If you came to Canada as a refugee, a permanent resident or a skilled immigrant, some of the money for your education is set aside for people in your position. Every award on this page names newcomers, refugees or internationally educated professionals in its own eligibility rules. They fall into a few groups, and knowing which one fits you saves time.
Who this page is for
You arrived in Canada recently and you are starting, or restarting, your education here. You might be a refugee student heading to university, a nurse or health professional who trained abroad and needs to get licensed in Canada, or an adult going back to school to rebuild a career. Many general scholarships ask for Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, so read the citizenship line on each award before you start an application.
What is on this list
- Awards for refugee students. Several universities run their own: York University's CRS Bursary for Refugee Students, the University of Toronto's Scholars and Students at Risk Award Program, Carleton University's HOPE Scholarship for Refugee Women, and the University of Victoria's Award for Student Refugees and Harambee Refugee Award. WUSC's Student Refugee Program and the Beedie Luminaries RISE Scholarship are on the list too.
- Help for internationally educated professionals. Health Match BC, on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, runs bursaries for internationally educated nurses, medical laboratory technologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The Canadian Nurses Foundation has several awards here, including the Brenda Jeam IEN Nursing Award. The Ontario Bridge Training Program helps internationally trained newcomers find jobs that match their training, and its Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program is a bursary that helps pay for bridge training. In B.C., Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants offers financial help to pay for re-credentialling or licences.
- Immigrant-serving organizations. MOSAIC and ISSofBC in British Columbia run their own education bursaries. Windmill Microlending, a national charity, offers low-interest loans of up to $15,000 to skilled immigrants for education and licensing, with free coaching and mentorship. A loan has to be paid back, so look at the bursaries first.
- Quebec. The Quebec government has financial help for full-time French courses for immigrants and a Financial Assistance Program for Skills Recognition (PAFFARC).
How to use this page
Open each award and check three lines before anything else: immigration status, province, and level of study. Newcomer awards often ask for immigration documents, transcripts and a credential assessment, so keep scans of those in one folder. If you trained in a regulated profession, start with the bridge training and credential programs above; they are built for the step between your foreign credential and a Canadian licence.