Comprehensive List of Scholarships to Study in Canada

1. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS)

   This scholarship was launched in 2008 by the Canadian government to help Canada attract the best talent from different parts of the world and retain them. It is specifically aimed to bring in world­ class researchers/ doctoral candidates and thus help Canada become a centre for research excellence and higher education. Scholars who are bestowed with this prestigious fellowship demonstrate excellent leadership skills and academic achievements during MS studies in different fields such as health, natural sciences, engineering studies, humanities and social sciences.

   The scholarship is valued at Can $50,000 per year for the first three years of the Ph. D. program and candidate belonging to any nationality including Canadian nationality and permanent residents of Canada are eligible to apply. Every year 167 scholarships are awarded and at any given point of time there are 500 students who are actively using their Vanier scholarship to pursue doctoral students in different Canadian universities. To be eligible for this fellowship, the following criteria are applicable:

   1. The student needs to be enrolled in any Ph.D. program at a Canadian institute
   2. The student must be selected/ nominated by the Canadian University/ Institute where they aspire to study
   3. Few universities where students have been receiving this meritorious award are University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, University of Alberta and British Columbia. Roughly 200 students get this scholarship at these universities every year
   4. Candidates must have proven excellence in academic endeavours, strong leadership traits and a potential and acumen for scientific and research oriented activities

   The timeline for the application and review process is as follows:

   • Submit the application by deciding on the nominating institute between July­ November 2018
   • November 1, 2018: Deadline to submit the nominations by the universities to the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
   • March 2019: Nominees would be intimated by email
   • May 2019, September 2019/ January 2020: Payment would be rolled out

2. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (UMGF)

   To add to the list of scholarships to study in Canada, UMGF are completely merit­ based scholarships. These awards are open for citizens of all nationalities, including Canadian nationals and permanent residents of Canada. The candidate must be registered in full­ time Ph.D. or Master’s program/ graduate programs at the University. For the period of one­ year, the amount of scholarship given is Can $ 14,000 for Master’s program and Can $ 18,000 for doctoral programs. However, this award is bestowed only for a duration of first 2 years of the Master’s program and the first four years the Ph.D. program. Students pursuing graduate studies in the field of health, natural sciences, engineering studies, humanities and social sciences can apply. However, students pursuing graduate studies in MBA or from the College of Medicine are not eligible for this award. Additionally, the candidate must have had a minimum GPA of 3.75/ above B+ grade in the last two years of their previous academic course of study namely Bachelors/ graduate Diploma or degree program.

3. Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships/ Trudeau Foundation Scholarships

   These scholarships are awarded in the field of social sciences and humanities and every year fifteen awards are bestowed upon successful candidates. The candidates could either be enrolled in a full­ time program, or in the first or second year of their Ph. D. program. Even candidates who are in the process of enrolling in the doctoral program in Humanities/ Social Sciences are eligible to apply. The Ph. D. candidates can belong to any nationality including Canadian. Selected candidates receive following benefits:

   1. Leadership training as you become a member where you can interact and build your rolodex under the guidance of able Scholars/ Fellows and Mentors. These leaders have accomplished remarkable feat in their disciplines and field of work and have also been change­ makers
   2. The scholarship is valued at Can $ 60,000 per year for a period of three years, out of which Can $40,000 is allotted to living and tuition expenses and the remaining amount is travel allowance for attending research seminars/ conferences
   3. The candidates are required to submit one research report that documents their progress once a year, if awarded with this fellowship
   4. The successful candidates are also required to attend two Institutes of Engaged Leadership along with a community retreat within the first year of receiving this fellowship
   5. In the second year, the successful candidates are required to work in teams, plan and attend conference events
   6. In the third year, the successful candidates are required to collaborate with their mentors on knowledge sharing tasks and disseminating the results of their project work
   7. The candidates also need to build their language proficiency in English and French
   8. Students from emerging/ developing nations and economies are encouraged to apply
   9. This award is given in the fields of research such as People and Natural Environment, Responsible Citizenship, Human Rights and Dignity and also in Canada in the World

4. University of Waterloo International Master’s Students Awards (IMSA)

   The IMSA awards have been discontinued effective May 1, 2019. Students pursuing Masters who are starting in spring 2019 or later should refer to the International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE) – See Below.

