Canada has more scholarship routes than most students expect, but they are spread across very different sources. Some are university entrance awards that you get just by applying for admission. Some are provincial graduate awards from Ontario and Quebec. A few are federal research fellowships, and a whole cluster are short-term exchange programs run by Global Affairs Canada. This page collects all 39 Canada guides on Titans Abroad so you can see them side by side.
For a Pakistani student, the useful question is less "which is biggest?" and more "which one am I actually eligible for?" Several programs in this list are open only to students from Latin America and the Caribbean, and one is meant for Canadian faculty members. The strongest options for most readers are the undergraduate full rides and entrance awards at Toronto, Waterloo, UBC and others, the McCall MacBain at McGill for master's students, and the Ontario Trillium and Quebec PBEEE awards for doctoral applicants.
Some programs appear more than once below because we have more than one guide for them. Each row links to its own guide.
All Canada scholarships at a glance
Deadlines in the table are shortened. Where a deadline says it varies, the official website is the only reliable source for the current round, and each guide links to it.
Undergraduate full rides in Canada
If you are finishing FSc, A levels or an equivalent and want a full undergraduate scholarship in Canada, the Lester B. Pearson award at the University of Toronto is the headline option in this list. It is the university's most prestigious award for international students and, according to our data, covers full tuition, books, incidental fees and residence support for four years. Selection looks at academic achievement, creativity and leadership, so grades alone will not carry you.
- Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship 2027 (full details): deadline November 6, 2026.
- Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarships (full details): deadline November 6, 2026, listed as opening soon.
- Lester B Pearson International Scholarship (Canada) (full details): deadline varies, so confirm on the official site.
November is early. If Pearson is your target, your school nomination, transcripts and English test plan need to be ready well before the regular University of Toronto admission deadlines.
Entrance awards at Canadian universities
Most international undergraduates who get money in Canada get it through entrance awards. These are smaller than a full ride, but many are automatic once you are admitted, which makes them far easier to win. The trade-off is that you still need to cover the rest of your tuition and living costs, so treat them as a discount, not a funding plan.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto International Scholar Award (full details) is merit-based and worth up to CAD 100,000 over four years for outstanding international students admitted to select faculties. Consideration is automatic on admission, and the regular application deadline is typically mid-January for September intake. Our second guide, University of Toronto International Scholar Awards (full details), covers the wider set of admission scholarships, most of which also need no separate application.
University of Waterloo
Waterloo is a good fit for engineering and computing applicants. The University of Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship (full details) is an automatic CAD 10,000 award for high-achieving international students entering first year. The broader University of Waterloo International Scholarships (full details) guide covers President's and Merit awards plus faculty-specific and targeted grants ranging from $500 to $80,000. Its deadlines are January 15, 2027 for engineering, February 1, 2027 for other programs, and April 15, 2027 for specific faculty and demographic application-based awards.
UBC, Dalhousie, McGill and McMaster
- UBC International Scholars Program (full details): need-based, for high-achieving students who can show genuine financial hardship. Funding varies by need and is not a guaranteed full ride. The program application is around November 15, UBC admission around December 1 and supporting documents around January 31.
- UBC International Scholars Program (full details): our second guide to the same UBC program, covering the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. Deadline varies, so confirm on the official site.
- Dalhousie University International Entrance Awards (full details): awards worth from CAD 500 up to CAD 48,000 for first-year international undergraduates in Halifax. The general entrance award application closes February 15 for the following September intake.
- McGill University Funding for International Students (full details): McGill has no single flagship full ride for international undergraduates. It offers smaller merit-based entrance awards, considered automatically at admission.
- McGill University International Scholarships (full details): covers McGill's merit-based entrance scholarships and need-based aid. Deadline varies.
- McMaster University International Scholarships (full details): covers international admission pathways in Hamilton, with entry requirements, English rules and supplementary application deadlines. Listed deadline May 1, 2026.
Alberta and Calgary
The University of Alberta International Scholarships (full details) guide covers awards administered by the Office of the Registrar, which provides over $50 million annually across undergraduate, transfer, professional and graduate students. Deadlines vary by program. In Calgary, the University of Calgary Entrance Scholarship (full details) is open to international undergraduates across all bachelor's programs, with an annual window from August 15 to April 1 and no documents needed at the first stage. The University of Calgary International Scholarships (full details) guide covers continuing awards, bursaries and graduate funding too, with deadlines that vary by award.
Master's and PhD funding in Canada
This is where Canada is strongest for Pakistani graduates. The provincial awards from Ontario and Quebec are open to international students and pay real amounts, and the McCall MacBain is one of the few fully funded master's scholarships in the country.
Master's level
The McCall MacBain Scholarships fund master's and professional degrees at McGill University, with tuition, living stipends and a leadership program. Up to 30 scholars are selected each year based on character, community engagement, leadership potential and academic strength. Both of our guides, The McCall MacBain Scholarships (Canada) (full details) and The McCall MacBain Scholarships (Canada) (full details), list August 19, 2026 for international applicants and September 23, 2026 for Canada and the US. If that date has passed when you read this, use the guide to prepare for the next round. Expect to write about your community work as much as your CGPA.
