Looking for a scholarship to study in Canada? See our new selection and learn how to compete!
Top International Scholarships in Canada
Studying abroad is a dream shared by many Brazilians, but the cost of the experience can be a barrier to realizing it. Fortunately, several universities and organizations offer scholarships, grants, and discounts to help international students fund their study abroad.
In this article, we investigate what scholarships are available for international students who wish to study in Canada. Ranked first in world quality of life, this North American country is welcoming, diverse and offers unbeatable natural landscapes, which makes your stay even more unparalleled.
To create this list, we visited the websites of Canadian universities and funding organizations and gathered the information about the most relevant scholarship options we found for you. This list is not definitive, i.e. there are several other possibilities.
Check out the selected scholarships below to see if you qualify and can make your dream of studying in Canada a reality.
Here are some examples:
1. University Canada West (UCW)
Located in Vancouver, the sixth best city to live in the world according to The Economist in 2020, University Canada West, also known by the acronym UCW, offers a variety of scholarships and funding options for international students who wish to study in it, such as:
Scholarships for Academic Excellence
Scholarships for Academic Excellence are valid for the following programs:
- MBA;
- Bachelor of Commerce (BCom);
- Bachelor of Business Communication (BA);
- Associate of Arts.
The scholarship is aimed at international and native students with exemplary academic performance and excellent grades. There is no need for a separate application: the university evaluates each applicant and applies the scholarship automatically at the time of admission to qualified students.
The following table describes the amount available for the entire duration of the course according to the average (GPA) of qualified students:
| Cumulative GPA (maximum 4.33) | Associate of Arts | BCom and BA | MBA |
| 3.80 or more | C$ 10,000 | C$ 20,000 | C$ 10,000 |
| 3.60 – 3.79 | C$ 4,000 | C$ 8,000 | C$ 5,000 |
| 3.20 – 3.59 | C$ 2,000 | C$ 6,000 | C$ 3,000 |
2. University of Alberta
One of the top five universities in Canada and one of the top 100 in the world, the University of Alberta awards C$32 million every year in funding to undergraduate students. Learn about some of Alberta’s scholarship options:
International Student Scholarship
The International Student Scholarship is awarded to international students with high grades who are admitted to the first year of Alberta undergraduate degrees on a student visa. Those selected can receive up to C$9,000.
You do not need to apply for this scholarship as it will be added at the time of admission if you are eligible.
University of Alberta Centennial Scholarship
Students with an “upper admission average” who are able to demonstrate leadership skills upon being admitted to their first year of study of an Alberta undergraduate degree, on a student visa, may be selected to receive a discount of up to C$30,000 over four years.
3. University of Ottawa
Located in Canada’s capital with more than 8,000 international students, the University of Ottawa ranks in the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide. The city is culturally diverse and has a combination of English and French speakers, ideal for international students.
Want to join this bustling University of Ottawa student community with discounted tuition fees? Check out the following available scholarships:
Merit scholarship from the Faculty of Engineering
The Dean’s Merit Scholarships of the College of Engineering are awarded to 35 students according to the admission average:
- Students who achieve an admission average of 95% to 100% receive a scholarship of C$5,000;
- Those who achieve an average of 90% to 94.9% receive C$ 4,000.
Applicants must be applying for graduation for the first time. All international students will automatically be considered for this scholarship when applying for an Ottawa bachelor’s degree.
Merit Scholarship from the Faculty of Arts
Ten Dean’s Merit Scholarships are awarded by the College of Arts in the total amount of C$4,000 each. Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in their first graduation with an admission average of 90%.
Other examples of universities with scholarships
There are many other Canadian universities that offer scholarships to international students. We have selected some more examples for you to know:
- University of Winnipeg
- Carleton University
- Lakehead University
- Conestoga College
- University of Regina
Public and private funding organizations in Canada
The second best option to find your scholarship in Canada (or any country) is to look for organizations, companies, foundations, etc. that offer different forms of scholarships and academic funding, as is the case with the following three examples:
1. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS)
Administered by the Canadian government, CGS scholarships of C$50,000 are awarded to a maximum of 166 PhD students per year. Selection criteria are based on academic excellence, research potential and leadership skills.
2. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation PhD Fellowships
The Trudeau Foundation awards scholarships to up to 15 doctoral students who excel at enrolling in a social sciences or humanities course. Those selected will receive C$60,000 per year for up to four years.
3. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
Seventy fellowships are awarded each year to postdoctoral candidates in the fields of natural and social sciences or health sciences. Successful students will receive C$70,000 per year for two years.
Therefore, as you can see, there are many ways to finance your studies in Canada!