5. University of Waterloo International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)

   This scholarship is awarded to full­ time Ph. D. candidates registered at the University of Waterloo. This scholarship is open for students of all nationalities having a valid Canadian study permit. Candidates are required to meet the academic progress requirements as set­ aside by the respective department/ program. Students should also not be on any probation requirements. The award money and the duration depend on the number of terms for which the student has been enrolled in a program. It also depends on if they were admitted from a Master’s/ Bachelor’s degree or if they had transferred from a Master’s degree program to a doctoral degree. Additionally, it depends on the number of terms, wherein the student has been awarded previously. Following is the scholarship amount for different categories:

   1. Full-time international students: receive Can $13,410 each year (Can $4,470* per term) till the end of third year i.e. term 9.0. From terms 10.0 to 12.0 (fourth year), they receive an IDSA4 where 2/3 of the funds come from the University/Faculty (Can $2,980* per term) and 1/3 from the department/supervisor (Can $1,490* per term). * This value is roughly equal to the difference in the tuition fees between full-time domestic Ph.D. and full­ time international Ph.D students
   2. Students transferred from a master’s program to a doctoral program in term 4.0 will receive Can $4,470* per term till term 12.0
   3. Students who are admitted beginning spring 2019 and eventually when they transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program will receive Can $2,500 for terms 13.0 and 14.0.
   4. Candidates admitted directly from a bachelor’s degree to a doctoral program will receive Can $4,470* from terms 4.0 to 12.0
   5. Candidates admitted into a PhD directly from an undergraduate program will receive Can $2,500 for the first three terms and from term 13.0 to 14.0

6. Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS)

   OTS was announced in 2010 by the Ontario government with an aim to significantly attract strong, qualified international students to pursue Ph. D. at Ontario. This scholarship is open for students of all nationalities having a valid Canadian study permit aiming to pursue full­ time Ph. D. This award is given for a maximum period of four years and is valued at Can $40, 000 per year (Can $26,666 from the Ontario Government and Can $13,333 from the University/Faculty/department/supervisor). The candidate is required to main good academic standing; meet OTS requirements for the award to be renewable every year. However, the availability of funds for OTS depends upon annual confirmation for this scholarship from the provincial government (Waterloo government). The faculty selects six students every year at Waterloo.

7. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)

   The aim of these scholarships/ awards is to encourage excellence in graduate studies namely the Master’s and Ph. D. programs at public universities in Ontario. The government of Ontario and the associated participating institutes/ universities funds both these programs. The government provides 2/3 of the award value and the remaining amount is contributed by the university. To apply for both the scholarships, students just need to submit one application. The significant differences between the OGS and QEII- GSST scholarships are that OGS is a merit­ based award for graduate candidates in all fields/ disciplines and open for all nationalities. On the contrary, QEII­ GSST is only meant for candidates pursuing a research-based graduate program in any one of the STEM fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. Also, this award is not for all nationalities and can be availed only by Canadian Citizens/Permanent residents.

   These awards are non­ renewable and are valued at Can 15,000/ year or Can $5,000/ term. The award can be taken for a minimum of two terms (receiving $10,000 total) or three terms (receiving Can $15,000 total). The start term for these scholarships is fall 2019, winter 2020, or spring 2020. At Waterloo, a total of 166 OGS and 35 QEII-GSST are available. The applicant is considered for the award of this scholarship based on their academic excellence which is highlighted by transcripts (reflecting an average of 85%+ in the last two years of full time academic study) and scholarships/ awards/ honors received previously. The recipients of this award also need to demonstrate research ability by having relevant paper publications in peer­ reviewed journals, conferences along with communication and leadership qualities.

