Canada is a great country to study in, but it comes at a cost, and data shows that international student tuition in Canada ranges from $20,000 to $50,000. Making it imperative for a student to obtain scholarships to support their studies – unless the student is from a wealthy family.
Most scholarships are merit/academic based, need-based, or sometimes dependent on the student’s area of study. And while some only cover tuition, there are financial aids that cover medical insurance, accommodation, and textbooks, among others. This article will explore how to obtain scholarships in Canada for international students.
What is a scholarship?
The scholarship is an amount of money made available to students to fund their studies, in addition, it is the most sought after financial aid by national and international students. Unlike grants, scholarships do not require you to express your need for financial aid.
In Canada, scholarships are awarded to nationals (Canadian) and international students based on merit, academic qualification, student demographics, among other measures.
After fulfilling the conditions and obligations of a scholarship, the award committee frequently applies the scholarship to your student account with the university or college.
Eligibility to apply for a scholarship in Canada
Virtually all universities and colleges in Canada allow domestic and international students to apply for scholarships. Also, applying for and obtaining a scholarship in Canada is easy. Scholarship recipients are usually decided on the basis of merit.
Also, merit-based scholarships require you to have a higher entry average, specific skills, qualifications, etc. The minimum average entry to get a scholarship at various universities and colleges in Canada ranges from 75% to 100%. Therefore, students with lower entry averages may not be considered or receive a lower scholarship than those with higher averages.
Depending on your circumstances, you may need to put in some effort to benefit from one of the many Canadian scholarships.
Schools offering scholarships in Canada
Many universities and colleges in Canada make provisions for financial aid, including scholarships for international students. Below is a list of some universities and colleges in Canada that offer scholarships to international students.
- Alexander College, Burnaby, Canada
- Strawberry Tree College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- College of New Caledonia (CNC), British Columbia, Canada
- Columbia College, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Cypress College, Alberta, Canada
- Douglas College, British Columbia, Canada
- – Granville College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Kingswood University, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada
- Lakehead UniversityOntario, Canada
- Lakeland High School, Alberta, Canada
- Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- – Leal College, Belleville, Ontario, Canada
- Redeemers University College (RCU), Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
- Reeves College, Alberta, Canada
- St. Stephen’s University, New Brunswick, Canada
- The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Wycliffe College, Toronto, Canada, etc.
20 scholarships for international students in Canada
Depending on your educational institution, you may qualify for one of the following scholarships for international students.
- Ayn Rand Scholarship
- BC Excellence in Excellence Scholarships
- Irving K Barber Transfer Scholarship
- Weatherby Admission Scholarship
- Scholarships from the Black Foundation of Community Networks
- CNC Executive Scholarship Abroad
- Irving K. Barber One World International Fellowship
- UWinnipeg Special Admission Scholarships
- Salem Abd-El-Aziz International Scholarship for Chemistry Student
- Anne Gorveatte Memorial Scholarship
- RUC Scholarship in Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- St Stephen’s University Entrance Scholarship
- RUC Scholarship in Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Wolters Worldview Scholarship
- Gregory Michael Beaudoin Memorial Scholarship
- SSU Servant Leadership Scholarship
- John Walker Memorial Scholarship
- Sunlight Foundation Music Scholarship
- Kingswood Board of Trustees (BOT) Scholarship
- Lakehead University graduate scholarships, among others.
How to get scholarships for international students in Canada
We found that international students often ask how to get a scholarship in Canada. Therefore, we decided to provide some information to help you secure a scholarship as an international student in Canada.
Unsurprisingly, post-secondary institutions in Canada charge international students more money for their studies. However, you can’t help but pay these fees while you’re an international student in Canada.
When you are considered for a scholarship for international students in Canada, you can save funds to some extent or 100% through fully funded scholarships. Some scholarships for international students require you to apply and fulfill specific obligations, such as providing a letter of recommendation, writing an essay, etc. That said, entrance scholarships for international students generally don’t require an application.
International students must meet an average entry/admissions and generally perform excellently academically.
How to Increase Your Chances of Getting a Scholarship
- Consider only Canadian colleges and universities that offer scholarships
- Search for the scholarship that best suits your financial need
- Prepare certain documents often required to apply for a scholarship in Canada
- Apply for qualified scholarship(s)
1 Consider only Canadian colleges and universities that offer scholarships;
As stated earlier, not all Canadian universities and colleges have scholarships for international students. Therefore, you need to check the official website of the university or college for the correct information about the availability of scholarships for international students.
You must complete all scholarship application procedures before the due dates. Failure to submit the scholarship application form before the deadline may cause you to miss the opportunity, which requires you to reapply.
2 Research the scholarship that best suits your financial need;
At this stage, you should research the scholarships available on the official website of the university or college and then check the amount of the scholarship that fits perfectly with your financial need. In addition, it would be better if you worked to meet the minimum conditions and criteria of the scholarship.
On the website of many universities and colleges in Canada, you can navigate directly from the homepage of the website to the financial aid page of the educational institution. The financial aid webpage shows the list of scholarships, sponsors, application requirements, procedures, and deadlines.
However, you only need a computer or mobile phone with internet access to access information about the exchange and complete all processes.
3 Prepare certain documents generally required to apply for a scholarship in Canada;
Sometimes Canadian colleges and universities require scholarship applicants to provide certain documents and credentials. You may also be asked to express yourself, your vision, etc., in an essay. Generally, here are the credentials and documents often required during application to obtain a scholarship in Canada:
- The scholarship application form has been filled out correctly and completely.
- A scanned copy of your passport data page and passport must be valid.
- Certificates of previous education and school transcripts.
- Result of a valid English proficiency test, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE), and so on.
- You may need to write a concise essay on a topic, which will be provided to you by the awards committee.
- Letter(s) of recommendation from academics, pastors, etc.
- Personal affirmation.
- Birth certificate, among others.
You must send the above documents and credentials to a specific email as provided by the higher education institution or awarding body. They usually need to be sent electronically in PDF or doc format.
4 Apply for eligible scholarships;
You should visit the awarding body, university or official website of the college to get the direct link to apply for the scholarship. Similarly, you need to ask if the post-secondary institution will allow you to apply for more than one scholarship.
In rare cases, you may need to fill out an online or offline scholarship application form to express your interest in scholarships that require application.
Conclusively, following the simple steps to get a scholarship for international students in Canada can make you worthy of being awarded. In addition, this will allow you to receive education funds with ease.