Canada Scholarships – Government of Québec Merit scholarships 2021 for foreign students to study in Quebec, Canada

The Merit Scholarships program for foreign students is offered to students who pursue vocational training, technical training at the college level, or studies at the university level. The program is offered in order to attract the best international candidates for studies in Québec and to encourage student recruitment in programs with good job and research prospects.

The Merit Scholarship program allows recipients to benefit from:

• a scholarship that provides financial assistance during their studies
• an exemption from the differential tuition fees payable by foreign students
• health insurance protection provided by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)

Vocational training students

Eligible candidates

To be eligible, students need to pursue full-time studies in a vocational training program leading to one of the following:

• Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS)
• Attestation of Vocational Specialization (AVS)

Applicants enrolled in a program with good job prospects are given priority.

In addition, priority is given to international students from leading markets in Asia (China, India and Japan) and the Americas (Brazil and Mexico), and from developing countries that are part of the Francophonie.

Value of the scholarships

The Merit Scholarship for 900-hour programs is valued at $14 000. An extra amount of $1 400 is added for every additional 100 hours, to a maximum of $26 000 for 1 800-hour programs. Programs of fewer than 100 hours are not eligible.

In addition to the scholarship, all recipients are entitled to an exemption from the differential tuition fees payable by foreign students, and to health insurance protection provided by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

How to apply

To submit a Merit Scholarship application, please visit the Québec métiers d’avenir  online platform provided by Éducation internationale.

Once your application has been submitted, Éducation internationale will verify that it is complete and that all documents are up to date. Relevant educational institutions will then make their selections from all submitted applications.

Technical training students at the college level

Eligible candidates

To be eligible, students need to pursue full-time studies in a technical training program leading to a Diploma of College Studies (DCS). The public or private college where the studies take place must be accredited for the purposes of funding and be located in a Québec region outside the Greater Montréal area.

Students must also be citizens of a member country [available in French only].

Value of the scholarships

The Merit Scholarship is valued at $14 000 per year. The scholarship recipient must re-apply for the scholarship on a yearly basis, up to a maximum of three years, which is the normal duration of a technical training program.

In addition to the scholarship, all recipients are entitled to an exemption from the differential tuition fees payable by foreign students, and to health insurance protection provided by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

How to apply

All applicants must be preselected by an educational institution. Scholarship applications to be preselected by public colleges are submitted to the Fédération des cégeps  [available in French only], while scholarship applications to be preselected by subsidized private colleges are submitted to the Association des collèges

To apply for a Merit Scholarship, please contact the public  [available in French only] or private  college in question .

University students

Eligible candidates

To be eligible, students need to pursue studies or research activities at a Québec university. Scholarships are available for:

• doctoral (PhD) programs
• postdoctoral studies
• Short-term research or professional development scholarships

Value of the scholarships

Doctoral research scholarships: $25 000 per year. The maximum duration for this scholarship is three years, with a possible extension of up to 12 months. In the case of an extension, a monthly allowance of $1 000 is provided.

Short-term research or professional development scholarships: $3 000 per month for a period of up to four months.

In addition to the scholarship, all recipients are entitled to an exemption from the differential tuition fees payable by foreign students, and to health insurance protection provided by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

How to apply

All applicants must be preselected by an educational institution. Preselected applications are then submitted to the Fonds de recherche du Québec 

To apply for a Merit Scholarship, please contact the university  in question [available in French only].

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.