Scholarships in Canada for Indian Students: The Verified 2026 List

Scholarships in Canada for Indian Students
Scholarships in Canada for Indian Students

The most valuable scholarships in Canada for Indian students are university entrance awards. The single richest is the University of Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, which for September 2026 undergraduate entry covers tuition, books, incidental fees, and full residence support for four years (University of Toronto, Lester B Pearson International Student Scholarships). That award is exceptional, not the norm. So this 2026 list does what most pages skip: it tells you which awards Indian internationals can actually win, which government schemes quietly exclude you, and the funding gap a scholarship will not close. Every figure below was checked against the official source on 2 June 2026.

Written by
Mavya Kunapareddy
Country Head-Canada
Canada head with 6 years of experience and guided over 600 students
89% Visa Success Rate
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience
Last updated on 10 Jun 2026

Avoid outdated lists. Vanier, Banting, and the Ontario Trillium Scholarship are NOT current application routes for new Indian students in 2026. NSERC confirms Vanier and Banting ran their final competition cycles in 2025, and the University of Guelph confirms Ontario Trillium has not been offered to new students since 2018. If a "top scholarships" page still lists any of them as open, treat the rest of that page as out of date too. Confirm every award on its official university or NSERC page before you apply.

Best scholarships in Canada for Indian students in 2026 (verified):

  • University of Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship (undergraduate, full-cost)
  • University of Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship
  • UBC International Major Entrance Scholarship and Outstanding International Student award
  • University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship
  • York University automatic international entrance scholarships
  • University of Alberta international entrance scholarships
  • McGill entrance scholarships
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF)
  • Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Doctoral (CGRS-D)
  • Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute grants (research and mobility)

Key Takeaways

  • The U of T Pearson is the only true full-cost undergraduate award here; most others are partial, from CAD 2,500 to CAD 37,500.
  • The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Master’s (CAD 27,000) is closed to Indian internationals; only citizens, PR holders, and Protected Persons qualify.
  • The doctoral version (CGRS-D, CAD 40,000/year) reserves up to 15 percent of awards for international applicants.
  • Vanier, Banting, and the Ontario Trillium Scholarship are no longer open to new students: treat any page listing them as outdated.
  • A scholarship does not reduce the CAD 22,895 living-expense proof of funds your study permit needs.
  • U of T has given CAD 63 million in merit scholarships to 707 Indian undergraduates since 2020, with 274 more (about CAD 25 million) this cycle.
Table of Contents
At a glance: the Canada scholarships worth applying for in 2026 Scroll here ↓ Undergraduate entrance scholarships: where Indian applicants win the most Scroll here ↓ Master’s funding for Indian students: the eligibility trap nobody flags Scroll here ↓ PhD and postdoctoral funding: what replaced Vanier in 2025 Scroll here ↓ Scholarships that no longer exist: Vanier, Banting and Trillium Scroll here ↓ India-specific and bilateral funding routes for Indian families Scroll here ↓ The honest funding gap: what a Canada scholarship will not cover Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

All INR conversions use the live Google-published rate captured on 2026-06-02: CAD 1 ≈ ₹68.79. Rates fluctuate intraday; figures are indicative.

At a glance: the Canada scholarships worth applying for in 2026

The Canada scholarships for Indian students worth a serious application are a small set of university entrance and graduate awards. For 2026/2027 undergraduate entry, the University of British Columbia International Major Entrance Scholarship is worth CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000 per year for international students on a study permit (University of British Columbia, Scholarships and awards for international students). Eligibility, not headline value, decides where an Indian applicant should spend effort.

Before you fall in love with a big number, check one column: can an Indian international student actually win it, and is it automatic or a separate application? Those two filters separate this list from most search results. We’ve built the table below around them, because every year families come to us excited about an award they were never eligible for. Here are the scholarships in Canada for Indian students that pass the eligibility test, sorted by study level. If you’re still mapping the whole journey, our study in Canada guide shows how funding sits alongside admissions and the study permit.

