While preparing to study in Canada, also keep in mind that the costs are a bit high. That is quite justified by the global recognition of not just the programs, but also the certifications obtained at the end of studies.
It is possible to get some financial aid for pursuing graduate and undergraduate programs in Canada. But what many don’t know is the possibility of getting access to tuition-free universities in Canada. That is what you will find out in this article.
What is a Tuition-Free University?
In the real sense of the word, there is hardly a university that waives tuition fees for its students. However, they are willing to offer a varying range of financial aid, including scholarships, awards and bursaries. Some of these are fully funded, hence, the consideration that these schools make education free.
Which Universities are Tuition-Free in Canada?
Simon Fraser University, University of Toronto, Concordia University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology are some schools that offer scholarships and other financial aid. University of Calgary, Carleton University, Saint Mary’s University, University of Waterloo and The University of British Columbia also make the list.
Continue reading to learn more about the scholarship and award opportunities that will help you save a lot of money on tuition fees.
1. The University of Manitoba
Located in Winnipeg in the Canadian province of Manitoba is The University of Manitoba. The school offers a plethora of financial aid, including scholarships and bursaries. The sum of $35 million is allocated annually towards helping indigenous and international students offset some of their tuition and related fees.
Statistics of Financial Aids
In addition to earmarking an annual $35 million for financial aid for its students, The University of Manitoba also has a yearly value of $14 million worth of bursaries. The school has been able to fund the education of over 1,600 first-year scholars who benefit from the entrance scholarships each year. Over 2,800 awards are available for suitably qualified applicants.
Value of the Scholarships
Financial aid, in the form of scholarships and bursaries, is issued to both indigenous and foreign students.
For international students, the following are some of the scholarships:
- International Undergraduate Student Entrance Scholarships are valued at $1,000 for international students with up to 85% of the high school grade average. Those with a grade up to 95% receive $3,000.
- International Undergraduate Student Scholarships
Indigenous or Canadian students also receive a range of financial aid opportunities from The University of Manitoba:
- Jack Armstrong Memorial Bursary is valued at one bursary for one full-time indigenous student enrolled in any year of study in the Undergraduate Medical Education Program.
- BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarships: $16,000 ($4,000 each year for four years of an undergraduate degree).
- Derek Riley Undergraduate Entrance Bursary: $15,000 yearly bursary for an undergraduate student from a First Nations community in Manitoba. The student also needs to be admitted to any of the following: Faculty of Science, I.H. Asper School of Business, University 1 or Faculty of Engineering.
2. The University of British Columbia
No doubt, international students benefit the most from financial aid when studying abroad. Due to the higher fees, coupled with exchange rate conversions, some of these students often have to go to the ends of the earth to afford their tuition fees. However, indigenous or Canadian students also benefit.
The University of British Columbia in the BC province of Canada is one school that offers a “tuition-free” option for students.
On the one hand, international applicants benefit from these financial aids:
- International Scholars Program available for international undergraduate students. Popular categories of the award are the Vantage One Excellence Award, Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, International Impact Award and Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award.
Consideration is subject to meeting the eligibility requirements, including being an international student with a valid study permit and the ability to demonstrate financial need that would likely prevent further studies.
For the indigenous students, the university offers the following scholarships and awards:
- UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards
- Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program
- Schulich Leader Scholarships
- Loran Awards
- Presidential Scholars Awards.
3. University of Calgary
The university of Calgary is located in the heart of Southern Alberta. Both domestic and international students receive their fair share of financial aid, in the form of scholarships, bursaries and awards.
Popular aids are:
- Prestige Awards
- Canadian Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M)
- CIHR Strategic Master’s Award
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS)
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES)
The most rewarding scholarships and awards include:
- University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship valued at $20,000 (renewable). Applicants must be international undergraduates in their first-year program in any faculty in the university.
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) is open to citizens of any country, including Canadians. It is exclusive to applicants of thesis-based programs and is valued at $11,000 to $15,000. In addition to other requirements, applicants need to be residents of the province of Alberta and studying in a post-secondary institution in the same province.
4. Concordia University of Edmonton
You can find up to 60 scholarships and awards at the Concordia University of Edmonton. This school is located in Edmonton and has the value of awards ranging from variable and $26,000.
Scholarships are available to graduate students, and current students and extend to high school and indigenous students. Other categories, including athletes, bursaries and permanent disabilities also apply.
Types of Supported Scholarships
The following are some of the scholarships and awards available at Concordia University of Edmonton:
- Alberta Athletic Award: $1,800
- Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship (GSS): $26,000
- Arun Passi Memorial Scholarship for Studies in Education: $5,000
- Bridge Prize National Short Story Award: $7,500
- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship: $7,500
- Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS M) – Masters Program: $17,500
- University Entrance Scholarship has a variable value, offering up to $20,000 over 4 years to high school students who present a minimum award average of 95% or higher.
- The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award is valued at $28,000.
5. Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a public research university domiciled in the British Columbia province of Canada. It has three (3) campuses, one each in Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby (the main campus).
It is also one of the “tuition-free universities in Canada,” owing to the variety of financial aid provisioned for both graduate and undergraduate students. Indigenous students, single parents, and mature and disabled students are also considered.
