Funding guide · updated 2026-09-04
A scholarship figure means nothing until you set it against what the year actually costs. These are median annual fees — over the programmes billed per year — from the 15,086 Canada programmes in the Global Admissions catalogue, not survey estimates.
Source: Global Admissions programme catalogue, 2026-09-04. Tuition is the published international fee and excludes living costs, which a tuition-only award does not cover.
Funded by a national government or its agencies. These carry the largest budgets and the earliest deadlines, and some require you to return home for a set period after graduating.
Canada·GovernmentFonds de recherche du Quebec (FRQ)
CAD 20,000-35,000/yr plus foreign-tuition exemption and RAMQ health coverage in Quebec
Canada·GovernmentGovernment of Ontario
Worth $15,000 a year for master's and PhD students at Ontario universities, based on merit.
Canada·GovernmentGovernment of Canada through Global Affairs Canada
Partial grant of CAD $10,200-15,900 covering airfare, visa, insurance and living costs.
Administered by the institution itself and usually assessed alongside your admission application, so you apply to the programme first.
Canada·UniversityUniversity of Toronto
Full Tuition
Canada·UniversityUniversity of Waterloo
Tuition waiver
Canada·UniversityUniversity of British Columbia (UBC)
CAD $10,000-25,000 a year, renewable up to 4 years (up to $100,000 total).
Funded by a foundation, company or non-profit. Eligibility is often narrower — a nationality, a field, or a background — which makes competition lighter if you fit.
Canada·PrivateMcCall MacBain Foundation
Full Ride
United States·PrivateJ. N. Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians
INR 2,000,000
Argentina·PrivateTechint Group (Roberto Rocca Education Program)
Engineering scholarships plus 12-15 PhD fellowships a year covering tuition, fees and living costs.
India·PrivateNarotam Sekhsaria Foundation
Repayable interest-free financial assistance, with repayment beginning one year after course completion
Funded by a foundation, company or non-profit. Eligibility is often narrower — a nationality, a field, or a background — which makes competition lighter if you fit.
Canada·NGOPierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Up to $50,000/year stipend plus $20,000/year travel allowance, for up to three years.
United States·NGOMargaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG)
One-time grants for women from developing countries; up to US$15,000 (US-Canada), US$7,000 (S.Africa/Latin Ame
Canada·NGOMastercard Foundation
Not stated on the official homepage fetched.
Canada·NGOMastercard Foundation
Full financial assistance covering travel to Canada, passport/visa fees, tuition, housing, food stipend, health insurance, and learning materials (per official page).
Canada·NGOMastercard Foundation, in partnership with McGill University
Not itemized on the Mastercard Foundation's own listing page; application fees are reimbursed for students selected into the Program. Full financial terms are on McGill's own site.
Studying in Canada requires a clear financial plan. You will find 7,507 programs available with a broad price spectrum. Your annual tuition can range from USD 91 to USD 79,004. The average cost for international students sits at USD 13,603 per year. If you choose a college diploma, expect to pay between CAD 15,000 and CAD 22,000. Bachelor's degrees typically cost between CAD 20,000 and CAD 45,000 annually. Research based Master's and PhD programs are often the most affordable options, with some fees as low as CAD 7,000. Calculate your total costs by adding mandatory health insurance and student fees to these base rates.
Monthly Living Expenses
Your budget depends heavily on your city. Total annual costs including housing and food usually range from CAD 35,000 to CAD 60,000. Rent is your largest expense. You can save money by choosing a mid-tier university in a smaller province. For example, a computer science degree at the University of Manitoba costs approximately CAD 20,000 per year, while the same degree at the University of Toronto can exceed CAD 60,000. Use university cost calculators to see specific rates for on-campus housing versus private rentals.
Work and Funding Options
You can reduce your out of pocket costs through part-time work and scholarships. Many research students receive funding through teaching assistant (TA) positions. Canada also offers a post-graduation work permit which allows you to earn a competitive salary after finishing your studies. You should check for university-specific scholarships early, as these often have deadlines months before the semester starts. Some programs even offer free tuition for specific research paths or through high-value awards. Compare the total cost of your chosen program against the average salary for that field in Canada to see your potential return on investment.