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2027 in Canada (full details) funds master's and PhD students at participating Ontario universities, with a deadline that varies. In Quebec, the Canada-Quebec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students (PBEEE) (full details) offers up to CAD $35,000 per year for master's, doctoral, postdoctoral or short research stays at Quebec universities. Note the two steps: university or CCTT preselection in late October, then the FRQ application in early December. You cannot apply directly without your university putting you forward.
Doctoral level
- Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS) (full details): CAD $40,000 per year for up to four years for international students in a full-time PhD at a participating Ontario university. The deadline is set by each university, typically within the general PhD application cycle. For a Pakistani PhD applicant heading to Ontario, this is probably the single most useful award on this page.
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (full details): funds doctoral students at Canadian institutions in health research, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Deadline listed as November.
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (full details): our second Vanier guide, with a deadline that varies.
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship (full details): highly selective, up to $210,000 in funding plus mentorship, for PhD research on human rights, responsible citizenship, Canada's global role, or people and the environment. It is now restricted to first- and second-year PhD students. Deadline around November 17.
- University of Toronto Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarship 2027-2028 (full details): for the Doctor of Public Health program at the University of Toronto. Deadline varies.
Research internships and postdoctoral fellowships
The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is a fully funded 12-week placement for international undergraduates from partner countries, supervised by faculty at over 70 Canadian institutions. It is a strong way for a third-year student to build a research link before applying for a master's. Check that Pakistan is on the current partner list before you start. Both guides, Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) (Canada) (full details) and Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) 2027 (full details), list Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.
At the postdoctoral stage, the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (full details) funds the very best postdoctoral applicants, national and international. Its deadline varies. The IDRC Canada Research Awards and Fellowships (full details) supports researchers working on development challenges in developing regions, with deadlines set by each call.
Global Affairs Canada exchanges and internships
This group needs the most care, because several programs here are not open to Pakistani students according to their own descriptions. Read the eligibility line before anything else.
The EduCanada International Scholarships (full details) and EduCanada Study in Canada Scholarships Portal (full details) guides explain the government portal as a whole, with deadlines varying by program and often around March 31. The Study in Canada Scholarships (full details) program funds short-term study or research exchanges for students from select countries. It is run by Canadian institutions, which select candidates and apply for them, and the last listed deadline was March 31, 2026. It is currently closed.
The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program is for students in Latin America and the Caribbean, so it does not suit applicants from Pakistan. We have three guides to it: Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) (full details) (March 31), Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) (full details) (March 31, 2026) and Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) (full details) (varies).
The Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program gives grants to Canadian faculty for partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean, so it is not a student scholarship at all. Both guides, Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program (full details) and Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program (full details), list November 18, 2025.
The Organization of American States Internship Program offers students and recent graduates work experience in an international setting and is featured through EduCanada. See Organization of American States Internship Program (Canada) (full details) and Organization of American States Internship Program (Canada) (full details). Deadlines vary, and you should check eligibility carefully on the official page.
Choosing the right Canadian scholarship for your level
Start with your level and work outward. A student finishing intermediate should apply to Pearson if their profile is very strong, but should also apply to Waterloo, Toronto, Dalhousie or Calgary where entrance awards come with admission. A master's applicant has one fully funded flagship in this list, McCall MacBain, plus Ontario and Quebec awards. A PhD applicant has the most choice: Ontario Trillium, PBEEE, Vanier and Trudeau.
Two practical rules. First, partial funding in Canada still leaves a large bill, so add up what remains before you accept an offer. Second, several of the best awards work through nomination. Pearson, Ontario Trillium and PBEEE all run through the university first, so your real deadline is often weeks before the published one.
Getting your documents ready
Most applications will ask for transcripts, an English test result, a personal statement, and references who know your work. For graduate awards, a research proposal and a supervisor's interest matter a lot. Our documents checklist for international scholarships covers each item, and the scholarships guide for Pakistani students explains how to plan a full application season.
Frequently asked questions
Which Canadian scholarship is fully funded for undergraduates?
In this list, the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto is the fully funded undergraduate option, covering four years. The Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is also fully funded, but it is a 12-week internship rather than a degree.
Do I need a separate application for university entrance awards?
Often no. The University of Toronto International Scholar Award and the Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship are automatic once you are admitted. Others, like the UBC International Scholars Program and Dalhousie's general entrance award, need their own application by their own deadline.
Can Pakistani students apply for ELAP?
No. According to its description, ELAP is for students from Latin America and the Caribbean. The same region focus applies to the Faculty Mobility program, which is also meant for Canadian faculty, not students.
What is the best option for a PhD in Canada?
For Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Scholarship at CAD $40,000 per year for up to four years. For Quebec, the PBEEE at up to CAD $35,000 per year. Vanier and Trudeau are also open to doctoral students but are very competitive.
Why do some scholarships appear more than once?
We have published more than one guide for some programs, such as Pearson, Vanier and McCall MacBain. Each guide is listed so you can read whichever is more current, and the official site always has the final word.
Open the individual guide for any scholarship above to see its eligibility, documents and application steps in detail, and confirm every deadline and amount on the official website before you apply.