Top 15 Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada 2027

Canada does fully funded scholarships differently. There is no single giant national scheme for incoming international students on the scale of Fulbright or Chevening. Instead, full funding in Canada is assembled from three layers: a small number of flagship awards — the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship for undergraduates and the McCall MacBain Scholarship for master’s students are the famous two; federal research awards, now reorganised under the Canada Research Training Awards Suite; and the guaranteed funding packages that Canadian universities attach to research master’s and PhD admissions. Understanding those three layers is the whole game, and this guide walks through all of them.

Two warnings before the list. First, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is discontinued — its last competition ran in 2024 and the programme has been replaced by the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D), worth CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months. Any website still inviting you to “apply for Vanier 2027” is out of date. Second, from 1 September 2026 the proof-of-funds threshold for a Canadian study permit outside Quebec rises to CAD 23,448 for a single applicant (it is CAD 22,895 for applications from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026) — a fully funded award letter is the cleanest way to satisfy IRCC, which is one more reason these packages matter. Explore institutions in our university directory, browse the full scholarships directory and start with the profile of the University of Toronto, home of the Pearson Scholarship.

At a Glance: Top 15 Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada

The 15 Scholarships in Detail

1. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship — University of Toronto

Coverage: Tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years of undergraduate study — a genuine full ride, tenable only at the University of Toronto, awarded to approximately 37 students a year. Eligibility: International students (non-Canadians requiring a study permit) who are in their final year of secondary school in 2026/27 or graduated no earlier than June 2026, beginning study in September 2027 — and who are nominated by their school; each school may nominate only one student. Deadline: For the 2027 intake, school nominations closed on 9 October 2026, the U of T admission application was due 16 October 2026, and the Pearson application itself is due 6 November 2026. The official page is U of T’s Pearson Scholarships page. If your school has never nominated before, it must register with U of T first — start that conversation a full year early.

2. McCall MacBain Scholarship — McGill University

Coverage: Tuition and fees for the full normal duration of an eligible full-time master’s or second-entry professional programme at McGill, a living stipend of CAD 2,300 per month during academic terms, a one-time relocation grant for moving to Montréal, and access to French language courses, mentoring and a leadership programme. Finalist and regional awards of CAD 10,000 and CAD 5,000 are also offered to strong runners-up. Eligibility: Applicants of any citizenship who are on track to complete their first bachelor’s degree by August 2027, or earned it within the last five years, or earned it earlier and were 30 or younger on 1 January 2026, and who meet McGill’s graduate admission requirements. Deadline: For the 2027 cohort, international applicants applied by 19 August 2026 (Canadian and US applicants by 23 September 2026) — that window has closed; the next cycle typically opens in June. Programme details are summarised on UBC’s student services McCall MacBain page and the Foundation’s own site.

3. Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D)

Coverage: CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months — CAD 120,000 in total — administered jointly by Canada’s three research agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) under the Canada Research Training Awards Suite. Eligibility: Students registered in a full-time doctoral programme at an eligible Canadian institution; crucially, the new programme is open to international students, who may receive up to 15% of awards — a change from the old system. You must have completed no more than 36 months of full-time doctoral study by 31 December of the application year and must not have previously held a tri-agency doctoral award. Deadline: Applications are made through your university, which sets internal deadlines (commonly August–October; Memorial University’s 2026 internal deadline, for example, was 17 September) ahead of the mid-October agency deadline, with results by the following April. See Memorial’s official CGRS Doctoral programme page for how universities present the competition.

4. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship

Coverage: Under the Foundation’s current published terms, up to CAD 50,000 per year for three years towards tuition and living costs, plus up to CAD 20,000 per year in research, networking and travel allowance, together with a three-year leadership programme and a Trudeau mentor. (Older pages summarise the package as up to CAD 60,000 per year including travel — the Foundation’s own current figures govern.) Eligibility: Doctoral students — including international students — enrolled at a Canadian university (Canadian citizens studying abroad may also qualify), in the first or second year of the PhD, whose research connects to one of the Foundation’s themes: human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada in the world, and people and their natural environment. Deadline: Competitions have typically run in the autumn with December-stage deadlines; confirm the 2027 dates on the Trudeau Foundation’s official site. Roughly fifteen scholars are chosen a year, and the interview weighs public engagement as heavily as academic record.

