Pursuing a university or college education in Canada can open many career doors, but unfortunately tuition usually doesn’t come cheap. Tuition fees alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year, depending on your school and program of choice. In addition, international students in Canada spend anywhere between $27,000 CAD and $64,000 CAD per year on living expenses. 
Luckily, there are many fully-funded scholarships available to help international students manage the costs of a post-secondary education in Canada. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top scholarships for newcomers that can help you achieve your academic goals in 2023 and beyond. 

APPLICATION PROCESS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND DEADLINES

In this article: It’s important to note that the application process and deadlines for the various scholarship options vary. For scholarships that are offered by universities or colleges, you’ll usually only be able to apply after you’ve been accepted into a study program.
In some cases, you may be automatically considered for scholarships based on your academic or extracurricular achievements, without having to submit a separate application. For graduate-level scholarships awarded by schools, you may also need to be recommended or selected by your department. Be sure to keep track of the scholarships you’re planning to apply for, so you don’t miss out on application deadlines.

LIST OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES TO APPLY

  • University of Toronto – This scholarship program at the University of Toronto assists international students who’ve demonstrated significant academic potential, creativity, and leadership. Around 37 international students receive this scholarship each year. For more information on the application process, visit the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarships webpage. 
  • The University of British Columbia These scholarships are distributed based on both merit and need. UBC offers 50 scholarships each academic year, spread across four categories: the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, the International Impact Award, and the Vantage One Excellence Award.  For more information on the application process, visit the UBC’s International Scholars Program webpage. 
  • Carleton University program awards international students entering their first year of study at Carleton University with a record of high academic achievement. In addition to the Entrance Awards, Carleton also offers Prestige Awards to international students with an admissions average score of 90 per cent and above. For more information, visit the Carleton’s Entrance Awards for International Students webpage.
  • University of Calgary: Their program awards international students beginning their studies at the University of Calgary who have a track record of stellar accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. Currently, this scholarship is awarded two students each year, based on merit.
    For more information, visit the University of Calgary’s International Entrance Scholarship webpage. 
  • Humber College program helps new international students enrolled in Graduate Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma programs at Humber College achieve their academic goals. This scholarship is awarded to 40 students each year, of which 20 are awarded during September intake, 15 during January intake, and the remaining five during May intake.
    Humber College also offers Bachelor’s Degree scholarships to all meritorious international students coming directly from high school with a grade of 75 per cent and above. If you qualify, you’ll automatically be awarded the scholarship without filing a separate application. If your GPA at the time of admission is 80 per cent or above, you may be eligible to renew your scholarship provided you maintain a GPA of 80 per cent or above during your study program.
    For more information, visit the Humber International Entrance Scholarships webpage.
  • University of Manitoba: program awards more than $2 million each year to full-time masters and PhD students at the University of Manitoba who have a history of academic excellence. 
    For more information, visit the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships webpage.
  • University of Waterloo scholarship recognizes international students who wish to undertake research-based Masters degree programs For more information, visit the Waterloo International Master’s Award of Excellence webpage.
  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau Leadership Scholarships. This three-year scholarship program provides funding and other opportunities to twelve full-time doctoral students, and is not tied to one specific learning institution. For more information, visit the Trudeau Leadership Scholarships webpage.
  • This scholarship recognizes students enrolled in graduate studies at 19 publicly-funded Ontario universities, including the University of Toronto, University of Guelph, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, Ryerson University, University of Waterloo, Western University, and York University. Each award is jointly funded by the Province of Ontario (two thirds) and the school offering the award (one third). For more information, visit the Ontario Graduate Scholarships webpage.

While scholarships are a helpful tool, they’re far from the only way to fund a post-secondary education in Canada. Even if you do receive a scholarship, it may have to be supplemented with other sources.  As an international student, you may be able to rely on student loans or lines of credit to fund your education in Canada.  You may also qualify for student grants or bursaries that are offered by universities, colleges, and other organizations. Alternatively, many international students choose to work while studying to cover their living expenses in Canada. 
As an international student, studying in Canada can be expensive. However, the Canadian government and universities offer many scholarships to help international students achieve their academic goals. This resource will provide you with a starting point to research scholarship options to fund your education in Canada.
This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or its affiliates.
This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed.