Canada Scholarships

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More than 50% Indian students study using canadian scholarships.

 

Admitted university & course can play huge role in getting scholarships.

 

GRE, GMAT, TOEFL scores can improve your chances of securing scholarships

Canada is a dream destination for students looking to study outside India. It has a multicultural society which is safe. Not only does it offer world-class education, living and tuition costs in Canada are quite low when compared to other foreign countries. Other benefits of choosing Canada as your study abroad destination include the chance to work while you study and to learn a new language (as Canada has two official languages, English and French). Most of the college campuses in Canada have latest technologies and outstanding facilities for students. In fact, according to United Nations, Canada is one of the best places to live in for a student. Canada spends more money on education than the average Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) country and it has the second highest spending on education among the G8 countries.

Cost of Study

Despite all these attractions, the cost of studying in your study abroad destination is a very important aspect you have to consider. Despite the relatively lower cost of studying in Canada, investing in studying in Canada can turn out to be quite expensive for most Indian families. This is where scholarships come to your rescue! Most often, a scholarship is the thin line that divides studying within India and studying abroad.

The living expenses in Canada have been estimated to be anything between 2- 4 lakh rupees per year. The fees for an undergraduate course can vary between 3-8 lakh rupees per year, while fees for graduate courses can cost you between 3-15 lakh rupees per year. These costs would be much higher if you’re pursuing a medical or an engineering degree. In such a scenario, apart from depending on education loans, qualifying for a decent scholarship is the best way to study abroad without burning a hole in your pocket!

Although there are a lot of scholarships available for international students in Canada, landing a scholarship is not that easy as Canada is a hot study abroad destination. There might be students among you who feel that you won’t be able to win a scholarship unless you have astronomically high grades and GAT/GRE/IELTS scores. But you stand a good chance even if you have an average score but are willing to research for scholarships and apply early.

This website (Studyabroad.htcampus) is a gold mine of information about various scholarships that you can avail for studying in Canada. Every year, more than 180,000 lakh international students get enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges to pursue undergraduate degrees, post graduate degrees, post graduate diplomas, certificate and other short term courses. We bring to you a list of scholarships that are available to Indian students in Canada.

Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT): Graduate Students Exchanges (GSEP) are hosted by Canadian institutions for a period of five or six months and provide up to $10,000 to cover transportation, living and other related expenses during the students’ stay in Canada.

Students interested in this scholarship program should contact their home institution to make their interest known, and to find out if there is an institutional collaboration or exchange agreement with a Canadian institution. The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) provides a database of international exchange agreements which, while not exhaustive, does provide a list of some existing agreements.

Canada Asia-Pacific Awards (CAPA) Canada Asia-Pacific Awards funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT): This award will support scholars in universities or research institutes in the Asia-Pacific Region to undertake short term research, including collaborative research, contributing to the understanding of bilateral and multilateral relations between Canada and the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. The award will assist with direct costs related to the research project, and, when a research trip to Canada is warranted, will provide assistance towards international airfare and a weekly flat rate allowance for a period not exceeding five weeks. Know more about the CAPA here.

Professional Development Awards (PDA) by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Professional Development Awards (PDA) are granted to Canadians, Permanent Residents of Canada and citizens of developing countries with  a Master’s, PhD or Post-Doctoral and some career experience. The objective of the program is to help these individuals to develop their expertise in a particular professional capacity by working with IDRC staff on program and research issues. Normally a competition is not held for this award and individuals are selected according to their education, qualifications, and experience. Know more about PDA scholarships here.

Doctoral Student Research Award (DSRA) is funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) The DSRA is designed to assist full-time graduate students at degree-granting institutions of higher education, whose dissertations are related in substantial part to Canada, to undertake doctoral research about Canada. The purpose is to increase knowledge and understanding of Canada and to support the development of Canadian Studies. This scholarship is available to all countries. Know more about DSRA here.

International Research Linkages funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) The International Council for Canadian Studies through a contribution of the Government of Canada offers grants of up to CDN$ 10,000 to assist in the establishment or the development of international research networks in the area of Canadian Studies between Canada and other countries. Know more about this grant here.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is funded by Government of Canada The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) program attracts and retains world-class doctoral students and helps establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. The scholarship provides $50,000 per year for three years and is open to both Canadian and international PhD students studying at Canadian universities. Know more about the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships here.

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship is funded by Government of Canada This scholarship grants $70,000 per year (taxable) for two year. There are 70 new two-year awards annually with a total of 140 awards active at any one time. Know more about this grant here.

Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships Program funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) This scholarship is worth $15,000 per year for up to three years plus a minimum contribution from the sponsoring organization of $6,000 per year. Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPS) provide financial support for highly qualified science and engineering graduates. The support allows them to gain research experience in industry while undertaking advanced studies in Canada. Know all about this scholarship here.

Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories Program funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) The Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories (VF) Program provides promising emerging scientists and engineers with the opportunity to work with research groups or leaders in Canadian government laboratories and research institutions. Fellowships are awarded for one year with the possibility of renewal for a second and third year, at the discretion of the government department concerned. Know more here.

Sauvé Scholars Program by the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation: Sauvé Scholars are highly motivated independent thinkers between 23 and 31 years of age with demonstrated skills as agents of change, who are offered a unique opportunity to spend nine months away from their studies, careers or other formal commitments, for a period of reflection and self-realization – both personal and professional. The academic home of the Sauvé Scholars is internationally-renowned McGill University, in the heart of Montreal, where the student body of about 33,000 includes students from some 160 countries.

These are just the main and the most popular scholarships in Canada. Almost all the good universities and colleges in Canada provide scholarship programmes. So when you’re making the list of Canadian colleges you intend to apply to, make sure you check what kind of scholarships they provide. Find out which scholarships you’re eligible for, whether their deadlines have passed or not. Studying abroad need not be so difficult when you can depend on scholarships!

You need to keep the following ready while applying for Scholarships:

• Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendations are usually given by your school/college teachers and are required by your scholarship sponsors so that they can get to know your strengths and weaknesses from a third person. Make sure the teacher you approach knows you well and has a good opinion about you!
• Transcripts: A transcript is basically a record of your grades, list of the courses you took and honours or degrees you received; basically your academic record. These are issued by the schools and colleges you’ve attended. Make sure you keep them ready.
• Personal Statement/Essay: This is the best way to improve your chances of being selected from a pool of equally deserving students. Come up with a stellar essay, well before time!
• Interview: Some of the scholarship committees take interviews to personally interact with you and to see for themselves if you are actually all that you’ve projected in your essay/resume! Be prepared to discuss your plans and talk about your interests with the scholarship committee. Make sure whatever you say is in sync with whatever you wrote in your application!
  
  

A lot of students planning to study abroad feel that getting a scholarship is difficult and that only the academically brilliant students land scholarships. Though good grades do help you, not all scholarship sponsors are looking at just a good academic record. Your extracurricular activities and talents also matter. So go out and apply to as many scholarships as you can, as long as you are eligible!

Kindly share your tips, experience and other useful information to get scholarship to study in Canada.