Named after Ontario, the same-named province is Canada’s most populous area. It is the location of the capital, Ottawa – and the home of more than 38% of Canadian residents.

This density has made Ontario a hotbed of higher education institutions. After all, the province plays host to 22 public universities, 24 public colleges, and 17 private religious universities.

The wide range of educational options – and the widespread usage of the English language – make Ontario a favorite destination amongst foreigners. In fact, it has the greatest number of international students at 223,000+.

Given this vast number of foreign enrollees, it’s not surprising that there are many scholarships in Ontario available for international students.

Best Scholarships in Ontario

1. Ontario Trillium Scholarship

  • Scholarship Link
  • 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 entrance award given to full-time Ph.D. students who hold a Canadian study permit. It has a value of CAD 40,000/$31,860, which is funded by both the Government of Ontario and the participating university. The funding given by the latter may come in the form of a monetary scholarship or teaching/research assistantships.

To qualify for this scholarship in Ontario, the applicant must have a first-class average (the equivalent of A) in the two years of study before the doctorate program.

Should the scholar become a permanent resident of Canada during their studies, they will be required to pay the amount sponsored by the university.

Students who are currently studying in an Ontario institution will not be eligible for the award. Likewise, students who hold other scholarships will be deemed ineligible as well.

The participating universities will carry out the selection process. They will be in charge of picking the awardees from their pool of top-ranked nominees.

2. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program

  • Scholarship Link
  • 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 offered to foreign graduate students who wish to study in participating provincial institutions. Like the Trillium scholarship, the government will shoulder 2/3 of the amount while the institution will cover the remaining fees.

OGS can be issued for a minimum of one academic year. On the other end, it is offered for a maximum of two years for Master’s students and four years for Ph.D. students.

That said, applicants who wish to apply for the OGS program must be enrolled in a full-time Master’s/Ph.D. program for at least two years.

Expectedly, the student should be admitted to any of the participating universities in Ontario. This is where they’ll need to course their application packets in the first place.

Scholars will be awarded according to the university’s selection process and requirements.

3. University of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: Full tuition
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Toronto (U of T)

U of T, founded in 1827, is Canada’s top-ranked university. A global leader in teaching and research, it continues to attract talented foreigners through its various scholarships. One of these is the Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship.

Named after the former Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the scholarship is given to accomplished students who are recognized as leaders in their schools. It covers the full tuition, apart from the cost of incidental fees, study materials, and accommodation.

To be eligible for this Ontario scholarship program, the international student must be currently enrolled in secondary school. Despite this ruling, new graduates will be considered as well.

Unlike other scholarships, students may not apply for themselves. Their respective schools need to nominate them to be included in the pool.

Likewise, the scholarship will only be given to students who have listed U of T as their first choice in the application.

Results are released end of April every year.

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 institution based in Waterloo, Ontario. Founded in 1959, it is one of the local universities that offer various scholarships for foreign graduate students.

The International Master’s (IMSA) and Doctoral (IDSA) Students Awards are included in the list of Ontario scholarships for international students.

The waiver amount is based on the program, with Ph.D. students getting a minimum of CAD 24,504/$19,520. This bursary, however, will vary according to the scholar’s educational record. The highest amount is often granted to those who were admitted from a Master’s level.

The funding for IMSA awardees, on the other hand, is lower at CAD 2,570/$2,050 per term.

IMSA is open to students with a Canadian study visa. Likewise, they should be pursuing a MA, MFA, MES, MMATH, MSC, or MSC program at the University.

As with most Ontario scholarships, IMSA and IDSA scholars will be held ineligible if they are receiving financial assistance of another kind.

5. Global Leadership Award

  • Scholarship Link
  • Scholarship Amount: CAD 18,000/$14,335 a year for four years
  • Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s degree at Ontario Tech

Ontario Tech, formally known as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, is a public educational institution based in Oshawa. As the name suggests, it offers Engineering and Computer-related courses. For these programs, the university is nationally ranked third and fourth, respectively.

Ontario Tech offers various scholarships for foreigners, the most prestigious of which is the Global Leadership Award. It’s an application-based bursary granted to promising undergraduate students from outside Canada.

The fund, worth CAD 18,000/$14,335 a year for four years, is a competitive type of scholarship. As such, it is awarded to talented applicants who demonstrate strong academic and leadership skills.

To be eligible for this Ontario scholarship, the applicant must not have attended a post-secondary institution previously. Additionally, the student should plan to take a minimum of 80-course loads per term.

As with most awards, Global Leadership scholars should not hold another form of financial award.

 

We hope that this article on Ontario Scholarships was helpful. To know more information on studying abroad, check out the Canada Programs for International Students.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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