Introduction: Why study in Canada and the importance of scholarships
Studying in a country abroad is an enriching experience as it motivates you to grow in every way. While going abroad is the dream for a lot of young people, finding the right place to move to can be an impediment in the way. However, Canada is a country that welcomes and encourages students who want to endeavour towards a better future. It is a peaceful and safe country for foreigners which also provides chances for students to work after graduation and apply for permanent residence later on. The biggest reason to apply there are the world class universities that have an innovative teaching style. Some of the popular universities are McGill University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, etc. Scholarships are available to study in these universities so if you are a motivated individual, you can find plenty of opportunities. Keep reading this to find out more about applying for scholarships.
The universities offer a diverse range of courses for students from every field of study and research is made easy by the universities’ collaboration with the industries in Canada.
Eligibility requirements for scholarships to study in Canada
Most of the scholarships offered are given to students with a good academic background that shows their commitment to the field of study they are going to apply in. In some cases, you will also need to show the results of your English proficiency test.
Before applying for a scholarship, you will need an acceptance letter from the university you applied to and you will have to check whether the scholarship supports the subject you are going to study. In addition to this, you will also need to check whether your nationality is eligible to apply for the scholarship. Some scholarships offer partial funding, some offer complete funding or a certain research program.
Researching scholarships and funding opportunities
Starting the process of finding scholarships to suit your needs is a daunting task. It demands a lot of patience because there is a lot of uncertainty involved but don’t worry. As you find the right places to explore, you can increase your chances of getting financial support for your educational endeavours.
Depending on the university you apply in, you can search for the relevant scholarships information. Let’s see the several avenues for browsing through Canadian scholarships.
Scholarships database
In order to make the search easier, there are a lot of databases online to look for the right scholarship. You can search these for the latest Canadian scholarships and it would give you the deadline as well as the requirements neatly organised. It’s good to organise yourself accordingly and start the preparation as soon as possible. From these databases, you can go directly to the scholarship website and read in detail about them. If you are having trouble choosing the right option, book a session with us and ask away! Here are some popular scholarships in Canada:
- Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowships
- Canadian Government Scholarships
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship
- BP Dammizio Entrance Scholarship
- University of Calgary Canada scholarship
Awards and grants
Awards are given to students who have exceptional academic records and grants are usually given for the purpose of research. These are given in support of the field of study and its development so that advances in the field can help in innovation and further problem solving. Different universities have different quotas for different research areas so you should check where you are applying and whether the university would cater to your research ideas. Here are some grants that are being offered in Canadian universities:
- Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Regional Grant at University of Canada West
- Brock Leaders Citizens Society Award
- Carleton University FPA Small Grants Program
- Tom Parker Award Dalhousie University
- Sgt. Bruce McPhail Award for Academic Excellence at Dalhousie University
Financial aid options
Financial aid to study in Canada apart from the scholarships and grants are known as bursaries. These are financial support programs given to students with economic needs. This will be assessed by the university as they ask you to show your monthly income so an application will have to be submitted for the committee to review and decide your eligibility.
Step-by-step guide to the scholarship application process
As mentioned earlier, you have to pre plan the scholarship application if you are planning to get your funding from external sources. While you are applying to universities in Canada, keep in mind that you have to check their fee and whether you can afford it or not. Then look for scholarships that can support you or even if they support you partially, you should have the option to work and support yourself. By figuring out the funding plan with your family, you can make a concrete plan.
Deadlines
To keep yourself up to date with the upcoming scholarships, it is important to visit the scholarship databases regularly and check for the upcoming ones. It is also useful to look at older announcement and deadline dates for specific scholarships because that can give you information about this current year’s scholarship as well. You have to stay alert and not miss out on any of the offers being advertised online. To make this process easier, you can also sign up with our educational consultancy so our mentors can guide you to choose the right financial aid option.
Essay requirements
As with all university applications, the scholarship application requires some evidence of your authenticity and commitment to the study program you are applying to. This will convince the committee about your seriousness and they will be able to choose the most deserving people for the financial support.
As some of the scholarships’ eligibility requirements also include some exemplary achievement from the student, you will have to talk about this experience in your personal essay. Besides this, you have to sound convincing about how the specific study program will benefit your career and personal development and in some cases, your country’s economy.
Recommendation letter
This is something that also requires some planning. If your application requirement includes more than one letter of recommendation, you should start thinking about the teachers you will contact to write these letters. These teachers or employers must have sufficient experience with you to talk about your abilities and vouch for your dedication to your career. About the submission of these letters, you have to be careful about the deadline because sometimes the online portal closes for submissions on a certain date.
Transcript
As mentioned above, your essays, recommendation letters are all submitted in an online portal dedicated to the university’s funding program website. For this portal, you will have an ID and password and you will upload all these documents over there. To submit your transcripts on time, have them ready and submit them according to the mentioned requirement of file format and size.
Budget planning
You must be ready to handle all your finances when you go to university on your own. If the scholarship is granted, it will cover a certain area of your education, like maybe your accommodation or your research or maybe both. For the rest of your expenses, you will have to figure out how you will earn it or manage it. Think about the visa you will apply for and the hours of work permitted through it.
Negotiating scholarship awards and student loan options
Having the acceptance letter not getting the right scholarship to fund your education can leave you feeling very lost about your path so consider going for a bank loan as the last option to fund your studies in Canada. International students can avail the student loans from private banks but they are not entitled to apply for provincial and federal student loans. Before signing up for any loan, you should check and compare the interest rates and see if you can afford to pay it back. Don’t lose the chance to study in the study program of your dreams just because you lost a scholarship opportunity because these can be very competitive.
Conclusion: A comprehensive guide to applying for scholarships to study in Canada
As you have read in this guide about the scholarship application process, you have to be ready with a lot of documents and work on your essay as well. For this, you will have to make several drafts and practice. Along with this, some financial documents will also be required to show your economic background so start the application process on time and give your best.
If you still can not figure out anything to finance your studies in Canada, you should contact the university you got admission in and see if they have any additional funding options. Most valid student visas allow the students to work for 20 hours per week off campus so you can start exploring your job options as well. Keep a realistic image of your expenses and tuition fee when you make this budgeting plan.