ScholarshipLevelValue (CAD / INR)Indian intl eligible?ApplyCycleOfficial source
U of T Lester B. PearsonUndergraduateFull tuition + residence, 4 yrsYesSchool nominationSept 2026University of Toronto
UBC International Major Entrance (IMES)UndergraduateCAD 10,000-25,000/yr (approx INR 6.9-17.2 lakh)YesAutomatic (apply by admission deadline)2026/2027UBC
UBC Outstanding Intl Student (OIS)UndergraduateCAD 10,000-25,000 one-time (approx INR 6.9-17.2 lakh)YesAutomatic (apply by admission deadline)2025/2026UBC
U of Calgary International EntranceUndergraduateCAD 20,000 renewable (approx INR 13.8 lakh)YesSeparateFall 2026University of Calgary
Waterloo Intl EntranceUndergraduateCAD 10,000 (approx INR 6.9 lakh)YesAutomaticSept 2026University of Waterloo
York automatic entranceUndergraduateCAD 2,500-37,500 (approx INR 1.7-25.8 lakh)YesAutomaticFall 2026York University
McGill Major EntranceUndergraduateUp to CAD 10,000/yr for intl (approx INR 6.9 lakh); CAD 12,000/yr tier citizens/PR onlyPartialAssessed at admission2026McGill
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)Master’s/PhDCAD 10,000-15,000 (approx INR 6.9-10.3 lakh)Limited (study-permit quota)Separate2026-27U of T SGS
U of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF)Master’s/PhDMaster’s CAD 20,000/yr; PhD CAD 25,000/yr (approx INR 13.8 / 17.2 lakh per yr)Yes (all citizenships)Dept nomination2026University of Manitoba
CGRS – DoctoralPhDCAD 40,000/yr (approx INR 27.5 lakh)Limited (up to 15% international)SeparateFrom Fall 2025NSERC
CGRS – Master’sMaster’sCAD 27,000 (approx INR 18.6 lakh)No – citizens/PR/Protected onlySeparate2025-26NSERC

Undergraduate entrance scholarships: where Indian applicants win the most

Undergraduate scholarships in Canada are the strongest route for Indian applicants because major universities award them on academic merit at the point of admission. For students starting in September 2026, the University of Waterloo automatically gives international first-year students a CAD 10,000 (about INR 6.9 lakh) International Student Entrance Scholarship (University of Waterloo, Scholarships for international students). No separate competition is required for automatic awards.

If you’re a parent reading this for your child, here’s the short version: the undergraduate stage is where Indian families see the best odds. A strong Class 12 record from a CBSE or state board, backed by a clean academic file, opens these doors. Several of these Canada university scholarships for international students are awarded with the admission letter, so there’s no extra form to chase. Want to know which courses open the door to the largest awards? Our guide to courses in Canada after Class 12 maps programmes to the universities below.

Most entry awards are tied to specific institutions. Lining your shortlist up against the universities in Canada that offer them helps you match a school to your scholarship target. The richest single award is the Pearson, a full-cost entrance scholarship in Canada requiring a school nomination. Below it, the cleanest international-eligible awards are these four headline numbers.

CAD 10,000

Waterloo Intl Entrance, automatic (approx INR 6.9 lakh) University of Waterloo, 2026

CAD 10,000-25,000

UBC IMES, per year renewable (approx INR 6.9-17.2 lakh) UBC, 2026/2027

CAD 20,000

U of Calgary Intl Entrance, renewable (approx INR 13.8 lakh) University of Calgary, 2026

Up to CAD 37,500

York automatic entrance (approx INR 25.8 lakh) York University, 2026

A few specifics worth knowing. For 2026/2027 entry, UBC’s renewable International Major Entrance Scholarship is worth CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000 per year for international students on a study permit. You’re considered automatically when you apply by the admission deadline. Its Outstanding International Student award is a one-time grant in the same range. For the fall 2026 term, the University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship pays CAD 20,000 and renews each year. And for Fall 2026, York University considers every international applicant automatically for entrance awards from CAD 2,500 to CAD 37,500, with no separate application. The University of Alberta runs its own international entrance scholarships too, though those values shift each cycle.

A quick note on McGill, because the eligibility footnote trips families up. For 2026 undergraduate entry, McGill offers a one-year entrance scholarship of CAD 3,000 (about INR 2.06 lakh) and renewable Major Entrance Scholarships (McGill University, Entrance scholarships for future undergraduates). But read the fine print: McGill states the CAD 12,000-per-year tier, the one that reaches a CAD 48,000 four-year total, is available only to Canadian citizens or legal permanent residents. As an Indian international student, your realistic ceiling is the CAD 10,000-per-year renewable tier, up to about CAD 40,000 (roughly INR 27.5 lakh) over four years. So don’t budget around the CAD 48,000 headline.

In our 2026 counselling cohort, the students who landed Waterloo and Calgary entrance awards almost always submitted complete files weeks before the deadline, which left room for the optional essays that lift a merit decision. Treat the application as a campaign, not a form.

Master’s funding for Indian students: the eligibility trap nobody flags

Master's funding is where Indian readers get misled. As of the 2025-26 harmonized competition, the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's (CGRS-M) is worth CAD 27,000 but is open only to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Protected Persons. Indian international students are not eligible (NSERC, Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's program). Eligibility, not award size, decides your shortlist.

