If you need a scholarship to study in Canada, start with the specific master’s or PhD program you want to enter. Find out whether it funds international students, how much it commits in writing, and which costs you must cover yourself. Then check whether you qualify for additional university or external awards. This order matters when you have limited money for applications. It helps you spend on programs that you can realistically attend if admitted.
For a Nigerian or other African applicant, the most useful question is “Can I afford to accept this offer?” A tuition award can leave you with rent, food, and travel to pay. A large PhD funding package can include paid teaching or research work and still leave tuition on your student account. A competitive master’s scholarship may help substantially while covering only part of the degree.
The examples below show how to compare those arrangements. Amounts are in Canadian dollars. The dated application example is for September 2027 entry, with deadlines beginning in December 2026.
What kind of graduate funding should you look for first?
Start by matching the funding structure to the degree you want and the work you want to do. A scholarship that makes sense for a research student may be unavailable to someone applying for a professional program with a different structure. Read the program’s degree requirements and funding page together.
| Your situation | What to look for first | What to confirm before paying an application fee |
|---|---|---|
| You want a master’s built around a research project | Thesis-based programs with documented departmental support and international master’s awards | Whether funding is available in your exact stream and whether it continues into a second year |
| You want a professional or course-based master’s | Entrance awards, tuition scholarships and program-specific funding | What you would pay and whether you can attend if you receive no award |
| You want a PhD and need several years of support | Written minimum funding policies and department-level offers | The guaranteed amount, years covered, tuition treatment and any work included |
| You have a narrow research interest | Departments with relevant supervisors and a clear process for funding students | Whether you need to contact a supervisor before applying and whether their interest comes with a funding commitment |
| You can only attend with substantial funding | Programs with published funding commitments and separate scholarships you are eligible to pursue | Whether the funding decision will arrive before any non-refundable acceptance payment |
You can use more than one funding route for the same application. For example, you could apply to a research master’s with a departmental funding policy and ask whether the faculty automatically considers eligible applicants for an entrance award. Keep the two amounts separate until the university confirms how they interact. If a competitive award would replace some departmental funding, adding the two advertised amounts could overstate what you would receive.
Compare real graduate funding options in Canada
These two university examples answer different questions. Waterloo’s award shows how a university can help selected international research master’s students. UBC Vancouver’s policy shows what a published PhD funding minimum looks like. Check the funding terms for your own institution and degree before using either figure in your budget.
| Funding example | Who it applies to | Published funding | What to check in your offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Waterloo International Master’s Award of Excellence | Selected international research master’s students who meet the award criteria | CAD $2,500 per term for up to five terms. Faculties nominate eligible students. | Whether your faculty will consider you, how many terms your offer covers, and whether the award is in addition to other funding |
| UBC Vancouver minimum PhD funding | Full-time UBC Vancouver PhD students, including international students, within the policy’s covered years | At least CAD $40,000 per year for each of the first four years, effective September 2026. The package may combine awards and paid assistantships. | Which amounts are scholarships or employment, whether tuition and fees come out of the total, and what happens after year four |
What Waterloo’s international master’s award can cover
At the published rate, five funded terms would add up to CAD $12,500. That figure assumes you receive the award for the maximum duration. Use the duration actually confirmed for you when comparing offers. Waterloo Engineering describes the award as going to a limited number of selected international research master’s students through faculty nomination. It also says academic excellence is assessed through the graduate admission application. Read Waterloo’s international graduate funding guidance.
Suppose you are comparing two research master’s programs. Program A has a competitive tuition award on its website and gives you no guaranteed support in writing. Program B confirms a smaller amount in your admission offer and gives you a clear payment schedule. If you need funding to enrol, Program B gives you a firmer basis for budgeting. You can still apply for Program A if you know how you would handle admission without the award.
Ask the department a specific question: “If I’m admitted as an international research master’s student, what funding is guaranteed in the offer, and which awards would I only be considered for?” This gets you closer to the figure you can budget with than asking whether the university has scholarships for international students.
What UBC’s PhD minimum means for your budget
UBC’s policy establishes a funding floor for covered full-time PhD students at its Vancouver campus. The university says the package can include internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, or graduate academic assistantships. Ask the program to show you the breakdown. A written amount for years one to four is useful, and a plan for a possible fifth year can affect whether the offer works for you. Read UBC’s minimum PhD funding policy.
You might receive two offers with the same headline amount. One pays a larger share through a fellowship, and the other relies more on assistantship work. The difference matters if your research involves fieldwork, your supervisor expects you to travel, or you are bringing family. Find out what the work involves, how it is assigned, and when you would be paid. Compare what is left after tuition and mandatory fees before deciding whether either offer is affordable.
