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Explore Scholarships
Find scholarships that fit your profile, understand the requirements, and plan a stronger application.
Types of Scholarships in Canada
Scholarships for international students in Canada vary widely. Some are offered directly by universities and colleges, while others come from government programs, private organizations, or foundations. Each scholarship has specific eligibility criteria, application processes, and deadlines.
Scholarships offered by Canadian Institutions
From institutionsThese awards come directly from Canadian universities and colleges. Many are considered after you submit your admission application, and if you meet the criteria an award may be included with your Letter of Acceptance.
- Many entrance awards are automatic
- A stronger program application improves your chances
- Some awards require nomination by your current high school
- No school can guarantee exclusive admissions or awards
Scholarships offered by Government and Organizations
Government & organizationsThese awards are offered by government programs, private organizations, and foundations. They are competitive and often have strict deadlines and separate document requirements.
- Review eligibility criteria carefully
- Track scholarship and financial-aid deadlines
- Prepare required documents early
- Apply only for awards that match your profile
How do I apply for a scholarship?
You do not apply for a scholarship first — you apply for admission. Every scholarship offered by a Canadian institution follows the same order, and it begins with a complete admission application and a paid application fee.
Only once you have been admitted does the institution review your academic documents and decide what funding, if any, you are offered.
1. Apply for admission
Choose your program and submit a complete application to the institution.
2. Pay the application fee
Every institution charges one. It is non-refundable and separate from tuition.
3. Be admitted
Scholarship consideration begins here. Without an offer there is nothing to review.
4. Your record is reviewed
The institution assesses your academic documents against its own award criteria.
5. A decision reaches you
Any award arrives in one of the three ways set out below.
Steps 1 and 2 are the same for every applicant, whether or not a scholarship exists. There is no scholarship application to submit before you are admitted, and the application fee is payable either way.
How an award reaches you
A scholarship can arrive at three different points, and only the first is decided before you enrol. Students who do not receive an entrance award often assume the opportunity has passed — it has not.
With your offer
An entrance scholarship in your Letter of Acceptance
Most entrance awards are assessed automatically from the academic documents you already submitted. If you qualify, the amount is stated in your Letter of Acceptance — there was never a separate form to complete.
After you accept
Awards named in your LOA that you apply for later
Your Letter of Acceptance may also list awards you become eligible to apply for once you are a registered student, through the student account of the institution that accepted you.
Once you are studying
Awards earned on your results in Canada
Institutions also award scholarships on the academic performance you build there. Not receiving an entrance scholarship does not end your chances — it means the next opportunity is one you earn after you begin.
Can a scholarship pay for my studies?
Almost never. A scholarship lowers your tuition — sometimes substantially — but it does not release you from the rest of the cost of studying in Canada.
One year of study, with a $4,000 award
- Tuition you are billed
- $18,000
- Scholarship credit
- − $4,000
- Tuition you still pay
- $14,000
- Living expenses — housing, food, transport
- + $15,000
- Other costs — insurance, books, fees, travel
- + $3,000
- What you still need for one year
- $32,000
The award is real money, and worth competing for. But it moved the year from $36,000 to $32,000 — it reduced the tuition line and nothing else. A scholarship lowers your tuition; it does not fund your studies in Canada. Figures shown are an illustrative example; actual tuition and living costs vary by institution and city.
- Most awards cover a portion of tuition. You remain responsible for the balance and for living expenses, which frequently exceed tuition itself.
- Fully funded scholarships are rare and highly competitive. They generally require exceptional academic results, significant achievement outside the classroom, and in many cases a nomination from your school.
- No one can tell you whether you will receive an award until the institution has reviewed your complete application. Any agency that guarantees you a scholarship is not being honest with you.
- If a scholarship is the only way you could afford to study in Canada, the plan is not realistic. Prepare funds for tuition, living expenses, and other costs first, and treat any award as a reduction to that total.
This is also a study-permit requirement. IRCC asks you to prove you have enough money for tuition, living expenses, and return travel — and holding a scholarship does not remove that requirement. See the study-permit requirements.
Top Scholarship Programs
The following are scholarships offered by Canadian universities. This is not a complete list of the opportunities available for international students; we encourage you to also conduct your own search for external funding.
See notable scholarships and awards
We keep a dedicated page of well-known scholarships for international students — grouped by institutional awards, awards that need a separate application, and external funding from governments and organizations.
Research scholarships & awardsHow to Apply?
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