CANADA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AFRICANS IN 2022

Canada has constantly prided itself as one of the best destinations for international students to advance their academic interests. Again and again, Canada’s colleges and universities have attracted a vast population of students from different countries of the world.

On the one hand, many Canadian academic institutions offer quality education and on the other hand, Canada is home to dozens of academic institutions with an impressive record of scholarships targeted at the educational development of international students.

With Canadian scholarships at their disposal, African students have a great shot at experiencing quality education and the fun-filled academic life that Canada offers. If you’re a less-privileged African student with Canada as your most preferred foreign destination for educational advancement, odds are that you want to know some of the leading Canadian scholarships for Africans.

Guidelines to Apply for Full Scholarships

Conduct thorough research

Students interested in full college scholarships should commit time to thorough research. Doing this may help them identify available scholarships, thereby preventing them from missing out on full scholarships.

Scholarships do have closing dates which interested applicants are expected to be aware of. If you don’t take your time to exhaustively research about scholarships, you’re unlikely to get detailed information about the full scholarships best suited for you.

While conducting your research, endeavor to peruse popular scholarship sites. In the end, make sure you’re only considering the full scholarships that are well tailored to applicants from your region/country and with your sorts of academic credentials.

Find out if you are qualified for specific scholarships

Eligibility is definitely one of the areas you have to consider in the early phase of your scholarship hunt. You must note that it is not all scholarships that specify flexible requirements for intending applicants.

Through your earlier thorough research, you’re very likely to come across the scholarships that fit you best. But you must do well to know if you meet up with the scholarships’ underlying requirements. Deep research about specific scholarships will help you figure out if you’re actually on a par with the requirements.

Know where to find full scholarships

Full scholarships are not so easy to come by since they appear much more beneficial than the common general scholarships. The competition for full scholarships is stiff but this can’t rub out the fact that if you tread the right path, you can get a full scholarship for your college education.

There are several avenues where you can find full scholarships but for the most part, the website of your preferred college/university should be your first destination. It’s very possible that your preferred college does offer financial aids –in form of full scholarships –to students applying for your field of study or to applicants from your country of residence.

Keep a list of your desired scholarships

After thorough research about the scholarships you’re qualified for, it is sacrosanct that you organize whatever scholarships you’ve decided to apply for. By carefully organizing your desired scholarships, odds are that you’ll find it a lot easy to monitor each of these scholarships and identify your level of progress with them.

Ensure you create and keep a list for all your desired scholarships. You’ll have to update this list so that you can easily weigh your probability of making success with any or some of the scholarships. It is also good that you prioritize the scholarships in such a way that the full scholarships are considered more important than the others.

If you’re really keen to commit more effort to the organization of these scholarships, you may want to keep a folder that spells out all of your preferred scholarships along with essential information about them.

Familiarize yourself with all the application instructions

To really prepare the ground for a successful full-ride scholarship application, you will have to do more than ascertaining that you’re eligible for the scholarship. Failure to comply with some application instructions may turn out to be an applicant’s worst undoing.

For every scholarship that you intend to apply for, there are specific application instructions to follow. By failing to thoroughly read a scholarship’s application instructions, applicants may end up ruining their chances of application success.

Do not assume that two different scholarships will have the same application instructions. Take your time to acquaint yourself with all the instructions attached to whatever scholarship you’re applying for.

Ensure you don’t leave out any of the requisite application details

The screening panel for your preferred scholarship might not hesitate to disqualify your application if they observe that you’ve left out some important application details.

If certain application details aren’t mandatory, the screening panel will likely tag them optional. You must be careful not to omit any of the details specifically demanded for the scholarship application.

By keeping to the point made earlier about familiarizing yourself with application instructions, you can save yourself the disaster of leaving out important application details. Always bear in mind that there are dozens of applicants for whatever full scholarship you’re applying for and in order to trim down the number of applicants, the screening panel may not hesitate disqualifying erroneous applications.

Avoid providing incorrect information

Your name, country of origin, residential address and any other required personal details should be correctly filled into your scholarship application form. If you end up providing inaccurate information, the processing of your application is very likely to be delayed.

Try to confirm and re-confirm whatever information you’re filling into your application form. If the information you provided appears incorrect, probably with several misspelt words, your application might look informal to the screening panel.

Make your application presentable

Poor wording, inaccurate spellings and incomprehensible terms are just some of the things that can render your scholarship application unprofessional.

If your scholarship application is fraught with incoherent terms and inaccurate spellings, you will not seem to have submitted a presentable application. To make your scholarship application presentable, it is recommended that you regard it in the (official) manner you’d normally handle your job application.