If you are comparing PhD scholarships for international students in Canada, put a university-wide funding minimum in one column and individual competitive awards in another. A minimum policy can give you a baseline once you are admitted to a covered program. An award you hope to win belongs in a separate budget scenario until it is confirmed.
How to tell whether a scholarship is fully funded
When you search for fully funded scholarships in Canada for international students, look for an award page or offer letter that spells out the coverage. Work through the actual costs in the order they will fall due. Start with tuition and compulsory fees, then look at living expenses and the money you need before the first funding payment arrives.
| Item | What to verify |
|---|---|
| International tuition | Is it paid separately, waived in part, or charged against your funding? |
| Mandatory university fees | Does the package cover them? Check for charges that appear outside the published tuition figure. |
| Living stipend | How much will reach you, how often, and in which months? |
| Teaching or research work | How much of the package depends on completing paid duties? What does the department commit to providing? |
| Summer support | Does funding continue through summer, or should you budget for a period with lower payments? |
| Renewal | How long does support last, and what academic or enrolment conditions apply? |
| Travel and arrival costs | Will you pay your flight, temporary accommodation and initial expenses before receiving any university money? |
| Dependants | Does any amount cover family expenses, or is the package calculated for the student alone? |
Treat full tuition and full funding as separate descriptions when you read university offers. A tuition award may clear your academic bill and leave you responsible for living costs. A funding package with a stipend might help with both, depending on the tuition bill, fees and local costs. Ask for the payment schedule and actual charges before comparing labels.
Funding dates matter as much as totals. If your housing payment is due before your first stipend arrives, you need money available for that payment even if the scholarship is enough to cover the year overall. The same issue can arise with an acceptance deposit, a transcript fee or the cost of travelling to Canada. List those payments separately so you can see what must come out of your own savings first.
A simple funding comparison you can do before accepting
The figures below are illustrative only. They show how a smaller headline amount can leave you with more money after school charges.
| Annual figures | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed annual funding | CAD $35,000 | CAD $29,000 |
| Tuition and mandatory fees still payable | CAD $12,000 | CAD $3,000 |
| Amount remaining before living expenses and any applicable deductions | CAD $23,000 | CAD $26,000 |
| Illustrative living budget | CAD $24,000 | CAD $24,000 |
| Illustrative balance | CAD $1,000 short | CAD $2,000 left |
Use the same categories for every offer. If a university waives tuition directly, enter the amount you actually owe. If it awards money that you must use to pay tuition, enter the funding and the bill separately. That prevents you from counting a waiver twice.
Run the comparison for each year. An offer may be comfortable in year one because of an entrance award and tight in year two when that award ends. If you expect to take longer than the guaranteed funding period, ask the department what options students typically have in that situation and what the department can confirm in advance.
Admission requirements for international master’s and PhD applicants
Start with the university’s rules for the country where you earned your qualifying degree, then open the requirements for the exact program and intake. At UBC, for example, the country requirements are based on where you earned the credentials used for admission. The graduate program can impose requirements beyond the university’s minimum. Check how UBC assesses graduate admission eligibility.
If you earned your degree in Nigeria
UBC’s Nigeria page gives a useful example of why you should check before paying. For master’s entry, it lists a bachelor’s degree with at least four years of study and a minimum of Second Class, Upper Division, or 4 on a 5-point scale. It says the Nigerian Higher National Diploma is unsuitable as the basis for master’s admission at UBC. For doctoral entry, the page lists a master’s degree and the stated minimum grade. For another university, use that institution’s own policy. Read UBC’s graduate admission requirements for Nigerian credentials.
If you hold an HND and a subsequent degree or postgraduate qualification, ask the graduate office to assess the exact combination before submitting a paid application. Name each credential and its awarding institution. A clear question would be: “I hold an HND from [institution] and a [later qualification] from [institution]. Which qualification, if any, would you use to assess eligibility for [program]?” A reply about your actual credentials will help more than a general statement about Nigerian applicants.
Applicants from Ghana, Kenya, South Africa or other countries should apply the same method to their own qualifications. Compare your credential with the program’s published requirements. If a department does not explain how it treats your grading scale, ask whether you should submit the original scale alongside your transcript. Keep the grades in their original form unless the application explicitly asks you to convert them.
Check the English-language rule before paying for a test
UBC says applicants from Nigerian universities usually do not need to submit an English-language proficiency test result. It also says a graduate program can request a test. Confirm the rule for your exact program, particularly if your degree was awarded in a different country or you are using a qualification with a different language of instruction. See UBC’s English-language guidance for Nigerian credentials.
If a test is required, confirm the accepted test, minimum overall and section scores, and deadline for official results. Compare the test cost and the time needed to book it against your application calendar. If you already have results, check whether they will still be accepted for the intake you want. If a waiver might apply, get a written answer before paying for a new booking or assuming you can apply without scores.
