Canada is a preferred destination among Indian students due to its quality of education, living standard, and affordable tuition fees. However, students who wish to pursue higher education can turn towards scholarships for international students in Canada, which eases financial constraints.
This LeapScholar blog outlines the different types of scholarships that can be ideal for international students in Canada.
What Scholarships are Available for Indian Students?
Students can either choose to apply for government scholarships, those that are offered by trusts, foundations and organisations for students pursuing a specific discipline and to encourage more and more participation in the said field, and those scholarships that universities or colleges offer.
- Government Scholarships
The Government of Canada offers several prestigious scholarships for its international students. Underlined below is a list:
| Scholarship | Duration | Eligibility | Award | Deadline |
| IDRC Research Awards | NA | Applicants from developing countries can apply | Up to 15, 000 CAD for travel and research | September 16 |
| Vanier Graduate Scholarships | 3 years | Must know how to conduct research and should hone leadership skills | 50,000 CAD | November 3 |
| Canada- ASEAN Seed | It is non-renewable | Any mid-career professional from ASEAN country can apply | It offers 10,000 CAD for the said program, 5000 CAD for flight and visa and 1600 CAD as weekly insurance. | March 3 |
| Post-Doctoral Fellowship | Non-renewable | Those who have completed their thesis in five years and has not been employed it is eligible for this | Applicants are awarded 2500 CAD per month and airfare up to 10,000 CAD. | November 25 |
| Ontario Trillium Scholarship | Four years | This is for PhD students for Ontario | 40,000 CAD | NA |
| Partnership Grants by Social Science and Humanities Research Council in Canada | 4-7 years | For PhD students | 20,000 CAD | February 10 |
| Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship | 2 years and is non-renewable | Applicants must have enrolled in natural and social sciences postgraduate programs | 70,000 CAD | September 22 (Closed as of now) |
Other than these mentioned above, there are other financial aids available:
- Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship– This is offered to PhD and postgraduate students from Commonwealth countries. It covers tuition, accommodation fees and travel allowance.
- Quebec Provincial Government Scholarship– Applicants who are pursuing Masters and postdoctoral are eligible for this. The former will be offered 25,000 CAD per annum and the latter 35,000 CAD every year.
- Ontario Graduate Scholarships– Students are awarded 15,000 CAD every year for pursuing a masters or postdoctoral.
- Institutional Scholarship
Many universities in Canada, such as McGill, UBC, University of Toronto, Farleigh Dickson, and Quest University, offer international students many scholarships. Underlined below is a list of scholarships offered:
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Institute | Award |
| Lester B. Peterson Scholarship | Offered to international students | University of Toronto | Tuition fees are covered |
| Western University International President’s Entrance Scholarship | Applicants extracurricular and academic performance is taken into consideration | Western University | 50,000 CAD |
| University of Waterloo International Funding | Those pursuing masters and doctoral are eligible for this | University of Waterloo | $2045 for every term for two years- Masters and $4090 for three years- PhD |
| York University Automatic Entrance Scholarship | Students must be able to score 80-90% on an average | York University | 1000 to 4000 CAD |
| SFU Financial Awards | International students at SFU | Simon Fraser University | It varies |
| University of Calgary International Scholarships | This is offered to international graduate students | UCalgary | 500 to 60,000 CAD |
| Quest University International Scholarships | Applicants must be enrolled in BASc or BSC programs | Quest University | 2000-8000 CAD |
| University of Manitoba Scholarships | For postgraduate students | University of Manitoba | 5000- 14,000 CAD |
| UBC International Leader for Tomorrow Award | For undergraduate students. However, you will be required to demonstrate financial need. | UBC | It varies |
| University of Alberta International Scholarships | NA | UAlberta | It varies. |
- Non-Governmental Scholarships
Many organisations, foundations and trusts offer scholarships for international students in Canada. Some of them have been listed below:
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award |
| Trudeau Scholarships and Fellowships | For international students pursuing doctoral studies | 60,000 CAD |
| Canada Memorial Scholarship | This is for students from the UK who are pursuing postgraduation in Canada | Tuition, accommodation fees and airfare is covered |
| Anne Vallee Ecological Fund | Applicants pursuing animal research in the University of Quebec or University of British Columbia | 15000 CAD |
All of the above scholarships for international students demand that their applicants demonstrate English proficiency. Candidates can choose to apply for either IELTS, TOEFL or PTE. These are meant to help fulfil the dream of applicants who wish to pursue higher education in Canada. Therefore, it is best to remain updated with the dates of scholarships and apply for them beforehand.
