Top 10 Free Education In Canada And How To Access Them

Studying in Canada either for masters, bachelor’s or doctoral degree can be very expensive. But if you have good academic track records and some personal experience either in leadership roles or even some skills, you might really be able to curb your expenses.

This article is are those eager to learn how to access free education in Canada because there are lots of free education programs readily available in Canada for international students but accessing them has always been a hurdle most especially, international students.

Any international student can take advantage of these free education programs in Canada to greatly reduce their expenses and keep some money in their pockets.

In this article, we have thoroughly researched and compiled a list of the top 10 free education in Canada for international students and how to access them. You will get a complete list of the requirements and eligibility for these top 10 free education in Canada as well as the deadlines for each of them.

Top 10 Free Education In Canada & How To Access Them

1. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

The first on our list of the top 10 free education in Canada for international students is the Vanier Canada Graduate Program. This program is aimed to improve Canada’s ability to attract international students, as well as help, establish the country as a Frontier in education and research.

The Vanier Canada Graduate scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year for three years during doctoral studies.

Around 200 students every year get this scholarship to study at the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, the University of Waterloo, the University of Alberta and nearly 100 other institutions

Admission Requirements:

a) leadership skills

For a student to be considered for this Scholarship, the student must have demonstrated leadership skills and a high standard of academic achievement in Masters’ programs in Engineering, Natural Sciences, Health, Social Sciences or Humanities.

b) You must be enrolled in a Ph.D. program at some Canadian university.

c) Candidates must be nominated by the Canadian Institution at which they want to study.

Application process timeline for the Vanier Graduate Scholarship:

• From July – November: Applicants seek a nominating institution, prepare and submit application package

• from November 1, 2020: Deadline for institutions to submit nominations to the Vanier CGS program

*End of March 2020: Email notification to nominees

• from May 1, 2020, September 1, 2020, or January 1, 2021: Payment begins

2 Ontario Graduate Scholarship

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is a free educational program in Canada for international students funded by the provincial government to encourage excellence at Masters and Doctoral levels.

This scholarship is valued at $15,000 per year and the minimum duration this scholarship can be held in two consecutive years. International students studying in Ontario with study permits are eligible.

 Admission Requirements

To be eligible for this free education program :

a) The student must have achieved a first-class average, ( minimum of A-/80%)*, in EACH of the last two full-time academic years (eligibility averages are based on grades up to August 31, 2020).

b) Transcripts are required from all post-secondary institutions attended, whether a degree was received or not; graduate transcripts are required even if fall 2020 is the first term in the program.

c) Normally the scholarship application form used to evaluate a candidate for Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) is the same used to evaluate students for this scholarship. The Queen Elizabeth II scholarship is also valued at $15,000 per year.

d) Qualified Students have the option to either take up the Ontario Graduate Scholarship or even the Queen Elizabeth II-GSST award for a minimum of two terms (receiving $10,000 total) or three terms (receiving $15,000 total). The awards are non-renewable.

Application deadline:

Application Form for the scholarship must be submitted by October 4, 2020.

3. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships

The university of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships scholarships has finally made it to our list of the top 10 Free Education in Canada for international students. This free education program in Canada is open to all international students who wish to study at the University of Manitoba.

The scholarship is valid at $18,000 for Ph.D. and $14,000 for Masters for a year.

Admission Requirements:

a) Students with a minimum GPA of 3.75 (above B+) in each of the last two years of study at a recognized university based on a Bachelor, Master’s Graduate Diploma or a Doctoral Degree

b) Students are eligible to enter the scholarship program for the first the first 48 months of their Ph.D. program and 24 months of their Master’s program.

c) Candidates who are in many fields of graduate study with the exception of those candidates in the College of Medicine and in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program are eligible to apply

 4. Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS)

This free education program in Canada is open to all international students with study permits. It is aimed to improve Canada’s ability to attract international students.

Admission Requirements:

a) Possession of study permits.

b) Recipients must be intending to pursue full-time graduate studies at the doctoral level in a degree-granting program

c) Recipients must have achieved a first-class average in each of the two years of full-time study prior to being awarded the OTS;

d) Recipients who withdraw, transfer to part-time status or fail to complete the term without prior consultation with the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) may be required to repay the award.

Application Procedure:

Student selected automatically by Faculty/Department

5. David Strangway Full Tuition Scholarships at Quest University in Canada

The goal of this free education program in Canada for international students is to grant access to Quest University’s unique education to outstanding students regardless of their background, country of origin, or ability to pay.