Prepare documents for the program and the award separately
Set up two checklists. One is for graduate admission. The other is for scholarship consideration. Some documents can serve both purposes, but the review questions can differ. An admission committee may look for preparation in the discipline. A scholarship committee may ask you to show research potential, leadership or how your work relates to a specific award.
- Transcript and degree certificate. Check whether the program accepts uploaded scans for initial review and when it needs documents directly from your institution.
- Academic CV. Include relevant research, work, publications, technical skills and projects. State what you contributed to each project.
- Statement of purpose. Connect your prior training to the program. Give a specific example of work you want to pursue and explain why the department is a good fit.
- References. Choose people who can describe your work with examples. Send them your CV, the program name and the actual submission date.
- Research proposal or writing sample. Prepare it to the length and format the program specifies. Use evidence of the research skills the department is likely to assess.
- Award-specific materials. Look for separate essays, nomination forms, extra references or statements of financial need on the award page.
An applicant interested in a funded master’s in public health, for instance, could explain how a final-year project led to a specific research question and identify the methods they want to learn. That gives a reviewer something concrete to assess. It can also help a potential supervisor see whether there is a fit. A statement that could be sent to any university gives the reviewer less evidence about why that particular program makes sense.
Graduate scholarship deadlines and how to track them
A deadline advertised for an intake can refer to the online application, the transcripts, the references or the scholarship form. Enter each one separately. If a scholarship requires nomination, also ask about the department’s internal deadline. That is the date you need to plan around if the department must submit your name before the award’s own closing date.
For the September 2027 intake, UBC lists the following dates for international applicants to its MSc in Computer Science. These dates apply to that program. Use the official listing for each other program you shortlist. Check the official UBC MSc in Computer Science listing.
| Requirement | Published deadline |
|---|---|
| Online application | |
| Transcript uploads | |
| References |
That gives you three different tasks. The January reference deadline leaves the December application deadline in place. Ask referees early, submit your own application before the deadline, and check the portal afterwards for receipt of the documents. UBC also says applicants cannot change the online application after submission, so review the program, intake and uploaded materials before sending it. Read UBC’s deadline and submission instructions.
Build your calendar backwards
- Eight weeks before your earliest deadline, check academic eligibility and request transcripts. If your school takes longer to send records, start earlier.
- Six weeks before, ask your referees and share the project or program details you want them to address.
- Four weeks before, confirm whether your chosen programs require language results, a proposal or prior contact with a supervisor. Check scholarship nomination routes and deadlines.
- Two weeks before, complete the portal entries and compare your uploaded files with the checklist. Check your name, degree dates and program selection.
- During the final week, aim to submit early enough to handle payment trouble or a missing document. Save the confirmation and check the portal for outstanding items.
For each closing time, record the time zone shown by the institution. A date alone is an incomplete reminder when you are applying from another country. If the program shows a portal cutoff, set your own earlier deadline. This gives you time to deal with upload limits, a card payment that fails or a referee link that lands in spam.
If the admission date is open but an award deadline has passed, revisit your budget. Ask whether the program offers any separate funding consideration still available for that intake. If the missed award was the only way you could afford the degree, use that information before committing to the admission process.
What to ask a supervisor or graduate coordinator
A short, specific email can resolve questions that a general scholarship page leaves open. Start with the program instructions. If they invite applicants to contact faculty, write to a person whose research relates to yours. If the department handles admissions and funding centrally, direct administrative questions to the graduate coordinator.
For a research inquiry, state your degree background, identify the topic you want to investigate, and mention one connection to the supervisor’s work. Ask whether they expect to consider new graduate students for your intake and how students in that program are funded. Attach a concise CV if appropriate. You can follow up on costs once you know how the department makes funding decisions.
For an offer you already have, ask questions the university can answer in writing.
- How much funding is guaranteed in each year, and what conditions apply?
- Is international tuition paid separately or deducted from the amount shown?
- Which payments depend on teaching or research work?
- When will I receive the first payment, and how are later payments scheduled?
- If I win an external scholarship, will my departmental support change?
If the reply says funding depends on a grant or award that has yet to be confirmed, put that amount in your possible funding column. Use the confirmed amount for your decision. You can reassess after the university sends updated terms.
How to budget from Nigeria before accepting an offer
Build three separate figures. First, calculate what you must pay before departure. Second, estimate what you need before the first funding payment. Third, calculate the full first-year cost after confirmed funding. Those numbers answer different questions and can show you whether an otherwise affordable offer has an early cash gap.
Include application fees and transcript charges in the first figure. For the second, check arrival accommodation, travel to campus, basic household expenses and any university charges due on arrival. For the third, include the tuition balance, university fees and living expenses for the full year. If you expect a scholarship payment to cover a bill, record the dates for both. The payment may arrive after the bill is due.
