Scholarships in Canada for international students can ease the financial constraints for applicants with ambition to pursue studies abroad. Canada is one of the most curated studying abroad destinations with an inflow of over 6,42,000 international students studying with the broad range of programs offered. Irrespective of its popularity, studying in Canada does not come cheap. Students who wish to study in Canada but lack the financial resources can opt from the numerous scholarships for Indian students in Canada. As an international student pursuing higher education in Canada, you can apply for various types of funding available by the government universities or Non-governmental organizations.
Type of scholarship for international students in Canada.
- Canadian Government scholarship: these are the awards open by the government to encourage students to study in Canada.
- Non-Government scholarship: it is offered by various tribes, foundations and organizations to students pursuing a specific co-stream to encourage participation and development inside the field.
- Institutional scholarship: it is offered by universities or colleges in Canada to students pursuing education with them.
Some popular government-funded scholarships available for Indian students to study in Canada are:
Name of the scholarship: Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute
Description:
- Offers various fellowships at different levels from graduate to post-doctorate and from research to training fellowships
- Shastri Research Student Fellowship: For students enrolled in Bachelors, Masters, M.Phil degree programmes in recognised Indian universities or institutions to undertake research in their interested areas/ fields in a Canadian university
- Eligible students can also pursue an e-course (module/part of a course), or do an e-internship at Canadian universities, which falls under SICI network
- The value of this fellowship is CAD 500-1,000 (expenses that are not provided by the applicant’s home institution, and related to subscription of online meeting software, internet connection, telephone bills, affiliation fee or registration fee to access library or lab facility will be considered, if any)
- The duration is up to 8-12 weeks for students
Name of the scholarship: Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
Description:
- This scheme identifies students with high intellect from Commonwealth countries applying to programs of advanced study and research at the Master and PhD level
- The award comprises travel, living allowance and the compulsory tuition fees
- It includes Graduate Students Exchanges (GSEP), which provide $10,000 for transportation, living and other expenses in Canada for 5-6 months
Name of the scholarship: Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
Description:
- For graduate students in a wide variety of disciplines
- As a prerequisite to applying, students must accept an offer from a university in Ontario and obtain a valid study permit
- The scholarship amount is $5,000 per session. So, you may receive $10,000 (two consecutive sessions); $15,000 (three consecutive sessions). In all, the unit will limit itself to one-third of the cost of the total award to be received by you
- Each award is tenable for one year (two to three academic sessions). The value and duration are determined by the awarding graduate unit and detailed of which will be mentioned in your offer letter
Name of the scholarship: National Research Council of Canada (NRCC)
Description:
- Research associateship is offered to master’s degree holders in engineering and PhD holders in natural science or engineering disciplines
Name of the scholarship: Quebec Provincial Government Scholarship
Description:
- For students studying in Quebec
- Financial assistance to students at master’s level or above
- Each application is assessed on its merit
- Value and duration are determined as per the level of study:
- Doctoral program: $25,000 a year and duration is up to 3 years with a possible extension to it of 12 months
- Postdoctoral scholarships: $35,000 for one year and can’t be renewed
- Short-term research or professional development scholarship: $3,000 each month for 4 months
Name of the scholarship: Ontario Trillium Scholarship
Description:
- First announced in November 2010 for doctoral students from around the world to study in Ontario
- Each scholarship is worth $40,000 annually, renewable for a maximum of four years
- 75 scholarships are awarded each year
- Ontario universities are responsible for selecting and awarding the scholarship to international PhD students based on merit and program criteria
Name of the scholarship: Partnership Grants by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Description:
- For PhD candidates
- Supports new or existing research initiatives in social sciences and humanities
- Worth up to CAD 20,000
- Duration: 4 to 7 years
Name of the scholarship: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Description:
- Offered by the Canadian government to international students to pursue postgraduate program within the natural science, social sciences or healthcare research
- This Postdoctoral Fellowship is worth $70,000 per year (taxable) for two years
Name of the scholarship: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
Description:
- This scholarship is awarded by Government of Canada to meritorious students who aspire to pursue a doctoral degree at a Canadian institution
- Duration is for 3 years (non-renewable) and amount is 50,000 CAD per year
Some non-government scholarships available for Indian students to study in Canada are:
Name of the scholarship: Anne Vallee Ecological Fund
Description:
- These scholarships are designated for international students to support them undertake animal research at master or doctoral program in Québec or British Columbia University
- This fund offers two $1,500 scholarship
Name of the scholarship: Trudeau Scholarships and Fellowships
Description:
- These are offered to international students at doctorate level for some specific Canadian institutions
- The amount is $40,000 each year for three years; and $20,000 each year for three years, as research and travel allowance
How to search for a study abroad scholarship in Canada?
Majorly, students planning to study abroad can also choose to look for funding options offered by a home country. In this case, you can contact the immigration, home affairs, or external affairs department of your country. You can also avail government, non-government or institutional scholarships to study in Canada.
For the former 2 types of scholarship, you can explore the government of Canada international scholarships or international council for Canadian studies.
Here is a step by step guide on finding the right scholarships in Canada.
- Start the search as soon as you apply. Look for all the available options – government, non-government, university specific and more.
- Communicate with your university/colleges to find out what all scholarships are currently open for applications.
- Do additional research, contact counselors and more.
- Make applications for scholarships before the deadline approaches.
- Ensure your scores for tests required to study in Canada are competitive and good.
Eligibility Criteria for applying for scholarship in Canada
To get any scholarship in Canada as an international student one has to make sure that they fulfill certain criteria, though for each individual scholarship that you wish to avail, the overall eligibility will vary but some general requirement that International (Indian) students must keep in mind are:
- Academic excellence – applicants for scholarship to study in Canada must ensure that they have good academic scores. most of the scholarship are merit based which means financial support will be offered to meritorious students
- Language proficiency – since most international students do not have English as their first language, having better language skills or proficiency scores on exams like IELTS, TOEFL, etc. enhances your chances of getting a scholarship to study in Canada.
- Extra-curricular indulgence – some scholarships in Canada for international students also consider students’ involvement in volunteering and extracurricular activities; this is often the case with stream specific scholarships such as programs like social work etc. The work experience in this field is an add on and hence becomes one of the major eligibility criteria