University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships 2020-21

Admission at the University of Waterloo is considered the toughest to crack by both domestic and international student standards. The University of Waterloo is one of Canada‘s Top 10 Universities. Having a position here requires a demonstration, along with outstanding personal accomplishments of sound logic and analytical abilities. Different criteria, including exceptional grades, non-academic events, interviews, and remarkable personal essays, among others, guide entry to the University of Waterloo. The Admission Information Form (AIF) is another significant prerequisite that the candidate must carefully fill in to provide a more precise snapshot of their overall personality. To give students a fair chance at admission they have the University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships. The main idea behind the University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships is to provide all the international students applying here a good funding opportunity. 

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Scholarship Programme Lists

Since Canada wants to welcome international students to its universities, many universities have arranged for various scholarships in Canada.

To help high achieving international students with funding, the University of Waterloo has come up with several graduate scholarships which come under the name of University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships. It has the following scholarship programmes overall:

• International Master’s (IMSA) and International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)
• International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE)
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
• Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS)
• Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Graduate Scholarships

Here are the University of Waterloo Graduate scholarships and their key details:

International Master’s (IMSA) and International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)

Scholarship Value

Effective May 1, 2020, the value of the IMSA is $2,465/term which is approximate to one-half of the difference in tuition between full-time domestic PhD and international PhD students.

Eligibility Criteria

International graduate students, with a valid Canadian study permit, registered full time in a MA, MASC, MES, MFA, MMATH (except coursework programs) or MSC (except coursework programs) degree program will receive an IMSA for two years (up to term 6.0). 

Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program, and not hold external awards, a tuition award (e.g., PSI or Lazaridis Tuition Awards) or sponsorships or be self-funded more than the value of minimum PhD funding.

International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE)

Scholarship Value: Award valued at $2,500 per term for a maximum of five terms.
Eligibility Criteria: International students with a valid Canadian study permit who are registered full time and assessed international tuition fees. 

The IMAE awards under the University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships are generally given to students in research-based programs (thesis or major research paper). These awards are usually only be given to students entering the first term of their program (term 1.0). Students must demonstrate academic excellence through criteria established by the Faculty. Moreover, students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program and not have special probationary admission requirements. 

Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS)

Scholarship Value: The Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS), valued at $40,000 per student will be awarded annually to new incoming international University of Waterloo doctoral students. The latter should hold a valid Canadian study permit and are registered full-time in a degree-granting program in any Faculty.

Eligibility Criteria: Academic merit is the defining criterion for the selection of the OTS recipients.

• Recipients must be new/incoming doctoral students who are applying for admission for upcoming Spring, Fall or Winter terms.
• Recipients must be international students who hold a valid Canadian study permit and who do not qualify for an exemption to the higher international tuition and fees; should an OTS recipient obtain permanent residency status after the beginning of the first term of study, s/he will continue to be eligible for the OTS for the balance of his/her renewable OTS for a total of four years.
• Recipients must be intending to pursue full-time graduate studies at the doctoral level in a degree-granting program.
• Recipients must have achieved a first-class average (A-/80% Ontario equivalent) in each of the two years of full-time study before being awarded the OTS.

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Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation – Doctoral Scholarship

Scholarship Value: The annual value of the award is up to $60,000 per year for a maximum of three years ($40,000 per year to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses plus up to $20,000 per year as a research and travel allowance).

Eligibility Criteria: You must be already accepted into or in year one, two, or three of a full-time doctoral program in the humanities or social sciences 

• Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment.
• You must be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA)

Scholarship Value
The award value and duration varies depending on: the number of terms the student has been enrolled in a program; whether or not they were admitted from a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or transferred from a master’s to a PhD; and the number of terms in which the student has previously received the award. The value of a full IDSA/IDSA4 is approximate to the difference in tuition between full-time domestic PhD and full-time international PhD students.

Eligibility Criteria of IDSA Award

International graduate students, with a valid Canadian study permit, registered full-time in a doctoral program at the University of Waterloo. Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program. Students cannot be concurrently in receipt of external awards, tuition awards (e.g., PSI or Lazaridis Tuition Awards), sponsorships or be self-funded in excess of the value of minimum PhD funding.

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Benefits of the Programmes

Over the last few decades, the Waterloo Area of Ontario has emerged as the leading technology centre in Canada. Although this has been impacted by several influences, much of the creativity has been powered by the University of Waterloo. The University of Waterloo is home to world-class laboratories in science, engineering, and many other fields as one of Canada’s premier academic institutions. Students from around the world call Waterloo University home.

Any international students, however, may be confused as to why they should select the University of Waterloo over the many other possible choices in Canada. Listed below are a few reasons why the University of Waterloo should be your choice.

1. Among Canadian universities, the University of Waterloo consistently ranks high. In Times Higher Education’s annual rankings, the University of Waterloo ranks 10th overall. It is ahead of schools like Dalhousie and York University. Global view, prestige, engineering & technology, physical sciences, and social sciences are fields where Waterloo University achieves high marks.
2. At the University of Waterloo, international students are genuinely welcome. Most students from around the globe are drawn to the university. The number of such students has increased due to the various University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships.
3. Postgraduate jobs are one of the top reasons why students from around the world chose Waterloo University. Thanks to the university’s high-quality education and strong collaborations with many prominent firms, University of Waterloo graduates have vigorously sought after.
4. The university’s world-class co-op scheme is another significant explanation for why students are eager to go to the University of Waterloo for college. To help students obtain job experience, most classes at UW have co-op alternatives.
5. Although there are many excellent programmes at the University of Waterloo, much of its international recognition comes from computer science and engineering. UW has produced many graduates who have landed jobs in Silicon Valley, dubbed “MIT of the North.”
6. As mentioned above the main campus of the University of Waterloo is situated in the heart of Canada’s technology hub. More than 1,570 tech-related companies are based in and around Waterloo Area, including BlackBerry, OpenText, D2L and of course, ApplyBoard. In developing this tech centre, UW has played an instrumental role.
7. Although Waterloo is not as glamorous as bigger cities such as Vancouver or Toronto, it’s still a great place to live and learn. Not only the University of Waterloo but Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College are both home to the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo. The Waterloo Area is designed with students in mind, with so many nearby post-secondary schools. There are many excellent options for lodging, transit, and entertainment.

To know more, visit the official page of the University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships.

We hope that we were able to solve any doubts you had regarding the various University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships. For any assistance in applying for the scholarships, connect with our experts at Leverage Edu. Sign up for a free session today!