Top Canada Scholarships for International Students in 2023

Canadian Scholarships for International Students: The tuition fee and the expensive cost of living in foreign countries often act as impediments to academic pursuits. However, the tuition fee in Canada is relatively less than tuition fees in other developed countries such as the USA and the UK. For this reason, there are a limited number of Canada scholarships for international students. Since most of the students going to Canada have to pay low tuition fees, colleges and organizations do not have many scholarships open for the students. However, there are a few scholarships available for meritorious students. Here are a few of the scholarships for Indian students in Canada:

1. Shastri Research Student Fellowship: Shastri Research Student Fellowship is available for students who are enrolled in Bachelor’s, Master’s, and M.Phil level courses in recognized Canadian and Indian institutions. The fellowship is meant to support the students to undertake research, study an e-course, or take part in an e-internship. Students can receive an award for CAD 500 to CAD 1,000 for up to 8-12 weeks. In order to be eligible, students are required to complete at least six months (one semester) of their course from a member institution of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute or from an institution that falls under the aegis of the Shastri network.
2. IDRC Research Awards: IDRC Research Awards are meant for those students who are pursuing their studies in Climate-Resilient Food Systems, Democratic and Inclusive Governance, Education and Science, Global Health, and Sustainable Inclusive Economies. The amount awarded is in the range of CAD 42,033 to CAD 48,659. Preference is given to those students who have completed their Master’s degree. Moreover, candidates must be enrolled in a Canadian university and must have a valid full-time work permit (37.5 hours/week).
3. Hani Zeini Scholarship: The Hani Zeini scholarship is provided to those students who have a recognized financial need and want to pursue a career that is enterprising and entrepreneurial in nature. The scholarship is provided to students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees both and is applicable to all universities across Canada. This scholarship covers tuition fees and expenses and the maximum amount per student stands at USD 1,000.
4. UBC International Leader of Tomorrow Award: The International Leader of Tomorrow Award recognizes international undergraduate students who demonstrate superior academic achievement, leadership skills, involvement in student affairs and community service, and recognized achievement in fields of endeavour such as the performing arts, sports, debating or creative writing, or external academic competitions and examinations. International Leader of Tomorrow Award-winners receives an award level commensurate with their financial need as determined by the costs of their tuition, fees, and living costs, minus the financial contribution the student and their family can make annually towards these costs.
5. Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship: The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program was named after two members of the ACFE, Larry Jennings and Tracy Ritchie. The scholarship is available to students for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is applicable across all the universities in Canada. The maximum scholarship amount per student stands at USD 10,000. The scholarship is provided to students pursuing courses in Criminal Justice, Accounts, Business Administration, and Finance.
6. The University of British Columbia International Major Entrance Scholarship: The University of British Columbia International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) is a merit-based Canadian university scholarship that is awarded to meritorious and exceptional international students who wish to pursue undergraduate programs at the University of British Columbia. The university looks for students with exceptional academic achievement, impressive extracurricular, and community contributions. The students need not apply separately for this scholarship and will be considered automatically.
7. Humber International Entrance Scholarships: Humber offers full and partial renewable tuition scholarships for NEW international undergraduate students beginning classes. 2 Full-tuition scholarships and CAD 2,000 scholarships to a total of 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate new international students will be awarded. The scholarships will be applied to the successful students’ tuition fees. The renewal of a scholarship is based on the student’s ability to maintain a 75% GPA in each year of his/her program at Humber. Get details about the Humber International Entrance Scholarships here.
8. Sauvé Scholars Program by the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation: Each year, up to 14 remarkable young leaders are invited to come to Montreal for the academic calendar year. They live together in a beautifully restored mansion and enjoy access to McGill University’s academic programs and other resources – including lectures, conferences, and events suited to the advancement of their individual professional and intellectual goals – while benefiting from the communal life and multi-faceted exchanges with their fellow Scholars.
9. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship by Government of Canada: The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to the country's economic, social, and research-based growth. The objective of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program is to attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally, develop their leadership potential, and position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow.
10. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships funded by Government of Canada: The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. The scholarships are towards a doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) at participating Canadian Universities.  The scholarship is worth $50,000 per year for three years.
11. The University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships: The University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (UMGF) are merit-based awards that are open to students of any nationality who will be registered as full-time graduate students (Master's or PhD) at the University of Manitoba. The value of these fellowships is $18,000 (PhD) and $14,000 (Master’s) for a 12-month period. Students are eligible to receive the UMGF for the first 24 months of their Master’s program and the first 48 months of their PhD program.
12. Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships: The scholarships are open to foreign nationals (with a preference for candidates from the developing world) who are applying to a doctoral program in the social sciences and humanities or registered full-time in the first or second year of such a program at a Canadian university.  Its annual value is up to $60,000 per scholar for a maximum of three years.

Note: The above-mentioned scholarships are not limited to Indian students only. Some of them are also scholarships for international students in Canada.

For More Details: Scholarships in Canada

Now that we have read about some Canada scholarships for Indian students, it is imperative to know certain tips on how to get scholarships in Canada:

• Build a strong profile: Whether is it through certification courses or through community involvement, you need to build a strong profile. Getting a scholarship in Canada for Indian students can be a fiercely competitive process. You must not leave any loopholes in this regard. Getting a 100% scholarship in Canada can be a challenging task; for this reason, you cannot ignore the necessity of having a strong profile.
• Be serious about your documents: Be very serious when it comes to scholarship essays and other related documents. Casual behaviour is not acceptable when it comes to securing a scholarship.
• Prepare well for the scholarship interview: You must prepare well for your scholarship interview even if you are confident about your academic profile.

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