This is the trap. When families search for masters scholarships in Canada for Indian students, the CGRS-M tops the results at CAD 27,000 (about INR 18.6 lakh), and it looks perfect. It isn’t open to you. A permanent resident (PR) is someone granted the right to live in Canada indefinitely, and a Protected Person is a recognised refugee under Canadian law: neither describes an Indian student on a fresh study permit (the visa document that lets you study at a designated learning institution (DLI), a school approved to host international students). So the most-cited government scholarships in Canada for international students at master’s level simply pass you by.

What actually works? Two routes are genuinely open. For 2026 graduate entry, the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) pays CAD 20,000 per year at master’s level and CAD 25,000 per year at doctoral level, and it states plainly that students of all citizenships, including international students, may apply.

And for the 2026-27 cycle, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is worth CAD 5,000 per session (CAD 10,000 to CAD 15,000 total, about INR 6.9 lakh to INR 10.3 lakh), and international students on a study permit are eligible for a set number of awards (University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, Ontario Graduate Scholarship). Both run on quotas, so apply early and lean on your supervisor’s backing. Our breakdown of sources of financial aid shows how scholarships, assistantships, and savings stack.

Quick filter for scholarships in Canada for Indian students at master's level: skip any federal award that lists "citizen or permanent resident" eligibility, and prioritise the UMGF, university funding packages, teaching or research assistantships, and the OGS quota instead.

PhD and postdoctoral funding: what replaced Vanier in 2025

PhD scholarships in Canada were restructured in 2025 under one harmonized framework. From the Fall 2025 competition, the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral (CGRS-D) replaced the discontinued Vanier. It is worth CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months, with up to 15 percent of awards reserved for international applicants (NSERC, Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral program). Doctoral applicants now compete within that international quota.

Doctoral funding is the brighter side of the federal picture for Indian researchers. The CGRS-D’s CAD 40,000 per year (about INR 27.5 lakh) is genuinely open to a slice of international applicants, unlike its master’s sibling. The reform sits inside the tri-agency system (the three federal research funders NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR working as one) which rebuilt every grad and postdoctoral award into a single suite.

That suite has a name worth knowing. Launched for the 2025 competitions, the new harmonized tri-agency awards (the Canada Research Training Awards Suite, or CRTAS, the federal umbrella that merged the old scholarship programmes) replaced Vanier and Banting. They are worth CAD 27,000 at master’s, CAD 40,000 at doctoral, and CAD 70,000 at postdoctoral level (NSERC, Launch of the new Harmonized Tri-agency Scholarship and Fellowship programs). Here’s how the three tiers compare.

CAD 27,000

CRTAS master's level (approx INR 18.6 lakh) NSERC, 2025

CAD 40,000

CRTAS doctoral level (approx INR 27.5 lakh) NSERC, 2025

CAD 70,000

CRTAS postdoctoral level (approx INR 48.1 lakh) NSERC, 2025

If you’re applying for a PhD, work backwards from your research field to the right agency, and ask your prospective supervisor whether their department nominates international candidates within the 15 percent cap. That conversation matters more than the award’s sticker value.

Scholarships that no longer exist: Vanier, Banting and Trillium

Several famous Canadian awards are dead, yet they still headline blog posts and coaching decks, and chasing them costs Indian families weeks of wasted effort. If a page is selling you Vanier or Trillium in 2026, that page is out of date, and so is its advice on everything else.

Take the most cited one. From the Fall 2025 competition, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (historically CAD 50,000 per year for three years at doctoral level) is discontinued and folded into CGRS-D (University of British Columbia Graduate School, Vanier Scholarship). The Banting postdoctoral fellowship was sunset in the same restructure, with its funding absorbed into the CRTAS postdoctoral award. Neither name is something you apply to any more.

Then there’s the provincial one. As of 2018, the Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS, a CAD 40,000 per year PhD award for international students) has not been offered to new students (University of Guelph Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS) Program). It has been closed for over half a decade, yet it still appears on “top scholarships” lists. Use this checklist before you trust any source.

  • Vanier CGS: discontinued; replaced by CGRS-D.
  • Banting fellowship: sunset; absorbed into the CRTAS postdoctoral award.
  • Ontario Trillium Scholarship: no new students since 2018.
  • Litmus test: if a list names any of the three as “currently open,” cross-check it against an official university or NSERC page before acting.

India-specific and bilateral funding routes for Indian families

Bilateral India-Canada funding exists, but it mostly supports research mobility rather than full degrees. For the 2025-26 cycle, the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute runs India-Canada academic fellowship and grant programmes including the Shastri Scholar Travel Subsidy Grant and Shastri Applied Research Project (according to the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, grants page). These are travel and project grants, not tuition cover, so set expectations accordingly.

