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.
Please note that students from France are not eligible for this program, since they benefit from distinct regulations through an agreement between Québec and France.
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 of the espace francophone [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 privés du Québec (ACPQ) .
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.
Postdoctoral scholarships: $35 000 for one year, non-renewable.
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 – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) .
To apply for a Merit Scholarship, please contact the university in question [available in French only].
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Government of Québec Merit scholarships 2021