Study in Canada Scholarships: eligibility, funding, nomination process and timing explained

The Study in Canada Scholarships (often shortened to SICS) are not a degree scholarship. They pay for a short stay in Canada, usually one academic term or up to 6 months, so that a student already enrolled at a university or college back home can study or do research at a Canadian institution. You stay registered at your home institution the whole time. Funding comes from Global Affairs Canada, and the money flows through the Canadian host institution.

Before anything else, Pakistani students need to read the eligibility section below carefully, because Pakistan does not appear on the list of eligible countries given for this program. You can see the full scholarship details on our site, but the official EduCanada list is the one that decides.

Why you cannot apply for this one yourself

This is the part most students misunderstand. Direct applications from individual students are not accepted. A Canadian post-secondary institution identifies and selects the students, then nominates them through the My EduCanada portal. The institution also has to provide a Management and Accountability Framework, which is its explanation of how it runs a fair and transparent selection.

So the real question is not "how do I apply?" but "how do I get a Canadian institution to pick me?" In practice that usually means you already have a link to one: an existing exchange agreement between your university and a Canadian college or university, or a professor in Canada who is willing to host you for research. Without that link, there is nothing for you to submit.

The host also has to meet its own conditions. It must be a Designated Learning Institution (DLI), and it must waive tuition fees for every scholarship recipient. Each project runs under a contribution agreement between Global Affairs Canada and the host institution, and the source describes that agreement as non-negotiable.

What $10,200 or $14,000 is meant to cover

The scholarship amount depends on your level and how long you stay:

• $10,200 for 4 months or one academic term of college or undergraduate study or research.
• $10,200 for 4 months or one academic term of graduate study or research (Master's or PhD).
• $14,000 for 5 to 6 months of graduate study or research (Master's or PhD).

The longer 5 to 6 month option is only listed for graduate students. If you are an undergraduate, plan around a single term.

Tuition is not paid out of the scholarship. Instead, the Canadian host is required to waive your tuition. The amount you receive is there for living and research costs during the exchange, and the host institution disburses it to you and issues a confirmation letter. The host also receives a separate $500 administrative fee per implemented scholarship, which can go toward things like employer compliance fees. That $500 is the institution's money, not yours.

The program is listed as partial funding, and that label is fair. A fixed sum for a term in Canada has to stretch across rent, food, transport and whatever else your study or research needs. Any costs outside the amount, flights and visa expenses included, are worth budgeting for separately unless the official guidelines or your host tell you otherwise. If you are preparing a study permit file, our guide on bank statements and proof of funds explains how to present your finances.

The country list, and what it means for Pakistani students

Applicants must be citizens of an eligible country or territory in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa. The eligible countries named for the program are Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan, Türkiye, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.

Pakistan is not on that list. A Pakistani citizen should therefore assume this program is not open to them unless the current official list on EduCanada says otherwise. Country lists can change between cycles, so check the official program page for your nationality before spending time on it. If you hold citizenship of one of the listed countries as well, that is a different situation and worth raising with the host institution.

For citizens of eligible countries, the other conditions are:

• You must be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in an eligible country or territory.
• You must be paying tuition fees to that home institution when the application is made and during the mobility period.
• You must not hold, or have a pending application for, Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
• You must not be receiving other funding from Global Affairs Canada or Canadian federal granting agencies.
• You must not be currently enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

The fee-paying rule catches people out. If you have finished your degree, are on a break, or are between programs, you would not be enrolled and paying fees at home, and you would not qualify. The last rule also rules out students who are already studying in Canada.

If Pakistan is not eligible this cycle, our list of all Canada scholarships is a better place to look for options that are open to you.

The paperwork is light for students, heavier for the host

Only two documents are listed:

1. A Privacy Notice Statement (PNS), signed by the candidate.
2. The Management and Accountability Framework, which the institution prepares and submits.

Your part is the signed PNS. The advice in the source is to make sure it is signed and dated within 6 months of the submission date. A form signed too early could be a problem, so sign it when your host asks for it, not months in advance.

Your host may still ask you for things for its own internal selection, such as a transcript, a research plan or proof of enrollment at home. Those are the host's requirements, not the program's, so follow whatever it tells you.

How the nomination goes in

The steps are all carried out by the Canadian institution:

1. The institution assigns a program coordinator to manage the application.
2. It registers or signs in to the My EduCanada portal using GCKey or Interac services.
3. It submits individual scholarship nominations through the portal.
4. It emails the Management and Accountability Framework to Scholarships-Info-Bourses@international.gc.ca by the deadline.
5. It uploads the signed Privacy Notice Statement for each candidate.
6. It reviews and submits the application and receives a reference number.

If you are the candidate, a reasonable thing to ask your host contact is whether your nomination went in and whether they received a reference number. That tells you your file is actually in the system.

Timing: plan a year or more ahead

For the last cycle, the institution deadline was March 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Results were expected in May 2026. All project activities must be finished by September 30, 2027.

The program is currently closed, and the opening date for the next round varies, so confirm the current cycle and deadline on the official portal. Because a Canadian host has to choose you, prepare its own paperwork and submit before the deadline, your conversations with the host should start well before that date. Leaving it to February is too late.

Each project also has a funding cap: Global Affairs Canada will not provide more than $150,000 per project. A single host can only support a limited number of students under one project, so even a willing host may have fewer places than it has interested students.

Who this suits, and where applicants go wrong

This program suits a full-time student from an eligible country who already has a concrete academic reason to spend a term in Canada: a research collaboration, a lab placement, or an exchange arrangement between institutions. It is a poor fit for anyone hoping to move to Canada for a full degree. It funds a short stay, after which you return to your home program.

The most common mistakes are predictable:

• Trying to apply directly. There is no student application form.
• Assuming the scholarship pays tuition. It does not. The host waives it.
• Not checking nationality first. For Pakistani students in particular, this should be the first check, not the last.
• Letting enrollment lapse at home. You must be full-time and paying fees at your home institution through the mobility period.
• Starting too late, when the host has no time to prepare its framework and nomination.

If you do go to Canada on an exchange like this, you will still need a visa or permit, and our article on why student visas get rejected covers the problems that come up most often.

Frequently asked questions

Can Pakistani students get the Study in Canada Scholarships?

Pakistan is not among the eligible countries named for the program. Check the current list on the official EduCanada page before going further, since eligibility is decided by citizenship.

Can I apply directly to Global Affairs Canada?

No. Only Canadian post-secondary institutions can apply, and they nominate students through the My EduCanada portal.

Does the scholarship pay my tuition?

No. The scholarship does not cover tuition, but participating Canadian institutions must waive tuition fees for recipients.

How long can I stay in Canada on this scholarship?

Stays are 4 months (one academic term) for college, undergraduate and graduate students, or 5 to 6 months for graduate-level study or research.

Can I use it to complete a full degree in Canada?

No. It funds short-term study or research exchanges. You also cannot be currently enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program at a Canadian institution.

When is the next deadline?

The last institution deadline was March 31, 2026. The next cycle's opening date varies, so confirm the dates on the official site.

For the current country list, deadlines and institution guidelines, go to the official EduCanada program page, and see our Study in Canada Scholarships page for a summary.