Canada offers one of the richest scholarship ecosystems for international students of any English-speaking country, with awards ranging from partial tuition relief to fully funded packages worth over CAD $150,000. Knowing which scholarships exist, what they value, and how to build a competitive application is the difference between funding and not funding your Canadian education. StudentBuddy is your complete Canadian platform — browse all available scholarships alongside university comparisons and student accommodation in Canada.
The best scholarships for international students in Canada: Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at UofT (full funding ~CAD $150,000 total), UBC International Leader of Tomorrow (full need-based funding), Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (PhD, CAD $50,000/year for 3 years), and automatic entrance scholarships of CAD $2,000–$30,000 at most major universities. Apply to every scholarship you are eligible for — many are undersubscribed.
Top undergraduate scholarships for international students
| Scholarship | University | Value | Basis | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship | UofT | Full tuition + living ~$150K | School nomination + excellence | November (school nominates) |
| International Leader of Tomorrow (ILOT) | UBC | Full financial need | Academic merit + demonstrated need | February |
| Entrance Scholarships | McGill | CAD $3,000–$12,000/yr | Automatic on application | With application |
| President's Scholarship of Distinction | Western | CAD $7,500/yr | 95%+ average | With application |
| Excellence Entrance Scholarship | McMaster | CAD $5,000–$9,000/yr | Academic merit | With application |
| International Entrance Award | University of Calgary | CAD $1,500–$15,000 | Academic achievement | With application |
| International Scholarship | University of Alberta | CAD $3,000–$20,000/yr | Academic excellence | With application |
| Entrance Award | Dalhousie | CAD $3,000–$5,000/yr | Academic merit | With application |
Top graduate scholarships for international students
| Scholarship | Annual value | Level | Field | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships | CAD $50,000 × 3 yrs | PhD | Any field — research + leadership | November |
| Trudeau Foundation Scholarship | Up to CAD $40,000 | PhD | Social sciences, arts, humanities | January |
| NSERC PGS-D Doctoral Scholarship | CAD $21,000–$35,000 | PhD | Natural sciences + engineering | November |
| SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship | CAD $20,000–$40,000 | PhD | Social sciences + humanities | October |
| Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) | CAD $15,000 | Masters/PhD | Any field, Ontario universities | February |
| Mitacs Globalink | CAD $7,500 stipend | Undergrad (visiting) | STEM research | January–February |
How to build a winning scholarship application
- Start 12–18 months before the deadline
Major Canadian scholarships require school nominations, multiple reference letters, and research proposals that take months to develop. Starting early is not optional.
- Understand exactly what each scholarship values
Lester B. Pearson values both academic excellence AND community leadership — not just grades. Vanier values research potential AND leadership. ILOT at UBC is needs-based. Tailor everything to the specific criteria, not a generic 'outstanding student' narrative.
- Get the most specific and compelling reference letters possible
A letter from a professor who supervised your original research and describes your specific intellectual contributions is worth far more than a general endorsement from a department head who knows you by name only.
- Quantify every achievement in concrete terms
'I grew our school's environment club from 12 to 180 members and secured $8,000 in corporate sponsorship for our reforestation project' is a scholarship application. 'I was active in environmental advocacy' is not.
- Apply to every scholarship you are eligible for
Many strong Canadian scholarships are undersubscribed because eligible students don't apply. The effort is hours; the return can be $10,000–$150,000 over your degree.
"I won a CAD $12,000/year entrance scholarship from McGill that I honestly did not expect. I applied directly with no agent. The key was specificity about my research experience and why I wanted McGill's specific biochemistry research environment — not just 'McGill is a great university'. Apply for everything you're eligible for."
— Adaeze O., PhD student, McGill University
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Find student accommodation in Canada →Frequently asked questions
Extremely competitive — approximately 37 awards from millions of eligible students globally each year. Nominees must first be selected by their secondary school. Despite the odds, applying costs only effort, and the value (full tuition + living for 4 years) makes the attempt always worthwhile for eligible candidates.
Many do. McGill, Western, McMaster, UCalgary, and UAlberta automatically review all applicants for entrance scholarships based on academic records — no separate application needed. Others require a specific scholarship application. Always check each university's scholarship page before concluding you need to do nothing.
Yes. The Vanier CGS is fully open to international students enrolled in or applying to a Canadian doctoral programme. International students win Vanier awards every year and are assessed on the same three criteria as Canadian students.
Mitacs Globalink is a 12-week summer research internship bringing international undergraduates to Canadian universities. The award covers travel, accommodation, and a CAD $7,500 stipend. Students from 26 countries are eligible. Applications open in September and close in January each year.
Several options: the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC and McGill specifically targets students from Sub-Saharan Africa with full funding. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan covers eligible African Commonwealth members. University-specific diversity scholarships exist at many institutions. Vanier and NSERC/SSHRC are equally open to African students.