8. University of Calgary Graduate Awards

   University of Calgary offers a diverse range of scholarships for international students in different fields of study. Following are some examples:

   1. Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarships

      Awarded for thesis­ based research for graduate students of all nationalities. The research area should hold strategic importance for Alberta. The fields of research that are supported by this fellowship are Nanotechnology, Omics (e.g. Proteomics, Metabolomics) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Broadly the research areas should support fields such as Energy, Food and Agriculture, Environment and Climate and Bio industry and Health. The value of the award is Can $ 26,000 for two years for MS and Can $31,000 for four years for Ph. D. This scholarship is open for students of all nationalities.

   2. Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarships

      Awarded for thesis­ based research for graduate students of all nationalities. The research area should hold strategic importance for Alberta. The fields of research that are supported by this fellowship are Nanotechnology, Omics (e.g. Proteomics, Metabolomics) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Broadly the research areas should support fields such as Energy, Food and Agriculture, Environment and Climate and Bio industry and Health. The value of the award is Can $ 26,000 for two years for MS and Can $31,000 for four years for Ph. D. This scholarship is open for students of all nationalities.

   3. Graduate Award Competition (GAC)

      The scholarships that are awarded through the annual Graduate Award Competition (GAC) are Izaak Walton Killam Doctoral Scholarships, Open Doctoral Scholarships, Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarships and Special Awards. The value of the award is Can $36,000 and the successful candidate must have shown academic excellence, research and leadership potential. They should also have strong interpersonal skills.

   4. Entrance Awards/ Doctoral Recruitment Scholarships

      The annual Entrance Examination/ Competition are held by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the award is paid to students of all nationalities who pass this examination. The applicant must be registered in the full­ time doctoral program. The award value is paid in May, September or January and the examination results are announced in March.

9. UBC Graduate Global Leadership Fellowships

   This scholarship is meant for students from developing countries like India, who aim to pursue Ph. D. at UBC. The successful candidate must have displayed strong leadership potential in development and humanitarian work in their respective native country. The value of the scholarship is Can$18, 200/ year along with tuition waiver for four years. The candidates are selected based on their academic excellence, research ability and leadership potential to be able to develop sustainable initiatives in their homeland.

Adding to the list of scholarships to study in Canada, following are some of the awards given to meritorious international students pursuing undergraduate studies at different universities in Canada.

1. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarships

   This scholarship is available at University of Toronto for four years and is awarded to students who display academic excellence, leadership and creativity. The award covers tuition fees, residence support, books and incidental fees.

2. Humber College International Entrance Scholarships

   This College offers partial or full tuition waiver that can be renewed. This award is meant for international students who start the program in January or September of every year.

3. York University International Student Scholarship Program

   International students who show strong and an excellent academic record are eligible to be awarded with scholarships ranging from Can $60,000 – Can $100,000 for the four-year undergraduate program.

4. University of British Columbia (UBC) Scholarships for International Students

   Students having outstanding academic achievements are honored and recognized at UBC as they allot more than Can $ 10 million per year for scholarships and financial aid for undergraduate students from different parts of the world.

5. Carleton University Entrance Scholarships for International Students

   This University offers partial scholarships worth Can $4,000 – $16,000 to academically strong students who have scored 80% and above.

6. UBC’s International Scholars Program

   This program offers two awards namely International Leader of Tomorrow Award and Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award. International Leader of Tomorrow Award recognizes international undergraduate students who display academic excellence, leadership potential and genuine engagement in student affairs and community service. Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award is for students who have achieved commendable academic achievements under challenging circumstances such as being from a war­ torn region, regions of extreme poverty/ impoverishment or those who just cannot pursue undergraduate studies without financial support.

Read more:

• List of Jamboree partner colleges in Canada
• An insight into a student’s life in Canada
• How much does it cost to study in Canada?
• Top 12 Reasons to Study in Canada
• How to study in Canada – an insight into admissions?
• Canada calling! – study in Canada

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