Scholarships for International Students in Canada! Attending colleges and universities in Canada can lead to a variety of career opportunities, but the tuition fees are usually very high. Tuition alone can run into tens of thousands of dollars a year, depending on the institution and program you choose. Also, the annual cost of living in Canada for international students ranges from CAD$27,000 to CAD$64,000.
Luckily for them, there are various fully-funded scholarships to help international students cover their post-secondary education costs in Canada. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the best scholarships for first-time applicants to help you pursue your academic goals for 2023 and beyond. It is important to note that different scholarship opportunities have different application requirements and deadlines.
As a general rule, you can apply for a scholarship from the university only after you have been admitted to a course. Some academic or non-professional achievements may automatically qualify you for a scholarship without submitting a separate application. You may also need to be endorsed or selected by your department to be eligible for graduate scholarships offered by the school. Make a note of the scholarships you want to apply for so you don’t miss the application deadline.
Scholarships for International Students in Canada
1. International Lester B. Pearson Scholarship
The University of Toronto awards scholarships to international students who excel academically and creatively. This scholarship is awarded to approximately 37 international students each year.
Eligibility: You must be an international student (non-Canadian with a study permit required) or be in the final year of secondary school, graduate by June 2022, and start your studies in September
Other criteria: To be eligible for a Lester B. Pearson Scholarship for a bachelor’s degree, you must be recommended by your school and apply to the University of Toronto.
2. University of British Columbia International Scholarship Program
These awards are awarded on the basis of both merit and need. Each year UBC awards 50 scholarships in four categories. International Impact Award, Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, Karen McKellin International Leader of Future Award, Vantage One Excellence Award.
Eligibility: You must be an international student with a Canadian Study Permit who is transferring from a first year at another institution or university or attending UBC from an accredited secondary school. You must apply for your first bachelor’s degree and must have graduated from high school no later than June 2023. Economic necessity is also necessary. Without it, you will not be able to graduate from UBC.
What it covers: The agency provides approximately $10 million in annual grants to the 50 beneficiaries of the program as needed. Additionally, recipients have access to special educational opportunities, annual retreats, dedicated counselors, and more.
Additional requirements: You can enter only once and you cannot choose the winning prize. Instead, UBC will automatically consider eligible rewards.
See Also: Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada: Must Know!
3. Scholarships for Foreign Students at Carleton University
This program provides high academic accomplishment records to international students beginning their first year of study at Carleton University. Carleton now gives Prestige Awards to overseas students with average admissions scores of 90% or higher in addition to the Entrance Awards.
Eligibility: You must be accepted to Carleton with a high school GPA of at least 80% and satisfy the university’s language requirements in order to be eligible for the Entry Awards.
What it covers: For the 2023 academic year, awards range from $4,000 CAD ($1,000 x four years) to $16,000 CAD ($4,000 x four years), depending on your grade point average.
Application deadline: No additional application is necessary. If you’ve been accepted to Carleton, a scholarship will be automatically considered for you. Only students starting in the autumn semester are eligible for the awards.
Additional requirements: The scholarship’s value is determined by your grade point average at the time of application; it is not revised in light of your final grades.
4. Scholarships for Foreign Admission to the University of Calgary
This program honors outstanding achievements both within and beyond the classroom to overseas students starting their studies at the University of Calgary. Presently, this scholarship is given to two deserving candidates each year.
Eligibility: You must be a foreign student enrolled full-time in a University of Calgary undergraduate degree program that starts in the Fall 2023 term. You have to be a first-year student with a minimum GPA of 3.20. You must also fulfill the university’s criteria for English language proficiency.
What it covers: If you earn a GPA of 2.60 or above over a minimum of 24.00 units in the preceding fall and winter terms, you are eligible for the $15,000 CAD scholarship, which is renewable each year in the second, third, and fourth years at the University of Calgary. The overall award is worth $60,000 CAD.
Application deadline: December 1, 2023. On the UCalgary portal, you can submit an application for this scholarship, which is part of the High School Prestige Award.
Read Also: Scholarships for International Students in Canada!
5. International Entrance Scholarships for Humber
This program aids freshmen international students at Humber College who are enrolled in Graduate Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma programs in achieving their academic objectives. Each year, 40 students are given this scholarship; 20 are given it during the September intake, 15 during the January intake, and the final five during the May intake.
Eligibility requirements: include enrolling directly at Humber College from an accredited high school, without transferring, and having a final entrance average of at least 85%. You must also have an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher (or an equivalent) to be eligible.
Application deadline: September intake is the final day of May before the start of the fall semester. The final day of September before the start of the winter semester, or January intake. the final day of January before the Spring/Summer semester; May intake
Additional requirements: You will still be required to pay the entire tuition amount up front even if you are awarded this scholarship. After the tenth day of school, the scholarship amount will be deposited into your account.
You must provide the following in order to be eligible:
- The number on your Humber student ID
- A letter of acceptance from Humber College attesting to your acceptance for a full-time program beginning in the appropriate semester.
- Your grade point average is included in your personal statement of interest.
- A pair of resumé letters
Moreover, Humber College provides scholarships for bachelor’s degrees to all deserving international students who have just graduated from high school with grades of at least 75%. Without submitting a separate application, the scholarship will be given to you if you meet the requirements. If your GPA was 80% or above at the time of admission, you might be qualified to have your scholarship renewed as long as you keep your GPA at 80% or higher throughout your course of study.