5. UBC Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF)

Coverage: The University of British Columbia guarantees its 4YF holders full tuition coverage plus a stipend of at least CAD 18,200 per year for up to four years of PhD study; many departments top the stipend up above that floor from supervisor and faculty funds. Eligibility: Students admitted to a UBC PhD — Canadian and international alike. There is no separate 4YF application form in the usual process: departments recommend their strongest admitted students. Deadline: Your UBC programme’s admission deadline (most fall in December–January). The practical lesson generalises across Canada: your scholarship application is your admission application, so the statement of interest and references carry double weight.

6. Killam Doctoral Scholarships — UBC and Dalhousie

Coverage: Killam Doctoral Scholarships are among Canada’s most prestigious university doctoral awards — at UBC they have been valued at around CAD 30,000 per year for two years plus a CAD 6,000 research travel allowance, with parallel Killam awards at Dalhousie and other Killam institutions; values and terms are set by each university’s current competition, so verify the figure for your cycle. Eligibility: Doctoral students making excellent progress, normally in the later stages of eligibility for major awards, nominated through their department. Deadline: Through each university’s autumn doctoral awards competition. Killam awards usually sit on top of, or replace, base funding — read your university’s stacking rules, because holding a CGRS-D at the same time may change the Killam’s value.

7. University of Toronto Doctoral Funding Packages

Coverage: U of T guarantees a base funding package to PhD students in the funded cohort (and to research-stream master’s students for their funded years). The package is built from fellowships, research and teaching assistantships and covers tuition within the package plus a faculty-set living stipend; exact amounts are published each year by the School of Graduate Studies and differ by division, with science and engineering packages generally higher than humanities. Eligibility: Students admitted to funded-cohort programmes — check your division’s page, because professional programmes sit outside the guarantee. Deadline: Department admission deadlines, mostly December–January. Combined with a CGRS-D or a faculty top-up, a U of T package is a complete funding solution; without external awards it is still designed to cover the essentials, which is why Toronto admits should always ask for the package letter in writing.

8. McGill Doctoral Funding and Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowships

Coverage: McGill funds its PhD students through combinations of departmental fellowships, supervisor research funds and teaching assistantships, and its GPS (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) publishes the funding arrangements programme by programme. The Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowships are McGill’s flagship merit awards for new doctoral students, offered by departments to their top incoming candidates as a substantial multi-year fellowship within the package. Eligibility: New PhD admits of any nationality, nominated by the admitting academic unit; you cannot apply to Tomlinson directly. Deadline: McGill admission deadlines by department, typically December–January for autumn entry. Montréal’s comparatively low rents make a McGill package stretch further than the same dollars in Toronto or Vancouver — a factor worth real weight in your decision.

9. University of Alberta Doctoral Recruitment and Killam Awards

Coverage: The University of Alberta recruits doctoral students through a combination of its Graduate Excellence Scholarship and doctoral recruitment awards for new students, Killam doctoral awards for continuing excellence, and supervisor-funded studentships. Stacked together — as the university intends — these form a full package of tuition support plus stipend for the standard PhD years. Eligibility: New and continuing graduate students nominated by their departments; international students are eligible for the main competitions. Deadline: Departmental nominations concentrate in the winter term. Alberta’s lower cost of living and strong research base in energy, health and AI make it a value pick that international applicants routinely underrate.

