAD 15,000 for a full academic year
• Open to full-time graduate students with a strong academic record at an Ontario university
• Intended to support tuition and living costs during the program

Each university receives its own allocation and sets its own deadline, so you apply through the university, not to the province. For official information on federally funded awards and exchanges, the Government of Canada scholarships and research platform is the primary source and lists current calls for applications.

Scholarship deadlines in Canada

Timing decides more scholarship outcomes than most applicants expect. Nominations, references and language test results all take weeks. The table below sets out the main scholarship deadlines in Canada for a new intake, based on the published cycles:

Deadlines shift from year to year, so verify each one on the awarding institution’s own page before you plan around it. A realistic timetable starts twelve to eighteen months before the intake. The Aval Visa team advises on the study permit side of the process once you have an offer of admission and proof of funding. Admission and scholarship decisions rest with the institutions, and the study permit decision rests with IRCC.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I improve my chances of a fully funded scholarship in Canada? Research the eligibility rules and the application steps early, and apply to a realistic range of awards. A strong academic record, evidence of leadership and a well-prepared file, including a specific personal statement and references from people who know your work, all matter. Nothing improves the odds more than applying in good time to awards you actually qualify for.
2. Do I need IELTS to get a scholarship in Canada? Most Canadian universities and scholarship committees require proof of language ability, usually IELTS, TOEFL or the Duolingo English Test. Some accept other evidence, and French-language programs require French test results instead. Check each institution’s current requirement before you book a test.
3. Do Canadian scholarships cover a student’s family or dependants? No. Most fully funded scholarships cover the student only. If your spouse or children will accompany you, you must show separate funds for their living costs in your study permit application and budget for them independently.