Let’s be honest about the scholarships for Indian students to study in Canada that carry an India label. The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SSTSG and SHARP grants) funds research visits and applied projects, which is wonderful for a PhD scholar but won’t pay an undergraduate’s tuition. The MITACS Globalink programme and the Indo-Pacific Strategy scholarships are real routes worth naming, though their amounts shift by cohort and we won’t quote a figure we can’t verify for you.

There’s genuinely fresh news too, straight from the source. As of 2026, U of T says it has provided CAD 63 million (about INR 433 crore) in merit-based scholarships to 707 undergraduate students from India since 2020, and is offering another 274 scholarships worth about CAD 25 million (about INR 172 crore) this admissions cycle (University of Toronto, U of T to deepen collaboration in India). That track record is the most concrete India-specific funding signal any single Canadian university puts on the table, so watch U of T’s own announcements closely.

Worried about matching the right route to your child’s profile? That’s exactly the conversation our Canada consultants in Hyderabad have with Indian families every week, mapping out when each funding window opens and which awards your child is genuinely eligible for.

The honest funding gap: what a Canada scholarship will not cover

A Canada scholarship rarely covers the full cost of studying, which is why families must plan the gap. In 2025/2026, international undergraduate tuition in Canada averages about CAD 41,746 per year (roughly INR 28.7 lakh), according to Statistics Canada, The Daily - Tuition in Canada. Most awards offset only part of that, so financial aid for Indian students in Canada usually blends a scholarship with savings or a loan.

Now the part parents most want straight talk on. A CAD 10,000 entrance award is real money, but against undergraduate tuition near CAD 41,746 it covers roughly a quarter. At master’s level the gap is smaller. In 2025/2026, international graduate tuition averages about CAD 24,028 per year (roughly INR 16.5 lakh), per the same Statistics Canada release, so a CAD 15,000 OGS goes further. When you and your family sit down to discuss the budget, do the subtraction first, then decide whether an education loan from HDFC Credila, Avanse, or SBI bridges the rest.

And here’s the figure that catches families off guard. IRCC asks study-permit applicants to prove money for three things: tuition, living expenses, and transportation. For applications on or after September 1, 2025, the living-expense amount alone is CAD 22,895 (about INR 15.8 lakh) for a single applicant outside Quebec, separate from tuition and travel, according to CIC News, Increased fund requirements for study permits take effect. This floor is set by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the federal department that issues study permits). A scholarship can help prove financial support, especially if the award letter clearly covers tuition or living costs. But it does not automatically remove IRCC’s separate living-expense calculation, so be ready to document that amount plus tuition and travel unless your award terms clearly cover them.

You’ll usually meet the living-expense requirement through a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), a fixed deposit a Canadian bank holds and releases to you in instalments. Our Canada student visa guide walks through the GIC and study-permit steps. The overall cost of attendance mixes domestic vs international tuition at the higher international rate, plus mandatory incidental fees.

Year-1 line item (UG)Amount (CAD)Approx INR
International UG tuition (avg)41,74628.7 lakh
IRCC living-expense proof of funds22,89515.8 lakh
Less: a CAD 10,000 entrance award-10,000-6.9 lakh

So a typical entrance scholarship trims tuition but leaves a substantial Year-1 figure your family still funds. Plan for it, and you’ll never be ambushed at visa stage. Our cost of studying in Canada breakdown puts year-by-year tuition and living-cost numbers next to these scholarships, so you can size the gap before you commit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but they’re rare. The U of T Pearson covers tuition, books, fees, and full residence support for four years. Most other awards are partial, from CAD 2,500 to CAD 37,500, so plan a top-up from savings or an education loan. Fully funded scholarships in Canada for Indian students are the exception, not the rule.

There’s no single cut-off. Merit-based entrance awards at top universities usually expect a high Class 12 percentage, often 90 percent and above for the largest scholarships, plus strong extracurriculars. The Pearson also needs a school nomination, so your academic file and your school’s backing both matter.

Mostly not at master’s level. The CGRS-M is open only to citizens, permanent residents, and Protected Persons. The doctoral CGRS-D reserves up to 15 percent of awards for international applicants, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship admits a quota of study-permit holders, so PhD and provincial routes are your better bets.

Not the living-expense part. The CAD 22,895 living-expense proof of funds is a separate IRCC requirement from tuition and travel. A scholarship can form part of your proof of financial support, but you still demonstrate the living-expense amount, usually through a Guaranteed Investment Certificate or a bank balance when you apply.

Start 12 to 14 months ahead. Most undergraduate entrance scholarships are decided alongside or just after admission, with Pearson school nominations typically due in late autumn the year before entry. Graduate award cycles often close between October and January for the following September, so build your timeline backwards from those windows.

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