10. University of Waterloo PhD Funding Guarantee

Coverage: Waterloo publishes minimum funding levels for full-time research students: PhD students receive a guaranteed minimum annual package (built from the Waterloo Graduate Scholarship, teaching and research assistantships and supervisor support) for the normal programme duration, with the published minimum updated annually on Waterloo’s graduate studies pages. Eligibility: Students admitted to research-based programmes in good standing; funding is conditional on progress and availability of assistantship duties. Deadline: Programme application deadlines vary by faculty, with many in December–February. Waterloo’s co-op culture and its strength in computer science, mathematics and engineering draw large international cohorts, and its minimum-funding transparency is a model other universities should copy: check the current published minimum before comparing offers.

11. University of Calgary Graduate Awards and Killam Doctoral Scholarships

Coverage: Calgary’s Graduate Awards Competition bundles university doctoral and master’s scholarships — including Killam doctoral awards — into one application, and successful students combine these with supervisor funding to reach a full package. Eligibility: Registered and incoming graduate students, including internationals, with departmental endorsement. Deadline: The awards competition typically opens in the autumn term with winter deadlines; supervisor-funded studentships run year-round. Because so much Calgary funding flows through supervisors in the sciences and engineering, a pre-application conversation with a prospective supervisor is effectively part of the scholarship process.

12. Dalhousie University — Killam Awards and Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship

Coverage: Dalhousie in Halifax funds graduate students through its Killam predoctoral awards and the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship (open to research master’s and doctoral students, including internationals, at Nova Scotia universities), layered with departmental and supervisor funding. Eligibility: Students admitted to or registered in research programmes at Dalhousie; provincial scholarship terms require study at a Nova Scotia institution. Deadline: University competition deadlines typically in the winter term. Halifax offers Atlantic Canada’s research hub at living costs well below Toronto and Vancouver, and Dalhousie’s ocean, health and agriculture research strengths are distinctive nationally.

13. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF)

Coverage — with an honesty note: The UMGF pays CAD 18,000 per year for PhD students (up to four years) and CAD 14,000 per year for master’s students (up to two years). On its own, at Manitoba’s relatively low tuition and Winnipeg living costs, it covers a large share of a student’s budget; combined with the teaching and research assistantships most Manitoba research students also hold, it forms the core of a full package. We list it as a package component, not a standalone full ride. Eligibility: New and continuing graduate students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in recent study (most winners are well above this), of any nationality, recommended by their department. Deadline: Department deadlines, typically in the winter–spring. Manitoba is consistently one of the most affordable credible routes into funded Canadian graduate study.

14. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

Coverage — also a component: CAD 5,000 per term for two or three consecutive terms, i.e. up to CAD 15,000 per year, funded jointly by the Province of Ontario and the university. Ontario universities hold a specific allocation of OGS awards for students on study permits, so international students compete in a defined pool rather than against the whole domestic field. On its own OGS is not full funding; inside a doctoral funding package it is often the piece that lifts a stipend from adequate to comfortable. Eligibility: Master’s and doctoral students at participating Ontario universities, including a limited number of study-permit holders; each university runs its own competition and deadlines. Deadline: Set by each university, typically autumn–winter. Ask your Ontario department directly how many international OGS awards it controls — the answer varies enormously by institution.

15. Study in Canada Scholarships — Global Affairs Canada

Coverage: CAD 10,200 for a four-month (one term) exchange or CAD 12,700 for five to six months, paid through the Canadian host institution towards airfare, visa and permit costs, health insurance, ground transport, books and living expenses for a short-term study or research placement. For the placement it funds, this is a complete package. Eligibility: Students from eligible countries and territories — the list includes Bangladesh, Nepal and many others in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America (check the current year’s list; India and Pakistan have not been on recent lists, an important detail) — who are enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution at home and apply through a Canadian partner institution. Deadline: Canadian institutions apply on students’ behalf, typically by March. This is an exchange scholarship, not a degree scholarship — but for a student whose home university has Canadian partners, it is a funded semester in Canada and a powerful stepping stone.