The award provides tuition for up to 4 years.

Admission Requirements:

a) Candidates who apply for this scholarship must have achieved very high levels of academic excellence combined with an outstanding record of leadership and service. Students with a high school average of 90% (3.75 US or equivalent) are encouraged to apply.

b) The scholarship is open to Citizens of all nationalities.

Application Procedure :

To apply simply download [link to the application from  https://questu.ca/_downloads/_documents/admissions/2020/SCHOLARSHIP/Strangway-Application.pdfthe ] application form, fill and then submit it.

Scholarship Deadline:

The deadline for this free education program available in Canada is March 1, 2020.

6. Bursary Awards for Postgraduate Training at McGill University in Canada

This free education program is provided by the McGill University in Canada. The award is opened to all international Medical doctors who are graduates of medical schools listed in the FAIMER Directory. The award is valued at $55,000 for a full year with no other benefits.

The scholarship is divided into two categories: The Alan Ross Academic Bursary Award(ARABA) and the Clinical Bursary Award in Pediatrics (CBAP)

1. To qualify for ARABA the student must be pursuing postgraduate training in a pediatric specialty after having completed three years of core training in pediatrics, or equivalent.
2. To qualify for CBAP, the student must be pursuing postgraduate training in a pediatric specialty after having completed 3 years of core training in pediatrics or its equivalent. For more details on the requirements and application processes, you can visit the scholarship website https://www.mcgill.ca/peds/education-training/pgme/funding

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is March 15, 2020.

7. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships are offered by the Canadian government to international students undertaking postgraduate study within the natural and social sciences or health research.

This scholarship is normally awarded to 70 students annually; a total of up to 140 awards are active at any time

The scholarship is Valued at $70,000 per year and for a maximum of 2 years

Application Timelines for the scholarship:

The application timeline for this scholarship normally begins from April every year.

From the month of April to September – Applicants should seek endorsement from the host institution to apply, prepare and submit the application (institutions may have internal deadlines).

September 20, 2020 – Deadline for complete application submission

Mid-February, 2020 – Applicants are emailed about results

April to October 2020 – Payment begins

8. Trudeau Foundation Scholarships (and Fellowships)

This is a highly competitive program that offers up to 15 doctoral free education awards in Canada each year for studies in social sciences and humanities; with some available to international students.

The annual value of up to $60,000 per scholar (including an annual travel allowance of $20,000) for up to four years.

Admission Requirements:

1. The foundation does not accept individual applications – Candidates must be nominated by a Canadian or Foreign university and be either applying to a doctoral program in the social sciences and humanities or registered full-time in the first or second year of such a program.
2. The candidate must have a track record of excellent academic achievement
3. The candidate must possess exceptional skills that will enable the scholar to engage in lively exchange with other researchers
4. The candidate must also Intend to work in an area related to one or more of the Foundation’s four themes (human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada’s role in the world, and people and their natural environment); and have an expressed desire to contribute to the public dialogue.

You can find more information about this free education in Canada and how to access it by visiting the website http://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/

9. Simon Fraser University Financial Aid and Awards

The university gives a wide range of free education program for international students to study in Canada. It also has scholarship programs for citizens of Canada.

In addition, Bursaries are available to International students. Bursaries are a supplemental source of funding for students with demonstrated financial need; that is, they should not be treated as your primary source of funding.

Admission Requirements:

For a candidate to apply for a bursary scholarship you must:

a) Have a minimum CGPA of 3.00 at SFU (waived for students in their first term at SFU).

b) Be enrolled full-time in an approved program, unless otherwise stipulated.

c) Have a demonstrated financial need (as assessed by SFU).

10. University of Calgary Graduate Scholarship Office.

Admission Requirements:

1. You may apply for awards after you have submitted an application for admission and receive a University of Calgary student number
2. Students must apply for graduate awards; you are not automatically considered.
3. You do not need to be accepted into your program before you apply for awards.
4. Some awards are restricted by citizenship; international students are eligible for many awards.

Awards are competitive and based on scholastic achievement, in addition to other criteria. It is important to read the eligibility requirements and follow the application instructions for each award you apply for.

So there you have a list of the top 10 Free Education in Canada and how to apply for them. We hope this list will help you make find a better choice for your future. We would love to hear from you via the comment section.

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