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Explore Scholarships

Scholarships in Canada are competitive, merit-based awards that reduce tuition for students who have already been admitted. You apply for admission first — the institution reviews your academic record and decides on funding afterwards.

What is a scholarship?

For international students, a scholarship in Canada is best understood as a discount on your tuition — not a cash payment, and not something you apply for on its own.

Merit-based and competitive

Awards are decided on the strength of your academic record and your overall application. In almost every case you must be admitted to the institution before you can be considered at all.

A credit, not cash

A scholarship is applied to your tuition as a credit on your student account — you pay the institution less. Nothing is deposited into your personal bank account.

Not offered everywhere

Not every institution or program offers scholarships, and the amounts differ widely. Some programs have very limited awards and others have none at all, so check before you count on one.

How do I apply for a scholarship?

You do not apply for a scholarship first — you apply for admission. Every scholarship offered by a Canadian institution follows the same order, and it begins with a complete admission application and a paid application fee.

Only once you have been admitted does the institution review your academic documents and decide what funding, if any, you are offered.

1. Apply for admission

Choose your program and submit a complete application to the institution.

2. Pay the application fee

Every institution charges one. It is non-refundable and separate from tuition.

3. Be admitted

Scholarship consideration begins here. Without an offer there is nothing to review.

4. Your record is reviewed

The institution assesses your academic documents against its own award criteria.

5. A decision reaches you

Any award arrives in one of the three ways set out below.

Steps 1 and 2 are the same for every applicant, whether or not a scholarship exists. There is no scholarship application to submit before you are admitted, and the application fee is payable either way.

Your admission application is your scholarship application

Institutions decide entrance awards from the same documents you submit for admission. There is no second package to prepare — which is why the first one has to be complete and accurate. Typical components include:

Completed admission application forms
The application fee — non-refundable, and payable before your file is assessed
Academic transcripts from previous studies
Standardized test scores such as IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo English Test
Letters of recommendation, if required
A personal statement or essay explaining your motivation and achievements

The institution assesses awards from the file you already submitted, so an incomplete admission application weakens both decisions at once.

Missing documents or unverified transcripts can remove you from consideration before your grades are ever compared.

External awards from governments, private organizations, and foundations are the exception: those do require separate applications and have strict deadlines of their own.

How an award reaches you

A scholarship can arrive at three different points, and only the first is decided before you enrol. Students who do not receive an entrance award often assume the opportunity has passed — it has not.

With your offer

An entrance scholarship in your Letter of Acceptance

Most entrance awards are assessed automatically from the academic documents you already submitted. If you qualify, the amount is stated in your Letter of Acceptance — there was never a separate form to complete.

After you accept

Awards named in your LOA that you apply for later

Your Letter of Acceptance may also list awards you become eligible to apply for once you are a registered student, through the student account of the institution that accepted you.

Once you are studying

Awards earned on your results in Canada

Institutions also award scholarships on the academic performance you build there. Not receiving an entrance scholarship does not end your chances — it means the next opportunity is one you earn after you begin.

Types of Scholarships in Canada

Scholarships for international students in Canada vary widely. Some are offered directly by universities and colleges, while others come from government programs, private organizations, or foundations. Each scholarship has specific eligibility criteria, application processes, and deadlines.

Scholarships offered by Canadian Institutions

From institutions

These awards come directly from Canadian universities and colleges. Many are considered after you submit your admission application, and if you meet the criteria an award may be included with your Letter of Acceptance.

Many entrance awards are automatic
A stronger program application improves your chances
Some awards require nomination by your current high school
No school can guarantee exclusive admissions or awards

Scholarships offered by Government and Organizations

Government & organizations

These awards are offered by government programs, private organizations, and foundations. They are competitive and often have strict deadlines and separate document requirements.

Review eligibility criteria carefully
Track scholarship and financial-aid deadlines
Prepare required documents early
Apply only for awards that match your profile

Can a scholarship pay for my studies?

Almost never. A scholarship lowers your tuition — sometimes substantially — but it does not release you from the rest of the cost of studying in Canada.

One year of study, with a $4,000 award

Tuition you are billed: $18,000
Scholarship credit: − $4,000
Tuition you still pay: $14,000
Living expenses — housing, food, transport: + $15,000
Other costs — insurance, books, fees, travel: + $3,000
What you still need for one year: $32,000

The award is real money, and worth competing for. But it moved the year from $36,000 to $32,000 — it reduced the tuition line and nothing else. A scholarship lowers your tuition; it does not fund your studies in Canada. Figures shown are an illustrative example; actual tuition and living costs vary by institution and city.

Most awards cover a portion of tuition. You remain responsible for the balance and for living expenses, which frequently exceed tuition itself.
Fully funded scholarships are rare and highly competitive. They generally require exceptional academic results, significant achievement outside the classroom, and in many cases a nomination from your school.
No one can tell you whether you will receive an award until the institution has reviewed your complete application. Any agency that guarantees you a scholarship is not being honest with you.
If a scholarship is the only way you could afford to study in Canada, the plan is not realistic. Prepare funds for tuition, living expenses, and other costs first, and treat any award as a reduction to that total.

This is also a study-permit requirement. IRCC asks you to prove you have enough money for tuition, living expenses, and return travel — and holding a scholarship does not remove that requirement. See the study-permit requirements.

Top Scholarship Programs

The following are scholarships offered by Canadian universities. This is not a complete list of the opportunities available for international students; we encourage you to also conduct your own search for external funding.

See notable scholarships and awards

We keep a dedicated page of well-known scholarships for international students — grouped by institutional awards, awards that need a separate application, and external funding from governments and organizations.

Browse scholarships & awards

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