The province named after Ontario is the most populous in Canada. It is home to the Canadian capital, Ottawa, and more than 38% of the country’s population.
This density has made Ontario a hub of higher education institutions. After all, the province is home to 22 public universities, 24 public colleges, and 17 private religious institutions.
Ontario is a popular location for foreign visitors due to its diverse educational opportunities and widespread use of the English language. It has the most international students, with over 223,000.
Given the large number of foreign enrollments, it’s no surprise that there are numerous scholarships available in Ontario for international students.
Best Scholarships in Ontario
1. Ontario Trillium Scholarship
- Scholarship Amount: up to CAD 40,000/$31,860 a year
- Eligible Degree: Doctorate degree at participating Ontario Universities
The Ontario Trillium Scholarship is an admission award for full-time Ph.D. students with a Canadian study permit.
The participating university and the province of Ontario each contribute CAD 40,000, or $31,860, toward its cost.
The latter’s funding may take the form of a monetary scholarship or teaching/research assistantships.
To be eligible for this scholarship in Ontario, the applicant must have a first-class average (the equivalent of an A) in the two years of study preceding the PhD program.
If the scholar becomes a permanent resident of Canada during their studies, they must pay the amount funded by the university.
Students currently enrolled at an Ontario institution will not be eligible for the prize. Students who hold other scholarships will be considered ineligible as well.
The selection process will be carried out by the participating universities. They will be in charge of selecting awards from a list of top-ranked nominees.
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2. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program
- Scholarship Amount: Up to CAD 15,000/$11,950 per term for up to four years
- Eligible Degree: Master’s or Doctorate degree at participating Ontario Universities
OGS is a merit-based scholarship in Ontario available to foreign graduate students wishing to study at participating provincial universities.
Like the Trillium scholarship, the government will cover two-thirds of the costs, while the institution will cover the remainder.
OGS can be issued for at least one academic year. On the other hand, it is available for a maximum of two years for Master’s students and four years for PhD students.
However, applicants for the OGS program must be at least two years into a full-time Master’s or Ph.D. program.
The student is expected to be admitted to any of Ontario’s participating universities. This is where they will initially need to route their application packets.
Scholars will be chosen based on the university’s selection procedure and conditions.
3. University of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship
- Scholarship Amount: Full tuition
- Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Toronto (U of T)
The University of Toronto, founded in 1827, is Canada’s top-ranked university. As a global leader in teaching and research, it continues to recruit outstanding foreigners through its many scholarships. One of these is the Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship.
The prize, named for the former Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is awarded to talented students who are recognized as school leaders.
It covers the entire tuition, excluding incidental expenses, study materials, and housing.
To be eligible for this Ontario scholarship program, an overseas student must be enrolled in secondary school. Despite this decision, new graduates will be considered as well.
Unlike other scholarships, students are not permitted to apply for themselves.
Similarly, the scholarship will only be awarded to those who named U of T as their first choice on the application.
Each year, the results are revealed at the end of April.
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4. University of Waterloo International Student Awards
Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Up to CAD 24,504/$19,520 for up to four years
- Eligible Degree: Master’s or Doctorate Degree at the University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario. Founded in 1959, it is one of the local colleges that provides numerous scholarships to international graduate students.
The International Master’s (IMSA) and Doctoral (IDSA) Student Awards are on the list of Ontario scholarships for international students.
The waiver amount varies per program, but Ph.D. students receive a minimum of CAD 24,504 or $19,520.
This award, however, will vary based on the scholar’s academic record. The greatest amount is frequently awarded to those who were admitted at the master’s level.
In contrast, IMSA grantees receive less money, at CAD 2,570/$2,050 per term.
IMSA accepts students with a Canadian study visa.
Similarly, they should be enrolled in an MA, MFA, MES, MMATH, MSC, or MSC program at the university.
IMSA and IDSA scholars, like most Ontario scholarship recipients, will be ineligible if they receive any other form of financial help.
5. Global Leadership Award
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Scholarship Amount: CAD 18,000/$14,335 a year for four years
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Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s degree at Ontario Tech
Ontario Tech, formerly known as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, is a public educational institution located in Oshawa.
As the name implies, it provides engineering and computer-related courses. The university ranks third and fourth nationally in these programs.
Ontario Tech provides a variety of scholarships for overseas students, the most prestigious of which is the Global Leadership Award.
It is an application-based bursary awarded to promising undergraduate students from outside Canada.
The fund, valued at CAD 18,000/$14,335 per year for four years, is a competitive scholarship. As a result, it is given to brilliant applicants who display exceptional academic and leadership abilities.
To be eligible for this Ontario scholarship, the candidate must have never attended a post-secondary institution before.
Additionally, the student should aim to take at least 80 courses per semester.
Global Leadership scholars, like recipients of most other scholarships, should not hold any other cash awards.