A Necessary Correction: Vanier Is Gone

Older guides — and hundreds of recycled blog posts — still describe the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CAD 50,000 per year for three years) as an open competition. It is not. The Vanier programme has been discontinued; the federal government folded its doctoral awards into the Canada Research Training Awards Suite, and the live successor is the CGRS-D at CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months (entry 3 above), now open to international students for up to 15% of awards. The value is lower than Vanier’s, but the door is wider. Any agent or website asking you to pay to prepare a “Vanier 2027 application” is selling you a product for a competition that does not exist.

Eligibility: Who Can Realistically Win?

Canadian full funding rewards three profiles. Exceptional school-leavers compete for Pearson — one nominee per school worldwide, so the first contest is inside your own school. Leadership-rich recent graduates compete for McCall MacBain, where character, community engagement and entrepreneurial spirit are scored alongside grades. Research students — the largest group — win funding through admission itself: a supervisor who wants you, a department that ranks you highly, and then the layered system (base package, university awards, CGRS-D, Trudeau) does the rest. For study permits, remember IRCC’s financial threshold: CAD 22,895 in living funds for applications between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026, rising to CAD 23,448 from 1 September 2026, on top of first-year tuition — a full funding letter covering both is the strongest possible evidence. Plan your documents with our study guides and cost tools in the tools directory.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Pick your layer (12 months out). Undergraduate: Pearson. Master’s: McCall MacBain plus funded research master’s programmes. PhD: admission packages first, CGRS-D and Trudeau once enrolled or admitted.
2. For Pearson, win the nomination. Talk to your school counsellor by the spring before the October nomination deadline; a school that has never nominated must register with U of T first.
3. Contact supervisors (PhD and research master’s). A short email citing the professor’s recent work and your fit routinely decides who gets the funded offers.
4. Apply for admission by the scholarship deadline, not the admission deadline. At many universities the funding consideration date is weeks earlier than the final application date.
5. Get the funding letter in writing. Before accepting, confirm: total annual value, tuition treatment, duration, conditions (GPA, assistantship hours), and what happens if you win a CGRS-D (stacking rules).
6. File internal award applications. CGRS-D, OGS, UMGF and the Killam competitions all run through your university with internal deadlines earlier than the public ones. Diarise both dates.
7. Prepare the study permit file early. Funding letter, acceptance letter, proof of funds for any gap, and a study plan that explains your programme choice — submitted well before term starts.

Required Documents

• Passport and academic transcripts/certificates (with certified translations where needed)
• English or French proficiency evidence as your programme requires
• Statement of purpose and, for research programmes, a research proposal
• Two to three reference letters — academic referees who know your work for research awards; school nomination documents for Pearson
• CV highlighting leadership and community work for McCall MacBain and Trudeau
• University funding/package letter once admitted
• Study permit documents: letter of acceptance, proof of funds (CAD 23,448 living threshold from 1 September 2026, plus tuition), and supporting statements

Deadlines and Timeline

Comparing countries? Read the companion lists for the USA (top 20) and the UK (top 15), and the global ranking of the top 50 fully funded scholarships for international students 2027.

How to Improve Your Chances

Win the internal rounds. In Canada, most money is allocated inside universities before any national competition sees your file. A department that ranks you first is worth more than a polished national form from a department that is lukewarm. Make the supervisor’s job easy: propose research that uses their lab, data or field sites, and say explicitly that you are seeking a funded place. For McCall MacBain, evidence of character wins: sustained, verifiable community leadership over years, not a burst of volunteering the summer before applying. For Pearson nominees: creativity and impact in your school community are scored alongside marks. Mind the arithmetic: compare packages net of local rents — CAD 40,000 in Montréal or Winnipeg buys a different life than CAD 40,000 in Vancouver — and confirm whether the stipend is paid over 8 or 12 months.

