Canadian Scholarship Databases & External Resources

National Scholarship Databases

ScholarshipsCanada.com

What it covers: The largest Canadian-specific scholarship database with thousands of listings updated regularly.

Best for: All Canadian students — high school, undergraduate, graduate. Their search tool lets you filter by province, field of study, and eligibility criteria.

Visit ScholarshipsCanada.com

Yconic (formerly StudentAwards)

What it covers: Canadian scholarship search engine with a profile-matching system. Also includes corporate-sponsored awards.

Best for: High school and undergraduate students. Particularly good for corporate-sponsored awards that aren't widely advertised.

Visit Yconic

Universities Canada – Scholarships Directory

What it covers: Scholarships offered by member universities across Canada. Searchable by institution, level of study, and field.

Best for: Students looking specifically for university-administered scholarships. Useful for comparing awards across institutions.

Visit Universities Canada

Aidanciaire

What it covers: Quebec-focused financial aid search engine that aggregates scholarships, bursaries, and awards across Quebec institutions and organisations. Content available in French and English.

Best for: Quebec students (CEGEP and university) looking for province-specific awards. Particularly useful for francophone students and those navigating the AFE system alongside institutional scholarships.

Visit Aidanciaire

EduCanada – Scholarships for International Students

What it covers: Government of Canada portal for international students, including scholarship listings, study permit information, and institution search.

Best for: International students considering studying in Canada. The most authoritative source for government-funded international student awards.

Visit EduCanada

Indigenous Student Resources

Indspire

What it covers: The largest non-governmental funder of Indigenous education in Canada. Offers the Building Brighter Futures bursaries and scholarships for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students.

Best for: Indigenous students at any level of education. Awards range from $2,000 to $10,000+ and cover tuition, living expenses, and child care.

Visit Indspire

Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP)

What it covers: Federal funding program administered through First Nations Band councils. Covers tuition, books, travel, and living expenses for eligible Status Indian and Inuit students.

Best for: Status Indian and Inuit students. Contact your Band council or Inuit land claims organisation for application details — each administers the funding differently.

Visit ISC

Government Student Aid Portals by Province

Every Canadian student should apply for government student aid through their province of residence. Even if you don't think you'll qualify for a grant, the application takes 30-45 minutes and the potential payoff is thousands of dollars in free money.

Province / Territory	Portal	Key Programs
Ontario	ontario.ca/osap	OSAP grants + loans, Ontario Student Grant
British Columbia	studentaidbc.ca	BC Student Loan + Grant, BC Access Grant ($4K/yr)
Alberta	studentaid.alberta.ca	Alberta Student Aid, Alexander Rutherford, Jason Lang
Quebec	quebec.ca/afe	AFE loans + bursaries
Manitoba	edu.gov.mb.ca/msa	Manitoba Student Aid, MB Bursary
Saskatchewan	saskatchewan.ca	SK Student Aid, SK Advantage Scholarship
Nova Scotia	novascotia.ca/studentassistance	NS Student Assistance, NS Bursary
New Brunswick	gnb.ca	NB Student Financial Assistance
Newfoundland & Labrador	gov.nl.ca/education/studentaid	NL Student Aid
PEI	princeedwardisland.ca	PEI Student Financial Assistance
Yukon	yukon.ca	Yukon Student Financial Assistance, Yukon Grant

Federal Government Resources

Canada.ca – Education Benefits

What it covers: Overview of all federal education funding programs including Canada Student Loans, Canada Student Grants, the Repayment Assistance Plan, and the Canada Learning Bond.

Best for: Understanding the federal layer of financial aid that sits on top of provincial programs.

Visit Canada.ca

National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC)

What it covers: Manages federal student loan accounts after disbursement. Where you go to check your loan balance, apply for repayment assistance, or consolidate loans.

Best for: Current students managing their federal loan, and graduates entering repayment.

Visit NSLSC

Tri-Council Graduate Funding (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR)

What it covers: Canada's three major research funding agencies for graduate and post-doctoral students. SSHRC covers social sciences and humanities, NSERC covers natural sciences and engineering, CIHR covers health research.

Best for: Master's and PhD students pursuing research degrees. CGS-M ($17,500/year) and CGS-D ($35,000/year) are the flagship awards.

NSERC SSHRC CIHR

Other Trusted Organizations

Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation

What it covers: Administers the Loran Award — Canada's largest and most comprehensive undergraduate scholarship ($100,000 over 4 years including mentorship, summer internships, and a community of scholars).

Best for: High school students with strong academic records, character, and commitment to service. Highly competitive but life-changing.

Visit Loran Scholars Foundation

Schulich Leader Scholarships

What it covers: Canada's most prestigious STEM scholarship. 100 scholarships awarded annually: $120,000 for Engineering students, $100,000 for Science/Technology/Mathematics students.

Best for: High school students planning to study STEM at one of the 20 participating Canadian universities. Requires school nomination.

Visit Schulich Leaders

Terry Fox Humanitarian Award

What it covers: Awards up to $28,000 per year for students who demonstrate humanitarian service, courage, and perseverance. Funded by the Terry Fox Foundation.

Best for: Students entering or continuing university/college who have shown exceptional humanitarian commitment — volunteering, advocacy, community building.

Visit Terry Fox Awards

EStudentLoan.com

What it covers: Canadian student loan information resource with calculators, comparison tools, and guides for understanding government and private student loan options.

Best for: Students who need to borrow and want to understand their loan options, repayment terms, and interest rates before committing.

Visit EStudentLoan

University Financial Aid Offices

Every Canadian university has a dedicated financial aid office that manages institutional scholarships, bursaries, work-study, and emergency funding. These are often the most underused resources — many students only interact with their university's financial aid office when they apply for entrance awards, but these offices offer ongoing support throughout your degree.

University	Financial Aid Office
University of Toronto	future.utoronto.ca/finances
UBC	students.ubc.ca/enrolment/finances
McGill University	mcgill.ca/studentaid
University of Alberta	ualberta.ca/registrar/scholarships
McMaster University	sfas.mcmaster.ca
University of Waterloo	uwaterloo.ca/student-awards
Queen's University	queensu.ca/registrar/financial-aid
Western University	registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances
University of Calgary	ucalgary.ca/registrar/awards
Dalhousie University	dal.ca/admissions/money_matters

Tip: Contact your university's financial aid office every September and January to ask about in-course awards and bursaries. Many students miss thousands of dollars in institutional funding simply because they don't know to apply. Most offices also offer emergency bursaries for unexpected financial hardship.