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How to Apply for Canadian Government Scholarships as an International Student
By Rody
Students in Canada can fund their studies through Canadian government scholarships, whether partially or fully funded. In this post, I’ll show you how.
Canada is an exceptional study location for international students. It offers good opportunities and is one of the more flexible countries when it comes down to studying and working simultaneously. Although the weather may be a bit harsh, choosing Canada as your place for academics is a good decision.
The weather is not the only thing that dissuades students from choosing Canada. The tuition for most of their institutions is high.
However, Canada offers a wide range of scholarships for both citizens and non-citizens. The government of Canada participates in numerous international scholarship programs through an institution called Global Affairs Canada. They feature scholarships for international students offered by the government, NGOs and other organisations.
In order to apply for any government scholarship available for your country, these are the necessary steps you need to take:
1. Do Some Research
Before you can get a scholarship, you need to know the scholarships available and the institution you wish to attend.
You need to find out the deadline and if you will be able to meet up with it.
Some of the scholarships that Global Affairs Canada features are listed below. This table includes the eligible programs (PhD, master’s or undergraduate). It also states the duration of the scholarships. You can visit the websites for more information.
| Scholarship | Program | Citizenship | Value & Duration |
| Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship | PhD | Canadian citizens, Permanent residents of Canada and Foreign Citizens | $50,000/year for 3 years |
| Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) | Masters, PhD | Citizens of countries located in Latin America and the Caribbean | CAD 8,200 for minimum of four months. |
| Organisation of American States Academic Scholarship Program | Undergraduate | Citizens of Organisation of American State member states. | 2 years |
| Canada- ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) – for students | College, undergraduate, Master’s, PhD | Citizens from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) | CAD 12,200 for minimum of four months (Master’s, PhD CAD 15,900 for eight months (undergraduate) |
| Canada-CARICOM Skills Training for the Green Economy Scholarships | HnD | Citizens from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states | CAD 8,200 for minimum of four months |
| Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program | PhD, Master’s | Citizens of China | Four to 12 months |
| Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship | Postdoctoral | Canadian citizens, Permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens | $70,000/year for 2 years (non-renewable) |
| Study in Canada Scholarships | College, Undergraduate, Master’s, PhD | Citizens of Asian, European, Middle Eastern and North African, and Sub-Saharan African Territories | CAD 10,200 for a minimum of four months. |
There are many students who benefit from Canadian government scholarships. You can be one of them.
2. Check Your Eligibility Status
To qualify for any government scholarship programs, you must meet some requirements.
Before you send in your application, ensure to check the eligibility status of the scholarship you have chosen.
Submitting an application for a program you are not eligible for will automatically disqualify you. So do not waste your time applying where you do not qualify with the hope that things will turn in your favour.
Different scholarships have various eligibility conditions.
| Scholarship | Eligibility |
| Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship | Must possess academic excellence Must have research potential Must have leadership skills in ability and potential. |
| Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) | Must be a citizen of the eligible Countries/Territories. Must be enrolled as a full-time student at a tertiary institution in the eligible countries. Must not have pending application for Canadian citizenship of permanent residency. Must not be already a beneficiary of a government-funded scholarship. |
| Canada- ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) – for students | |
| Canada-CARICOM Skills Training for the Green Economy Scholarships | |
| Study in Canada Scholarships | |
| Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship | Must hold their fellowship at a Canadian institution Must not hold a faculty position Must only submit one application per year to the program. Can only be held once in a lifetime. |
3. Send in your application
You need to send in your application as early as possible. Sometimes, early birds are given more consideration. You should not wait till the deadline before submitting your application.
You should be aware that for these scholarships, only Canadian institutions can submit applications for Canadian government scholarships on behalf of candidates. They may choose to set their own internal deadline before submitting to these organisations.
They also rank the applications based on their priorities. So, you must send your application to the post-secondary Canadian institution you have chosen to study in so that they may in turn submit it to the institutions granting the scholarships.
After this, you need to wait and hope that you are selected to be part of the scholarship program. Note that only successful candidates will be contacted.
Getting a scholarship is not easy – but it is not impossible either.
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Opeyemi Kareem
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