Common Mistakes

• Applying for Vanier. The programme is discontinued; CGRS-D is the replacement. See the correction section above.
• Missing the Pearson nomination. Students cannot self-nominate, and each school gets one nomination — latecomers to their counsellor’s office lose before the competition starts.
• Assuming a master’s in Canada is funded like a PhD. Course-based master’s programmes are usually self-funded; research-based programmes are where the packages live. Check which type you are applying to.
• Treating OGS or UMGF as full rides. Both are valuable components (CAD 15,000 and CAD 14,000–18,000 per year respectively), not complete packages on their own.
• Ignoring stacking rules. Winning a CGRS-D can reduce university top-ups; get the revised package in writing.
• Underestimating proof of funds. If your package leaves any gap, IRCC still expects documented funds: CAD 23,448 for living costs from 1 September 2026, plus first-year tuition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Vanier Scholarship open for 2027?

No. Vanier has been discontinued — its last competition was in 2024. The replacement is the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D), worth CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months, which is now also open to international students (up to 15% of awards) who are registered in a Canadian doctoral programme.

What is the most generous undergraduate scholarship in Canada?

The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto: tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence for four years, for about 37 students a year. The barrier is the school nomination — only one student per school per year can be put forward.

Can international students get fully funded master’s degrees in Canada?

Yes, but the routes are narrow: the McCall MacBain Scholarship at McGill is the flagship full award, and research-based master’s programmes at major universities carry funding packages. Most course-based master’s degrees are self-funded, so read programme pages carefully before assuming funding.

How much is the McCall MacBain stipend?

CAD 2,300 per month during academic terms, on top of full tuition and fees for the normal duration of the programme and a one-time relocation grant, under the programme’s current published terms.

Do I need to be enrolled before applying for CGRS-D?

International applicants must be registered in a doctoral programme at an eligible Canadian institution by the application deadline — you apply through your university, which sets an internal deadline weeks before the mid-October agency deadline.

How much money must I show for a Canadian study permit?

For a single applicant outside Quebec: CAD 22,895 in living funds for applications from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026, and CAD 23,448 from 1 September 2026, in addition to first-year tuition and travel. A full scholarship letter covering tuition and living costs is the cleanest way to evidence this.

Are these scholarships open to students from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan?

Pearson, McCall MacBain, Trudeau and the university packages are open to all nationalities. CGRS-D admits international students within its 15% allocation. The Study in Canada Scholarships are the exception: eligibility is by a country list that varies by year — Bangladesh and Nepal have featured on recent lists, while India and Pakistan have not, so check the current list before planning around it.

Does a scholarship guarantee my study permit?

No. Full funding greatly strengthens the financial side of your application, but IRCC decides every permit on the whole file, including your study plan and ties. StudyGraduate provides information only and never guarantees admission, funding or a permit.

Sources & Verification

Facts in this article were checked in October 2026 against official sources, including: the University of Toronto (Lester B. Pearson terms — tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years; 2027 dates: nomination 9 October 2026, admission application 16 October 2026, scholarship application 6 November 2026, ~37 scholars a year); McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill (tuition and fees, CAD 2,300/month stipend, relocation grant, 2027 cohort deadlines of 19 August 2026 for international and 23 September 2026 for Canadian/US applicants); the tri-agency Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral programme (CAD 40,000/year for 36 months, replacing Vanier CGS, international eligibility up to 15% of awards, university internal deadlines ahead of the mid-October agency deadline); the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (current terms: up to CAD 50,000/year plus up to CAD 20,000/year research and travel); UBC (Four Year Doctoral Fellowship terms); and IRCC’s study-permit proof-of-funds table (CAD 22,895 to 31 August 2026; CAD 23,448 from 1 September 2026). University package values (Toronto, McGill, Alberta, Waterloo, Calgary, Dalhousie, Manitoba) are set faculty by faculty and year by year — the figures and structures described are the published models, and your own offer letter is the authoritative document.

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency. Scholarship details change yearly — always confirm deadlines, amounts and eligibility on the official website before applying. We never promise selection, admission or visa approval, and no legitimate scholarship charges a fee to apply.