Scholarships for Study in Canada

There are limited scholarships available in Canada but they rarely cover the full cost of a study program and they are not always easy to find. Scholarships to international students are available at some Canadian institutions for students with exceptional results. The amount awarded varies from one institution to another and usually covers only part of a student’s education and living expenses. The calendar of each university in Canada includes a complete and detailed list of the scholarships it administers this information is usually available on school web sites as well. Obtaining a scholarship is very competitive and applications must be made directly to each university along with the application for admission. Community and Career Colleges do not usually awards scholarships nor do school boards or most private schools.

There are various organizations within Canada that administer scholarship programs in various countries but they are usually for graduate students and professors who are studying or researching a specific subject; Students should also check within their home country through public and private organizations for any financial assistance they may provide to students.

Types of Assistance

Merit based assistance is awarded in many forms, from tuition waivers, various types of assistantships, to fellowships.  The most common are listed here:

• TuitionWaiver:  This means that the student does not have to pay the tuition fees at the university. However, general fees (for the use of university facilities like the library, computers, and sports and health services) usually have to be borne by the student. A tuition waiver is frequently awarded in conjunction with a scholarship or teaching/research assistantship.

• Assistantship: Most students who receive assistance do so in the form of an assistantship,i.e. is usually a cash stipend, sufficient for their living expenses, and/tuition waiver, in return for which they have to work for a maximum of 20 hours per week which normally consists of teaching or other activities. Teaching assistantships are more likely to be in universities, which have large undergraduate classes whereas research assistantships tend to be more common in those fields and universities in which considerable research is going on Information brochures of most universities give this information. 

Who Should Apply?

Students will have a greater chance of getting financial aid if they:

1. Show evidence of a high level of academic achievement
2. Achieve high Standardized Examination scores (GMAT, TOEFL etc.)
3. Specialize in a field or have a research interest which parallels that of the department and faculty or private funding source (which increases opportunities for research assistantships and grants)
4. Have outstanding letter of recommendation and an impressive statement of purpose.
5. Very few international students get any kind of assistantships and most people get it after reaching there. So you have to arrange for funds for the first few semesters, at least till the time you can arrange something there.

CIDA-SICI Project (CSP) – The Canadian International Development Agency and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute offer several grants and internships to graduate students from India to study in Canada, including the Women and Development Fellowships, the Social Sciences & Humanities Fellowships and the Visiting Scholar Program.

For details, click here

The Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program (CCSP)

The Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program (CCSP) by the Government of Canada has given scholarships of excellence to all member countries of the Commonwealth. The CCSP goal is to promote Canadian values and identity around the world and to help meet the human capital needs of developing countries. The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan enables Commonwealth students of high intellectual promise to pursue studies in Commonwealth countries. Other than tuition fees, this award also covers living costs and travel expenses.

For details, click here

Ontario Graduate Scholarship Programme

Ontario Graduate Scholarship Programme scholarships are provided to students of varied disciplines. To be eligible for this program, a student must show proof of acceptance to a Ontario university, and obtained a valid student authorization. Social Science and Humanities Research Council is Canada’s funding agency for university based research and graduate training in social sciences and humanities which embrace a wide range of disciplines and fields of knowledge.
For details, click here

NSERC

National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is a national instrument for making strategic investments in Canada’s capability in science and technology. NSERC supports both basic university research through research grants and project research via partnerships of universities and industry.
For details, click here

National Research Council of Canada

National Research Council of Canada Research Associateships are offered to masters degree holders in engineering, and Ph.D. holders in natural science or engineering disciplines. For details, click here