Canada Student Scholarships

Are you an academically brilliant student possessing several qualities to become an overachieving scholar? There are rewards in store for you, based on merit, to help you achieve your dream education qualification.

Schools, organizations, and companies are known to award scholarships to students who excel in academics or possess a special talent for sports and athletics. But there are other entities as well that fund education of meritorious students through scholarships.

While Canada Student Grants and Loans aim to primarily help students that require monetary assistance to pay for post-secondary education, it doesn’t allocate financial aid based on a student’s merit. On the other hand, Federal Student Scholarships recognize talent and offer financial aid to students with extraordinary academic prowess.   

What are Federal Student Scholarships?

Apart from grants and loans, the federal government along with other organizations allocates merit-based scholarships for students who excel in various fields of education. The funds awarded through Federal Student Scholarships are used to fuel the higher education aspirations of students of outstanding caliber. Unlike loans, federal scholarships do not need to be repaid to the federal government.

Types of Federal Student Scholarships

Based on the level and scope of college degrees, there are four major kinds of federal student scholarships:

Federal Student Scholarships for Undergraduate Students: These scholarships are offered to meritorious students enrolled in undergraduate programs, also known as Bachelor’s degree programs. Here are some popular scholarships for undergraduate students:

• International Business Scholarships: This scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who are studying international business, commerce, economics, accounting, and finance from a Canadian university or college. To learn more about eligibility, selection criteria, and scholarship amount, check out International Business Scholarships. 
• Ingenium-NSERC STEAM Horizon awards: The objective of this program is to promote interest in the field of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) among the youth by offering scholarships to undergraduate students who have shown exceptional promise and passion for STEAM. Click here to know all about eligibility criteria, selection process, the application process, and more.  

Federal Student Scholarships for Graduate Students: This type of scholarship allocates federal scholarship funds for students pursuing Master’s degrees from Canadian universities or colleges. Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program is one of the major providers of Federal Student Scholarships for Graduate Students.

• Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program: Offered in partnership with three institutions – Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, this program rewards students who have showcased special achievements in undergraduate studies. The aim of Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program is to develop highly skilled individuals with analytical and research abilities. Learn more about eligibility, the application process, selection criteria, and reward money here.      

Federal Student Scholarships for Doctoral Students: Focused on helping brilliant minds pursuing doctoral studies, this type of scholarship offers financial help to meritorious doctoral students all across Canada. Some of the popular scholarship programs for doctoral students include:

• IDRC Doctoral Research Awards: This scholarship scheme calls for applications from doctoral candidates studying Agriculture and Environment, Sustainable Inclusive Economies, and Technology and Innovation in a Canadian university. Learn more about eligibility and application criteria for IDRC Doctoral Research.
• SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships: Social Science and Humanities Research Council offers scholarships to promising doctoral students studying social science and humanities at a Canadian institute. Click here to know all about SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships.
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship: With a scholarship worth $50,000 per year for three years, the Vanier Canada Scholarship program seeks to offer financial assistance to doctoral students with achievements in Academic Excellence, Research Potential, and Leadership. Click here to learn about eligibility, the application process, and selection criteria.

Federal Student Scholarships for International Students: Unlike other types of federal student scholarships that focus solely on Canadian students and programs at Canadian universities, this scholarship is for high-achieving international students seeking to study in Canada. Some programs even offer scholarships to Canadian students looking to study abroad.

• International scholarship opportunities for Canadians: In partnership with Global Affairs Canada, the federal government offers financial aid to Canadian students enrolled in post-doctoral research programs in China, India, New Zealand, and Korea.

• International scholarship opportunities for non-Canadians: This program invites post-doctoral students and researchers from South East Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin American countries. 

Other Federal Student Aid Programs

So you don’t qualify for any of the Federal Student Scholarship programs? Fortunately, there are plenty of other federal student aid schemes other than the highly-competitive scholarship program. Check out Federal Student Loans, Federal Student Grants, and Federal Student Bursaries to know more about your funding options.