The Bottom Line
Canada is often more affordable than the US or UK, especially when you factor in the lower tuition at mid-tier institutions and the strength of the Canadian dollar. While top-tier programs in Toronto or Vancouver match global price peaks, many accredited options exist for under USD 20,000. Check the specific tuition for your top three program choices to build a realistic budget.
Studying in Canada offers access to 121 universities with tuition fees ranging from USD 91 to USD 79,004. While the average tuition is USD 13,603, several financial aid programs can lower these costs. You should focus on these government, university, and private funding options for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Government & National ScholarshipsProvider: Global Affairs Canada
Value: Up to CAD 10,200 for 4 months or CAD 12,700 for 5 to 6 months.
Eligibility: You must be a full time student from eligible countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or the Americas. You must apply through a Canadian institution that has a valid exchange agreement with your home school.
Provider: Government of Canada
Value: Between CAD 8,200 and CAD 11,100 depending on the level and duration of study.
Eligibility: You must be a citizen of an eligible country in Latin America or the Caribbean. You must be enrolled in a post secondary institution in your home country and wish to conduct a short term exchange or research in Canada.
Value: CAD 1,500 to CAD 2,500.
Eligibility: These are partial merit based awards for international students entering their first year of full time undergraduate study. You need a minimum 80 percent admission average to qualify.
Value: Up to CAD 20,000 (distributed over four years).
Eligibility: You must be an international student entering KPU for the first time. Selection is based on academic excellence, community involvement, and leadership skills.
Value: Varies from CAD 1,000 to CAD 2,500.
Eligibility: You must be a full time international student at the Moose Jaw or other campuses. Awards are based on academic achievement or financial need after you complete your first semester.
Provider: UK Government
Value: Fully funded including tuition, monthly stipend, and travel costs.
Eligibility: While Chevening mostly funds study in the UK, specific partnerships occasionally support Canadian research links for future leaders. You must demonstrate leadership potential and strong academic backgrounds.
Our partner institutions provide specific aid for international applicants. Burman University offers entrance awards based on your high school GPA. Fleming College provides several CAD 1,000 scholarships for new international students who demonstrate high academic standing. These are partial scholarships that help reduce your first year tuition costs.
Application TipsDeadlines for Canadian scholarships often fall between January and March for the September intake. You should prepare your documents at least six months in advance. Most applications require your official transcripts, a valid passport, and a statement of purpose. To strengthen your application, highlight your volunteer work and leadership roles. Many Canadian committees value community impact as much as high grades. Check each university portal weekly because new bursaries often open during the summer months.
More on living costs, visas and admissions in the full Canada study guide.
Global Admissions lists 15 scholarships open to international students studying in Canada. 2 of them cover tuition in full, and 2 pay a living stipend on top.
Yes. 2 of the 15 awards listed for Canada are recorded as covering full tuition or as a full ride including living costs. Fully funded awards are the most competitive category, and most require you to hold or be applying for admission to a specific university before you apply for the money.
3 government-funded awards appear on this page, including Quebec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students (FRQ-PBEEE) 2026, Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) 2026-2027, Canada-ASEAN Scholarships (SEED-2) 2026-2027. Government programmes usually carry the largest budgets and the earliest deadlines, and several attach a condition to return home for a set period after graduating.
Across the 15,086 programmes at 130 institutions in Canada in the Global Admissions catalogue, a master's degree has a median listed tuition of US$12,950 a year, with the middle half of programmes falling between US$7,990 and US$20,145. Living costs sit on top of that and are not covered by a tuition-only award.
Yes — 3 of the 15 awards listed for Canada are funded by the institution rather than by a government or foundation. University awards are typically smaller than national programmes but far less competitive, they are often assessed automatically from your admission application, and many can be combined with an external scholarship.
It depends on the award. University-administered scholarships in Canada are usually assessed alongside or after your admission application, so you apply to the programme first. Government and foundation programmes vary: some require proof of admission at the point of application, others issue a conditional award you then take to a university. Each award page on Global Admissions records which applies.
5 of the 15 awards listed here are limited to citizens of particular countries, often through a development or bilateral agreement. The remaining 10 carry no nationality restriction that we could verify, which usually means they are open to any international applicant who meets the academic criteria.
Award details are compiled from each funder's own published material and refreshed weekly; tuition figures come from the Global Admissions programme catalogue as of 2026-09-04. Always confirm deadlines and eligibility on the funder's site before applying.
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