These are some of the popular scholarships and awards at the Simon Fraser University:
- Sameh Magid Memorial Scholarship for Burnaby Secondary School Graduates: $10,000.
- William Roy Kuzenko & Jannette Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship: $8,000 granted annually to undergraduate students who meet the criteria, including pursuing a degree in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.
- Beedie Family Women in Finance Award valued at $10,000.
- Coast Capital Rudy Nielsen Award valued at $5,000 annually.
- EA Dick Asher Award in the Faculty of Applied Sciences: one award valued at $10,000 annually.
6. Carleton University
Located in Ottawa, Ontario, Carleton University helps domestic/indigenous and foreign/international students get quality education across different facets of study with relevant financial support.
Types of Scholarships at Carleton University
There is the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funded by both the provincial and federal governments to help post-secondary students study in the country. Both full-time and part-time students receive this funding to cover between 20% and 100% course load.
Awards are also available for international students, indigenous students, and students with disabilities. Examples are:
- Davidson Dunton Scholarship
- AEE Canada East Founders Scholarship
- Abel Mengistab Memorial Scholarship
- Andras Memorial Award
- Abraham and Mary Shaffer Bursary
7. University of Toronto
As one of the most prestigious universities in Canada, the University of Toronto has joined the list of tuition-free universities in Canada. Eligible high school students, including international students, stand a chance of being among the qualifiers for over 5,700 admission awards valued at $36 million annually.
Scholarship Types
The University of Toronto is known for the admission awards, which are targeted at newly admitted students entering the institution in year one of their undergraduate studies.
Popular admission awards issued are:
- President’s Scholars of Excellence Program
- National Scholarship
- U of T Mississauga Guaranteed Entrance Scholarship
- University of Toronto Scholars Program
- Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
- U of T Scarborough Entrance Scholarships
8. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is located in Calgary. Students who enrolled as apprentices, on a continuous or full-time study stand a chance to benefit from the thousands of scholarships, bursaries and awards offered here.
Award Categories
SAT has over 4,300 awards cutting across the following categories:
- Government Funded: the provincial government of Alberta funds these awards.
- Entrance: these awards are for first-year students at the school and are available for students starting a program in Fall, Winter or Spring.
- School-specific: these awards are limited to specific programs and academic schools at the institute.
- General: any awards not linked to a specific academic school are considered general.
Awards and Values
The following are some of the bursaries, scholarships and awards available to students at SAIT:
- Bissett Scholars: cost of tuition and mandatory fees.
- Betty Brooker Building Futures: $5,000
- Alexandra Bursary: $5,000
- Alberta Advanced Education and Technology: $5,000
- Alan Rach Memorial Award in Journalism: $2,000
9. Concordia University
Concordia university is willing to help international and domestic students offset some of their tuition and related fees based on “needs.” For example, there is the Scholarship offered based on academic needs and the Awards, which are application-based funding. Applicants for bursaries need to do that based on financial need. These funding opportunities are open to both undergraduate and graduate studies applicants.
Categories of Funding
Entrance Scholarships are offered to newly admitted students enrolling for full-time studies at Concordia University. While automatic assessment is possible, undergrads will also be subject to a thorough check on their academic excellence to ascertain eligibility.
Graduate Student Scholarships are available to domestic and international graduate students. Funding opportunities range from federal and provincial governments, funding from Concordia University, as well as private donors.
In-course scholarships are offered to students who can come tops of the class, with a higher GPA in the fall semester.
10. McGill University
Mcgill University is one Canadian university that is generous in the real sense of the word, as it relates to offering funding opportunities to students. Applicants to graduate and undergraduate study programs get funded, just as their counterparts in postdoctoral programs.
Categories of Scholarships
McGill University’s need-based Entrance Bursary Program is non-repayable and looks to reward 640 newly accepted undergraduates who need urgent financial help to fund their education. While the rewards may vary by the student’s residence, international students tend to get up to $14,000 worth of funding. Shortlisted undergrads in Quebec and out-of-province Canadian students get up to $3,600 and $7,000 respectively.
In-course financial aid is also available for current undergrads at the university. Up to 1,200 undergraduate students with financial needs benefit. For example, Canadian and Quebec students receive the most awards, with an average amount of $3,775. International and US students receive an average of $8,450 worth of in-course financial aid.
Read: How to Apply for Scholarship in Canada For International Student
What to Know About Tuition-Free Universities in Canada
These schools provide financial aid in the form of bursaries, scholarships and awards. Indigenous/domestic students, as well as international students, benefit from this benevolence.
However, this doesn’t mean that your tuition is waived. Rather, the funding provided by any of the aforementioned means is to help you offset most of the study-related bills. Except you have a fully-funded scholarship, it may be impossible to pay off your tuition at once.
Conclusion
Getting a fully-funded scholarship is a major way to pay off your tuition faster and settle down to commence learning in Canada. If you are unable to get one, do well to apply for scholarships, bursaries and awards that promise to offset the tuition. That way, you will have less financial burden to bear, provided the criteria for the funding are met.