Scholarships for Kenyan Students in Canada (2027): What Kenyans Can Actually Win

The full scholarships for Kenyan students in Canada come from universities and the Mastercard Foundation programs they run, not from the Canadian government. The one government award that names Kenya pays for a short exchange of up to six months, and you can only apply for the federal doctoral award after you’ve started a PhD in Canada.

This guide lists the awards Kenyan students can apply for, what each one actually covers, and the conditions that make many Kenyans ineligible. It’s part of our guide to studying in Canada from Kenya.

Full scholarships for Kenyan students in Canada

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

The University of Toronto names about 37 Pearson Scholars a year, and your secondary school has to nominate you, because each school can nominate only one student a year. For entry in September 2027, the deadlines were 9 October 2026 for school nominations and 16 October 2026 for the admission application, and you have until 6 November 2026 to send the scholarship application. Students already in post-secondary study, or starting in January 2027, can’t apply.

Three points to check before you apply:

• If your school has never nominated anyone, it must apply to join the program by the nomination deadline.
• The scholarship only applies to your top-choice program when the university makes its decision.
• The university bans generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in its award applications and disqualifies applicants who use them.

UBC International Scholars Program

UBC’s International Scholars Program includes the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, the International Impact Award and the Vantage One Excellence Award. You need to show significant financial need to apply. Besides grades, UBC looks at leadership, community service and a commitment to making a positive impact, and it says the Vantage One award can cover up to the full cost of your program and living expenses. The current round is for students starting in September 2027.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Toronto

This program is a strong fit for Kenyan health graduates. It’s open to graduates of the partner universities of the Africa Health Collaborative, which include Moi University and Amref International University. Applicants must be under 35, live in Sub-Saharan Africa, be academically admissible to a sponsored graduate program, and show a commitment to return home. The university expects scholars to work in health-related roles in their home countries after graduation. The last listed scholarship deadline was 3 November 2025, so check the page for the next round.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC

UBC runs the program for students from Sub-Saharan Africa at undergraduate and graduate level. UBC aims it at academically talented students who are economically marginalized and committed to giving back to their communities. Check UBC’s program pages for which programs are open in each round.

Partial awards that cut your bill

Partial awards don’t cover everything, but some need no separate application, so they cost you nothing to chase. If a partial award leaves a gap, our study abroad cost calculator shows what’s left to pay in shillings.

Undergraduate entrance scholarships

Memorial University says it considers international students for entrance scholarships automatically when they’re admitted, as funding allows, with no extra form. The awards cover the first year only and aren’t renewable, and transfer students qualify only if they bring fewer than 31 credit hours. Memorial’s list includes the Memorial University of Newfoundland International Entrance Scholarship, the IUGS Entrance Scholarship and the Convera Scholarship.

Ask every university on your list the same three questions: is the entrance award automatic, is it renewable after the first year, and what grade average does it need?

Graduate and research funding

For research master’s and PhD students, the university itself is a source of funding. Memorial says it offers competitive funding packages to graduate students in research-intensive programs. The University of Saskatchewan says it spends more than CAD 61 million a year on scholarships, bursaries, tuition waivers and crisis aid for domestic and international students at both levels.

To find this money, write to professors whose research matches yours before you apply, and ask the graduate studies office in writing what it offers international students in your program.

If money is your main worry, our guide to the cheapest level of study in Canada for Kenyans compares tuition at low-cost universities and shows when a funded PhD costs least of all.

The federal doctoral scholarship (CGRS D)

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Doctoral (CGRS D) has replaced the Vanier scholarship and other federal doctoral awards. Memorial describes it as CAD 40,000 a year for 36 months, open to international students who are already registered in a doctoral program at an eligible Canadian institution, with up to 15% of each agency’s awards set aside for them. That means a Kenyan can’t apply from Nairobi. You apply once you’re enrolled in a Canadian PhD.

Queen’s University notes that international students can’t apply for the master’s award, the CGRS M. Many websites still list Vanier as open to Kenyans, so check the date on any page that does.

Government awards that aren’t what they seem

Study in Canada Scholarships (SICS)

Kenya is on the list of eligible countries for the Study in Canada Scholarships, which Global Affairs Canada funds. But it’s a short exchange, not a degree:

• It pays CAD 10,200 for one term of four months at college, undergraduate or graduate level, or CAD 14,000 for 5 to 6 months of graduate study or research.
• You must be enrolled full time at a post-secondary institution in Kenya and keep paying its fees while you’re in Canada.
• Students already enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate in Canada can’t hold it.
• Only a Canadian institution can apply. It picks the students, and the Canadian school waives your tuition.

For the 2026 to 2027 cycle, Canadian institutions had to apply by 31 March 2026, and all exchanges must finish by 30 September 2027. If you’re at a Kenyan university, ask its international office whether it has a Canadian partner that takes part.

Awards that stop you working in Canada

IRCC says a graduate who received Global Affairs Canada funding or a scholarship that requires a return home can’t get a post-graduation work permit. Read the terms of any government-funded award before you accept it, especially if you plan to work in Canada after you graduate. Our guide to the PGWP for Kenyan students sets out the other rules for that permit. Our guide to student visa work hours explains how many hours you can work while you study.

Scholarship scams

The University of Toronto warns that its Pearson program doesn’t work with agents and has received fraudulent emails offering help with applications. Treat any agent who charges a fee to “secure” a scholarship as a warning sign. Real university awards come through the university’s own application, and many entrance awards need no application at all.

How to raise your chances

1. Apply early. The University of Toronto sets Pearson’s deadlines in October and November of the year before entry.
2. Apply to several schools. You can pay less with a partial award at a cheaper university than with a bigger award at an expensive one. Our cost of studying in Canada guide lists the visa, setup and living costs an award may not cover.
3. Write your own application. The University of Toronto disqualifies award applicants who use generative AI.
4. For graduate study, contact professors first. A professor who wants to supervise you can tell you what funding the department offers.
5. Keep your award letter. IRCC accepts a scholarship letter as proof of funds, but if it only covers tuition you still need proof for living costs. Our guide to proof of funds from Kenya explains the rest.

EduCanada’s scholarship search lets you look for more awards by country.

Quick answers

Are there full scholarships for Kenyan students in Canada?

Yes, but places are few. The University of Toronto names about 37 Pearson Scholars a year from around the world, and the Mastercard Foundation programs at Toronto and UBC are open to students from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Is the Vanier scholarship still open?

No. The federal Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Doctoral (CGRS D) replaced it, and international students can only apply once they’re registered in a Canadian PhD.

Can Kenyans apply for the Study in Canada Scholarships?

Only through a Canadian institution, and only for a short exchange of up to six months while you study at a Kenyan institution. It doesn’t pay for a full degree.

Do I need to apply separately for entrance scholarships?

At Memorial, no. Eligible international entrants are considered automatically. Other universities set their own rules, so ask each one.

More guides in this series

• Study in Canada from Kenya: the complete guide
• Graduate certificate, diploma, degree, master’s or PhD: which is cheapest?
• Proof of funds for a Canada study permit from Kenya
• Post-graduation work permit (PGWP) for Kenyan students
• Bringing your family to Canada as a Kenyan student

This article is general information and is not immigration advice. Canadian study rules, fees and funds requirements change often, and some change every year. Confirm every detail on the official IRCC website at canada.ca, and on the Quebec government website if you plan to study in Quebec. Before you pay for help, speak to a licensed adviser. Immigration consultants in Canada are regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, which has a public register where you can check a license. Lawyers who belong to a provincial or territorial law society, and notaries in Quebec, may also give immigration advice for a fee.