If you aren’t pretty confident about your editing or proofreading skill, you can have your application edited or proofread by others. Do not shy away from seeking a friend’s or relative’s assistance for the structuring of your scholarship application.

Also, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek help in filling out your application form. There’s no need stressing that a presentable application will help make a great first impression about you.

Submit an excellent and standard scholarship essay or cover letter

Submitting a poorly written scholarship essay is undisputedly one of the things that can mar the quality of your scholarship application.

Contrarily, one way you can rev up the quality of your application is to attach an “excellent” scholarship essay or cover letter to the application. By “excellent”, the essay or cover letter should measure up to great standards in terms of formatting, grammar, spelling, intro, theme, etc.

Rather than dangle unnecessarily between issues, your scholarship essay should have a well-defined theme (main focus). Re-reading, editing, proofreading and other essential post-writing steps should be considered for the letter. Before submission, you may get others to help assess the quality of the letter with special emphasis on the intro, the grammar, punctuation and wording.

Let your outstanding qualities reflect in your application

More often than not, scholarship providers want to be convinced that applicants possess outstanding qualities –or have engaged in extracurricular activities –that command value.

If you really want to distinguish yourself from the crowd, you need to prove that you possess excellent personal or academic qualities. For instance, you can leverage your leadership qualities as well as your past engagement in a community cause for winning over the interest of scholarship providers. If your recommendation letters reveal that you possess outstanding leadership/academic qualities (or volunteered for several valuable community projects in the past), you stand a high chance of being considered by scholarship providers.

When preparing your scholarship application, endeavor to highlight your outstanding qualities as well as the extracurricular activities you engage in or have engaged in. The competition for full-ride scholarships is very stiff and so, any applicant who is keen to beat the crowd shouldn’t ignore revealing their outstanding qualities.

Ensure you submit before the application deadline elapses

A scholarship aspirant can miss the application deadline for several reasons. Irrespective of your reason, failure to submit your scholarship application within the deadline can cost you the scholarship opportunity. Scholarship providers barely take late applications into consideration.

To avoid missing the deadline, stay updated about your desired scholarships. Keep accurate information about each of the scholarships so that you don’t mistake the deadline of one (scholarship) for that of another.

Provide referees if required

Referees are usually required while applying for some scholarships. If your desired full scholarship requests that you provide referees, ensure you inform the preferred persons beforehand.

On the one hand, you should select the appropriate persons for the position of referees and on the other hand, you should tell them what you want them to make as a reference about you. Don’t forget to tell them the kinds of skills, abilities or competencies that you want them to include in the reference.

Some Commonly Asked Questions about Full Scholarships

Can I get a full-ride scholarship from every college or higher academic institution of my choice?

The answer to this question is definitely no simply because it is not all colleges (or higher academic institutions) that offer full-ride scholarships. However, there are full-ride scholarships –usually sponsored by various organizations, sources, etc. –that qualify you for free education in the college of your choice.

What qualities can qualify one for full-ride scholarships?

Any student can be considered eligible for full-ride scholarships especially if they possess exceptional academic qualities or excellent leadership skills. Other factors that may qualify students for full scholarships include merit and athletic capabilities.

Is a full-ride scholarship the same as a full-tuition scholarship?

Clearly, a full-ride scholarship differs considerably from a full-tuition scholarship. While full-tuition scholarships tend to cover only educational costs (including tuition and the costs of books), full-ride scholarships often guarantee extended coverage across travel expenses, living expenses, board, etc.

Who is eligible for a full-ride scholarship?

Every full-ride scholarship has its own eligibility requirements and that is why we mentioned earlier that before applying, intending applicants should ascertain that they meet up with the eligibility requirements.

Depending on the eligibility requirements stipulated by the provider, your desired full-ride scholarship may be open to national students only, both national and foreign students, or foreign students only.

Also, there are full-ride scholarships with strict eligibility requirements. You should browse the online portal of your preferred full scholarship or the provider’s website for information about eligibility.

How difficult is it to get a full scholarship?

We mentioned earlier that full-ride scholarships aren’t easy to obtain due, in part, to the fact that there’s stiff competition for such scholarships. Nevertheless, an applicant with detailed background information coupled with an excellent academic profile can push through the crowd of competing applicants.

What Are the Top Canada Scholarships for Africans in 2022?

1.Humber College Scholarships for International Students

Targeted at a total of 20 beneficiaries, Humber College’s scholarship for international students is widely available to new international students. Described as one of the leading Canadian scholarships for Africans, this scholarship is a three-fold scholarship with varying duration.

