Scholarships can cover part or all of tuition fees for international students. Plus medical insurance, accommodation and books.
Canada is a great country to study in, but it comes with a cost. Data show that international student’s tuition fees in Canada range between $20,000 to $50,000, making it imperative that a student get scholarships to support their study – unless of course the student is from a wealthy home.
Most scholarships are academic/merit-based, need-based, or sometimes dependent on a student’s field of study. And while some cover tuition only, there are financial aids that cover medical insurance, accommodation, textbooks, among others. This article will explore how to get scholarships in Canada for international students.
What is a scholarship?
Scholarship is a sum of the money availed to students in order to support their education. Besides, scholarship is the most sought-after financial aid by domestic and international students. Unlike grants, scholarships do not require you to express your need for financial aid.
In Canada, scholarships are awarded to both domestic (Canadian) and international students on the basis of merit, academic qualification, the student’s demographics, among other measures.
After meeting the conditions and obligations of a scholarship, the awarding committee often 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. Moreover, it is easy to apply and get a scholarship in Canada. Awardees of scholarships are commonly decided upon based on merit.
In addition, merit-based scholarships mandate you to have a higher entrance average, certain skills, and qualifications, etc.
The minimum entrance average to get a scholarship in several universities and colleges in Canada ranges from 75% to 100%. Hence, students with lower entrance averages may not be considered or are awarded a lower scholarship amount compared to students with higher entrance averages.
Depending on your circumstances, you may need to dedicate a little effort to benefit from one of many Canadian scholarships.
Schools that offer scholarships in Canada
Many universities and colleges in Canada make provisions for financial aids, including scholarships for its international students. Below is a list of some universities and colleges in Canada that avails scholarships to international students.
- Alexander College, Burnaby, Canada
- Arbutus 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 University, Ontario, Canada
- Lakeland College, Alberta, Canada
- Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- Loyalist College, Belleville, Ontario, Canada
- Reedemers University College (RCU), Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
- Reeves College, Alberta, Canada
- St Stephens University, New Brunswick, Canada
- The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- The University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Wycliffe College, Toronto, Canada, etc.
- And many more.
20 Scholarships for International students in Canada
Depending on your education institution, you may qualify for one of the following scholarships for international students.
- Ayn Rand Scholarship
- BC Excellence Scholarships
- Irving K Barber Transfer Scholarship
- Weatherby Entrance Scholarship
- Black Foundation of Community Networks Scholarships
- CNC Executive Study Abroad Scholarship
- Irving K. Barber One World International Scholarship
- UWinnipeg’s Special Entrance Scholarships
- Salem Abd-El-Aziz International Student Scholarship in Chemistry
- Anne Gorveatte Memorial Scholarship
- RUC Natural Sciences & Mathematics Scholarship
- St Stephen’s University Entrance Scholarship
- RUC Natural Sciences & Mathematics Scholarship
- 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 out that international students usually ask how to get a scholarship in Canada. Therefore, we decided to provide a number of information that can help you secure a scholarship as an international student in Canada.
It is not new that post-secondary institutions in Canada charge international students more money for their studies. However, you cannot escape paying these fees as long as you are an international student in Canada.
When are considered for a scholarship for international students in Canada, you will be able to save funds to some extent or 100% via fully funded scholarships. Some scholarships for international students requires you to apply and fulfill specific obligations like providing a recommendation letter, composing an essay, etc. That said, entrance scholarships for international students does not usually require an application.
International students often need to meet a specified entrance/admissions average, as well as to generally have a superb academic achievement.
How to increase your chances of getting a scholarship
- Consider only Canadian colleges and universities that offer scholarships
- Search for the scholarship that most suits your financial need
- Prepare certain documents often required to apply for a scholarship in Canada
- Apply for an eligible 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.
Thus, you need to check the university or college’s official website for the right information on the availability of international students’ scholarships.
More so, you must complete all scholarship application procedures before its due dates.
Failure to submit your scholarship application form before the deadline can make you lose the opportunity, which requires you to reapply.
#2 Search for the scholarship that most suits your financial need
At this stage, you need to browse through the available scholarships on the university or college’s official website. Check for the scholarship amount that perfectly fits your financial need.
Also, you need to work towards meeting the minimum conditions and criteria of the scholarship.
In the website of many universities and colleges in Canada, you can navigate directly from the website’s homepage to the education institution’s financial aids’ webpage
The financial aids webpage shows the list, sponsors, application requirements, procedures and deadlines of each scholarship.
However, you only need an internet-enabled computer or mobile phone to access information on the scholarship, as well as to complete all processes.
#3 Prepare certain documents often required to apply for a scholarship in Canada
Canadian colleges and universities at times will require it’s scholarship applicants to provide certain documents and credentials. You may also be requested to express yourself, your vision, etc., in an essay. Generally, here are the credentials and documents often required while applying to get a scholarship in Canada:
- The scholarship application form has been filled out correctly and completely.
- Scanned copy of your passport’s data page. Your passport must be valid.
- Previous education certificates and transcripts of study.
- Result of a valid English language proficiency test such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE), and so on.
- Essays. You may need to compose a concise essay on a topic, which will be provided to you by the awarding committee.
- Letter(s) of recommendation from specific individuals like academicians, pastors, etc.
- Personal statement.
- Birth certificate, among others.
You will need to send the above documents and credentials to a certain email as provided by the post-secondary institution or awarding body. They mostly need to be sent electronically in PDF or .doc format.
#4 Apply for an eligible scholarship(s)
You need to visit the awarding body, university, or college’s official website to get the direct link to apply for the scholarship. In the same vein, you need to enquire 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 requires an application.
Conclusively, acting in accordance with the simple steps for getting a scholarship for international students in Canada can make you worthy of being an awardee. This will enable you to receive education funds at ease.
