Are you an international student who always wanted to study in Canada? Good news! The Canadian government provides several scholarships that may help make that dream become a reality.
Canada – a land of beautiful natural sceneries, smiling faces, and best education systems is not just extending the hand of warm welcome and refuge to the international students but is also lending a hand of financial assistance in the form of scholarships.
In this article, I will discuss eight prominent government scholarships that are open to international students. These can be your chances of a lifetime to be part of the Canadian education system or experience it in real life.
8 Best Government of Canada Scholarships for International Students in Canada
Here’s a rundown of eight top scholarships you should know about:
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
This is the crème de la crème of doctoral scholarships in Canada. This program is named after a distinguished Canadian soldier and statesman, Georges Vanier The prime aim of this program is to recruit and retain excellent doctoral students.
The scholarship is valued at a whopping $50,000 per annum for three years. That is quite a shift for many students and helps them to concentrate solely on their work with no monetary concern. If you are thinking about applying, beware that the process is rather selective. It is cut-throat, but if you are talented and ready to compete, then it is a dream to get a job there.
Eligibility criteria:
- Recommended by an institution in Canada
- Earning your first doctorate
- Achieve a first-class average for each of the full-time final two years of work
- No more than 20 months of doctoral studies done by 1st of May of the year of application
- Exhibit leadership skills and researchability.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
If you need to start new research after receiving your Ph.D. , then the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships can be your choice. This program is named after Sir Frederick Banting, a Canadian medical scientist who was one of the two people who discovered insulin.
The fellowship grants $70,000 per year for two years – not bad, isn’t it? But it is not just the dollar figure that can speak volumes here. This is a highly competitive fellowship and can really put your research career into another level.
Eligibility criteria:
- PhD, PhD-equivalent, or health professional degree awarded in the previous three years
- Lack of tenure track or tenured position at the initial stage of a new program.
- As recommended by the host institution
- The intention to continue your research at the nominating institution.
Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program
This program, which is often referred to as CGS-M, is the perfect fit for candidates who are new to the world of graduate programs. It is for students in all fields, science, liberal arts, and everything in between.
The scholarship is a fixed amount of $17,500, which will last for 12 months, which goes a long way especially when you are beginning your graduate level education. It is slightly less competitive compared to the doctoral scholarships, but still, performance at the higher level is expected.
Eligibility criteria:
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident or a protected person
- Currently enrolled, have applied, or will apply for full-time status at an accredited graduate school.
- Have not been enrolled in the program for which you are applying for funding for more than 12 months consecutively as full-time students.
- Obtain a first-class average in each of the last two years of full-time study.
IDRC Research Awards
The main mission and focus of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is to support research in third world countries.
If you have passion in international affairs such as climate change adaptation, food security or economic development this could be the right place for you. The award entails provision of one-year’s salary, travel as well as research costs.
Eligibility criteria:
- Registered at an accredited university at the masters or doctoral level
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or citizen of a developing country
- The proposed research also falls in line with IDRC’s research themes and areas of interest.
- Five or fewer years of documented post-secondary employment in the field of international development.
Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program
This program as the name suggests is about fostering closer relationships between Canada and the Caribbean states. If you are from any of the member countries of CARICOM which is an organization comprising Caribbean nations then this Scholarship could be your ticket to Canada education system.
Eligibility criteria:
- A citizen of any of the member countries of CARICOM
- Full-time student in a post-secondary institution in a CARICOM member country
- You must be a holder of a valid passport from a qualifying country
- Fluent in English or French.
Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship
Similar to the one mentioned above, the CARICOM program, this scholarship is also about building links, this time between Canada and Chile.
Chilean students have the opportunity to come to Canada to study or do research for a short term of 4 to 6 months. It is an excellent opportunity for those willing to get the experience of studying within Canadian universities but not ready to earn a degree or diploma.
Eligibility criteria:
- Chilean citizen
- Be currently enrolled full-time in any post-secondary institution in Chile
- Have at least one year experience in undergraduate studies
- Must be fluent in English or French.
Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)
ELAP encompasses more students, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is yet another short-term scholarship that lasts around 4-6 months; however, it is a very effective program. This program is entirely focused on building a new generation of leaders in the Americas.
Eligibility criteria:
- Being a citizen of an eligible Latin American or Caribbean country
- Full-time student at a post-secondary school in an eligible country
- Have completed at least one year in post-secondary education.
- It is recommended that the candidate has a proficient level of the English or French language.
African Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Programme
Lastly but not the least, this program aims at preparing the future leaders in the public service domain in Africa. If you want to go home and make a difference in the governance of your country this could be the best chance.
The scholarship fully funds a master’s degree in public administration, public policy, or public finance.
Eligibility criteria:
- A citizen of a sub-Saharan African country
- Less than 35 years of age
- Have completed their undergraduate degree and performed well academically
- Two years of full-time work experience is required
- Ensure that you declare your intention of returning to your home country once you are done with the program.
Final Thoughts
I have listed some of the Current Scholarships for International Students which provides a wonderful chance to Study in Canada.
Please bear in mind that the process of securing scholarships is not easy; it requires time and sometimes extra effort. It’s recommended to begin as early as possible for the application process, thoroughly go through the requirement section, and spend excellent effort on the application. Do not be discouraged in case you will not succeed on the first attempt – try again!
Overseas learning is one of the best experiences that a person can ever have. Experience is the key, not the degree you earn from college.
Well, if it is so, why not give it a try? You might just find yourself on an exciting academic trip in a country with maple leaves and welcoming people. I hope all the best in getting your applications in!