Humber College Scholarships for International Students is open annually to Africans –and other foreigners –who are new students starting Humber College in September, January or May.

To Apply visit here

2. Algonquin College Undergraduate Scholarship for International Students

This scholarship is targeted at international students –inclusive of Africans –who are first-year post-secondary students. It is an attractive scholarship that rewards winners with as much as $3000. While the duration of the scholarship isn’t disclosed, the 30^th of November, 2022 is stipulated as the application deadline.

This Algonquin College scholarship is targeted at over 30 beneficiaries (international students). But to qualify for it, an applicant must possess English language proficiency along with academic grades considered above average.

Click here to Apply

3.University of British Columbia International Leader of Tomorrow (ILOT) Scholarships

This Canadian scholarship for African students is specifically targeted at foreign students with records of excellent academic grades, leadership skills and engagement in community service.

This ILOT scholarship also recognizes applicants’ demonstration of excellence in sports, performing arts, creative writing, debating, etc. Students fortunate to be awarded this scholarship will have their fees, tuition and living costs covered. If the students go ahead to bag remarkable academic grades in their faculty, they can have this ILOT scholarship renewed for three more years of their BSc programs.

15^th of November, 2022 is stipulated as the application deadline for this scholarship.

4.Knights of Columbus Scholarships

Although with purportedly strict eligibility requirements, this Knights of Columbus scholarship is one of the most attractive Canada scholarships for Africans. Reportedly, Knights of Columbus is a fraternal and charity-oriented Catholic establishment that gives out annual scholarships worth almost one million dollars.

One of this scholarship’s strict requirements, however, is that for you to be a beneficiary, you must be a Knight or the son/daughter of any dead/living Knight.

Click here to Apply

5.MasterCard Foundation Scholarship at the University of Toronto for African Students

This scholarship is open to brilliant young African students as it aims to nurture the next generation of African leaders. Specifically, this MasterCard Foundation scholarship is interested in applicants’ demonstration of academic brilliance coupled with the potential to become leaders who can make a difference.

While this scholarship is slated to close, for the current year, on December 10, 2022, it is targeted at 67 beneficiaries (African students). Impressively, this scholarship will cater for the beneficiaries’ tuition along with the costs of textbooks, food, housing, travel, etc. Also, the duration of the scholarship spans a four-year period, making it a sufficient scholarship for beneficiaries’ BSc degree duration.

6. International UBC Future Forests Fellowships

This scholarship awards up to $70,000 CAD to beneficiaries each year for a four-year period. Specifically, it is targeted at students with remarkable academic achievements in graduate studies, coupled with great leadership skills.

By and large, this scholarship is suitable for international students –including Africans –who are passionate about pursuing world-class doctoral education in Canada. The scholarship will further cater for some specific needs such as necessary expenses for the preparation and execution of research.

7. Dalhousie University Master and PhD Scholarship

Specifically targeted at students in need of funds for Master’s and PhD programs, this scholarship is one of the best Canadian scholarships for Africans. Coming with an annual award of $30,000, the scholarship might just be the perfect opportunity for an African student to have their graduate studies adequately funded in Canada.

Most probably, this scholarship is a reflection of Dalhousie University’s commitment to promoting the academic success of graduate students.

8.PEO International Peace Scholarships for Women in 2022

This scholarship is a female-centred initiative open to African female students pursuing graduate and PhD programs in any field of study. It is a great scholarship that offers international women the opportunity to pursue graduate programs in Canada and the United States.

Beneficiaries of this scholarship can receive up to $12,500. As a woman-centric initiative, this scholarship is regarded as an opportunity for women from other countries to pursue their higher education goals.

9. Lester B. Pearson Scholarship Program for International Students at the University of Toronto

This Canada scholarship is highly targeted at foreign students with a good deal of creativity and impressive academic achievements. For applicants to be deemed qualified for this scholarship, they are expected to have made an impact in school and the community. What this may imply, in other words, is that this scholarship favours international students considered leaders in their schools.

While this scholarship is given yearly, sponsors of the scholarship are interested in applicants’ potential of becoming positive contributors to the global community in the future. Targeted at a total of 37 beneficiaries (international students), this Lester B. Pearson scholarship spans a four-year duration for which the students’ tuition and costs of books will be covered. The scholarship will also cater for their full residence support and incidental fees.

The application deadline for this scholarship, for the current year, is the 15^th of January, 2022.

Click here to Apply

Conclusion

Each of the listed scholarships is worth applying for. To find out the eligibility requirements, as well as more information, about your preferred Canada scholarship, do not hesitate to visit the online portal of the scholarship.