EXPLORING FULLY FUNDED GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES IN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES 

Due to Canada’s recent policy change on proof of funds for international students, studying at Canadian institutions has become more challenging than it used to be in the past. With lots of internationals struggling to raise their school fees to struggle to put together their proof of funds to meet the new threshold set by the Canadian government, exploring Scholarship opportunities has become expedient to mitigating the effects of the hike in the proof of funds for international students. In this blog, we have highlighted several Fully funded Graduate opportunities that international students can explore while looking to study at Canadian universities:

University-Specific Scholarships

1. University of Toronto Scholarships: Offers a range of scholarships for Masters and PhD students, including the President’s Scholars of Excellence Program and the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship​.
2. University of British Columbia (UBC) Scholarships: UBC provides several major entrance scholarships that cover full tuition and living expenses for exceptional students. This includes the Killam Scholarship and the Presidential Scholars Award​.
3. McGill University Scholarships: The McCall MacBain Scholarship at McGill is a fully funded program for Masters or professional degree students. Other scholarships include the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and the Principal’s Prize​.
4. University of Alberta Scholarships: Offers the Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship for research in science, engineering, and health fields. Additional scholarships include the President’s Award and the International Student Scholarship​.
5. University of Waterloo Scholarships: Provides various scholarships such as the President’s Scholarship of Distinction and the Ontario Trillium Scholarship for doctoral studies​ ​.

Government-Funded Scholarships

1. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships: One of the most prestigious Canadian scholarships, offering $50,000 per year for up to three years for doctoral students demonstrating leadership and high academic achievement​.
2. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships: Targets postdoctoral researchers in all disciplines, providing $70,000 per year for two years. The program aims to attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent​​.
3. Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) – Master’s Program: Offers $17,500 for 12 months to support students enrolled in eligible graduate programs at the master’s or doctoral level​​.
4. NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships: These are intended for students pursuing research in natural sciences and engineering, offering up to $21,000 per year for up to three years​.

Other Notable Scholarships

1. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (UMGF): Merit-based awards providing $18,000 for PhD students and $14,000 for Master’s students for 12 months. These are renewable for up to two years for Masters and four years for PhD students​​.
2. University of Calgary Graduate Awards: Ranges from $1,000 to $40,000 and covers various fields of study. Students must apply after receiving their student number from the university​​.
3. Trudeau Foundation Scholarships: Awarded to doctoral students who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to public policy issues, offering up to $60,000 per year for up to four years​​.

Through significant financial support for living expenses, tuition, and other expenditures, these fellowships and scholarships enable international students to pursue further studies in Canada. Visit the relevant university and scholarship websites for complete application guidelines and deadlines.