3 Steps to get a scholarship in Canada for International Students
How to get a scholarship in Canada for International students? This question needs a clear, real answer, which you’re getting today.
In other words, if you want to study in Canada for free as an International student you need to understand the 3 simple steps of how to get a scholarship. In fact, it applies to undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D.
The truth is finding a list of fully-funded scholarships to study in Canada for International students is not difficult. Here are top scholarship in Canada for undergraduates and graduates:
- University of Toronto scholarship: https://future.utoronto.ca/scholarshi…
- McGill scholarships: https://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/scho…
- University of British Columbia scholarships: https://you.ubc.ca/financial-planning…
- Education Canada (government of Canada) scholarship opportunity: https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships…
Here are top scholarship in Canada for PHD.
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship: https://banting.fellowships-bourses.g…
- Canada-Brazil Award (government of Canada): https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships…
However, the question is: How do you get the scholarship?
I’ve come to understand that information is abundant on the internet. But most people searching for methods to get a scholarship in Canada, are frustrated with techniques that don’t work.
I’m here to provide information and facts about how to study in Canada for free.
Not only that, I will give you sources where to find scholarships that cover up to CA$ 120,000. But also I’ll give you three steps you need to take to stand out to outperform your competition.
Table of Content
Undergraduates & Graduates Scholarship
Here’s what I found.
- On the website of University of Toronto you will find Lester b Pearson international scholarship. It is awarded to international undergraduate students. And for that scholarship, your high school back home has to nominate you and of course, you will submit your resume or portfolio.
- The University of McGill offers up to 3 million dollars in scholarships for undergraduate students as well.
- Even More, the University of British Columbia offers up to 30 million dollars in financial assistance for international students.
- There is one thing to know that nobody really talks about the Government of Canada. It has a website where they post different scholarships for international students. And I found this one scholarship that covers up to 120 thousand dollars for two years. It is specifically for citizens of those eastern countries in Asia.
Here are the links of top scholarship in Canada for undergraduates and graduates:
- University of Toronto scholarship: https://future.utoronto.ca/scholarshi…
- McGill scholarships: https://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/scho…
- University of British Columbia scholarships: https://you.ubc.ca/financial-planning…
- Education Canada (government of Canada) scholarship opportunity: https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships…
PHD Scholarship
Here you need to know about two programs.
- The first one gives you up to 70,000 dollars per year. It’s called banting post-doctoral fellowship. To get it you have to have a research-intensive career. You also need to do some research contributions to a university where you’ll be studying in Canada.
- The second Ph.D. option is the Canada brazil research program. It gives you up to 9,700 dollars for your research project.
Here are the links of top scholarship in Canada for PHD.
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship: https://banting.fellowships-bourses.g…
- Canada-Brazil Award (government of Canada): https://www.educanada.ca/scholarships…
3 Simple steps of how to get a scholarship in Canada
Remember that it’s not easy to get a scholarship in Canada, you need to be prepared for a long battle.
And you need to be prepared with the three steps:
- build your portfolio
- find the right scholarships
- apply and get those scholarships
Building Portfolio
For any scholarship, you need to prove you’re worth. It starts with building your portfolio. Be an active member of your school, high school, or post-secondary school.
Doesn’t matter start a club or build your social influence. Change your community or maybe even the country. And preferably your social impact has to be related to the major you want to take.
Let’s say you want to take political science. Start a committee or become a member of a committee that changes your community for the better. If you’re a minority representative change the lives of those who are voiceless. Give the power to those who are powerless. That all counts really well towards your portfolio.
Have a thrilling story and show them that you are worth that scholarship.
And I think it goes without saying that your portfolio should include a high GPA. You can show full scores and of course, references from your instructors, professors, teachers, managers all of those will count as assets towards your portfolio.
Find the right scholarships
It’s important to understand that a big high-end university usually has more funding but the competition is higher.
So, how do you find the right scholarships?
There are thousands of scholarship programs out there but you have to narrow down to the ones you’re eligible for.
You can search for scholarship programs based on your course of study, preferred study destination, level of study, or nationality.
When you have your list of scholarships to apply for, the next step is to identify the application period and start applying.
5 Tips to Apply & get the scholarship like a Pro
Scholarship judges walk through hundreds even thousands of applications to determine who makes it to the final stage. You need to submit an application that would get you noticed.
Here are 5 tips to apply for a scholarship in Canada like a pro:
1- Gather the necessary documents
Each scholarship program has specific requirements. But there are common documents that are required. Typically each scholarship requires some and not all of this but here is a general list.
- Online or offline scholarship application form
- Secondary or high school certificate (for undergraduate degree)
- Certificates (for postgraduates)
- Transcripts
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for English courses
- SAT or GRE
- Essays
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose, Motivation letter or personal statement
- Birth certificate
- Employer letter
- International passport
Some documents like your academic results and language test scores are fixed. It means you may use the same document for every application. Whereas other documents like essays and letters of recommendation are flexible you have to tailor them for each application.
2- Describe your accomplishments
Let’s assume you have been a volunteer at an NGO that trains young girls on technology skills. And you applying for a scholarship that awards candidates in the field of steam education.
Instead of writing
“Volunteer for girl child education initiative”
write something like this
“Volunteer for girl child education initiative: Designed One month course content to train 408 girls on beginner software development skills.
The former says nothing about what you did. While the latter elaborates on the most important job you did in this organization. The evaluators may know nothing about the organization but they sure can imagine the impact of your work.
You can use the same activity in a different scenario. For instance, use the same illustration. If you are applying for a scholarship that is forecast on leadership potential.
Your description might read something like this
“Volunteer for girl child education initiative: Responsible for recruiting and booking volunteer facilitators and trainers.”
Same activity but a different perspective and stating what is important to the specific scholarship
3- Highlights your most impressive points first
You have limited space on your application form to present yourself. Draw attention to your best selling points first when mentioning your accomplishment.
Put your experiences in order of importance. You have valuators who may only look at the first two and move on. So while mentioning extracurricular or leadership experiences, prioritize the information in the order of relevance and value to the specific program you are applying to.
4- Be impressive to stand out
Scholarships are very competitive but the differentiating factor is how you present your application. To be impressive is to evoke admiration for the quality of your work.
What you present in your application is important. How you present it is even more important.
A scholarship application is more than a piece of paper in the eyes of the evaluators. Take every opportunity to show the judges that you really deserve the award.
Remember it is not the quality of your accomplishments that matters. It is the quality of your contributions.
5- Submit all required documents
When the scholarship asks for a particular document, don’t send another document. It will completely disqualify you from the opportunity. The point is to follow instructions and provide all the documents you are asked for.
Once you have completed your applications get external help from a reliable person. It is difficult to spot all errors in your own material. A fresh reader will catch the words that you missed and find the spelling problems easier.
Once you’re done, submit your application and hope for the best.
Conclusion
You don’t have to wait until you need the scholarship. Before applying, you have to give yourself time to get ready.
Starting Early would give you enough time to tick off all the eligibility boxes. In this way, you can prepare a competitive application when you are ready to apply.
Find scholarships that are right for you. Highlight your most important points first and describe your accomplishments. Be impressive to stand out. At the same time, make efforts to submit all the required documents and get someone to proofread the application.
Following these steps will help you get a full scholarship in Canada for undergraduates, graduates, and PH.D. It is the best opportunity for international students to study for free in Canada.