Keep the university’s figures in Canadian dollars. If you are saving in naira, convert using a dated quote you can actually obtain, including any transfer fees that apply to you. An exchange-rate estimate gives you a planning figure. Your final cost depends on the rate and charges when you pay.
If you are weighing two cities, compare realistic housing costs for your actual situation. A room in shared accommodation and a private apartment have different costs and upfront requirements. Estimate transport from places you could reasonably live and add recurring expenses you expect to pay. Use your own budget before deciding that a stipend will stretch far enough.
Keep the study permit funds check separate
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lists CAD $23,448 in first-year living expenses for a single applicant applying on or after 1 September 2026 to study outside Quebec. That amount excludes tuition and transportation. IRCC lists different amounts when accompanying family members are included, and Quebec has its own financial requirements. Check the official table again when preparing your application because the figures can change. See IRCC’s current proof of financial support requirements.
Use the funding letter to see which costs the university confirms it will cover and when the money is available. Then check the applicable IRCC document requirements for showing financial support. A scholarship budget helps you decide whether you can afford the degree. The study permit requirements determine what financial evidence you need for that separate application. Review IRCC’s examples of financial documents.
How to shortlist programs when you can only pay for a few applications
Start with programs that match your academic background and publish enough funding information for you to make a decision. You can keep an initial list of eight or ten and reduce it before paying. Divide your shortlist into three groups.
- Programs you can afford with the funding they document. Prioritise the ones where your academic background and research interests also fit.
- Programs you could afford if you win a named award. Record the award deadline, eligibility and when the decision is expected. Decide whether the application fee is worth that uncertainty.
- Programs with a substantial funding gap. Set these aside while you work through options you are more likely to afford.
Score your academic fit separately from affordability. A generous funding policy gives you a reason to investigate a program, and a close research match gives you a reason to apply. If either side is weak, use the time to find another program or ask a question that could change your decision.
When comparing admission chances, remember that meeting the minimum grades establishes only part of your eligibility. UBC distinguishes between meeting minimum requirements and being admitted to a competitive program. Look at program-specific prerequisites and whether your work shows the skills the department asks for. Read UBC’s guidance on university minimums and program requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for graduate scholarships before receiving admission?
Check how each award accepts applicants. Waterloo’s International Master’s Award of Excellence is an example where faculties nominate eligible students using evidence from the graduate admission application. If another award has a separate application, follow that award’s published order and deadlines. Put the process beside the award name in your shortlist so you know whether you must submit anything yourself. See Waterloo’s graduate award nomination details.
Can I get a scholarship without already living in Canada?
Start with funding that explicitly includes international students, and then check when the eligibility conditions must be met. UBC’s Vancouver PhD policy includes international students who enrol in covered full-time programs. Waterloo’s example specifically targets selected international research master’s students. For other awards, verify citizenship, residency and enrolment conditions individually. See UBC’s PhD funding eligibility. See Waterloo’s international graduate funding options.
Should I choose a master’s or PhD if my main concern is funding?
Choose the degree that matches your preparation and goals, then compare funded options within that degree. A research master’s may suit someone who wants to develop a research proposal and strengthen their preparation. A PhD makes sense when you are ready to commit to sustained research in a field. Applying to a PhD solely because the headline funding is higher can leave you with a degree and a workload that do not fit your plans.
Can I use a scholarship offer to decide how much money to save?
Yes. Use the written terms to subtract confirmed coverage from the bills you expect to pay. Then set aside the amount needed before funding arrives. If your package includes an award, paid duties and a tuition waiver, record each as a separate line. This makes it easier to see what happens if one component starts later or ends earlier than expected.
How do I know whether a scholarship website is giving me current information?
Follow the listing to the university or award administrator and confirm the intake, eligibility, deadline and application route there. If a third-party listing advertises a fully funded scholarship but the official page gives a different amount, use the official terms and ask the administrator about any ambiguity. When the next cycle has yet to be posted, you can prepare your documents while leaving the deadline marked as unconfirmed.
What should I do if I receive admission without funding?
Ask whether your funding decision is still pending and when it will be issued. Request the international tuition and fee schedule, and check the date by which you must accept. Calculate the cost using the confirmed funding amount, even if that amount is zero. If you need a scholarship to attend, get the financial terms before paying a non-refundable deposit.
Your next step
Choose one degree type and one intake. Open the official pages for three programs that fit your qualifications and write down the international tuition, confirmed funding, scholarship process, application deadline and referee deadline for each. Where the page is unclear, ask the department the exact question that affects your decision.
When offers arrive, compare what you will actually have left after tuition and fees, how long that funding lasts, and what you must pay before it arrives. Those figures will tell you which offer you can afford to accept.
