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The Jason Lang Scholarship is a distinguished merit-based monetary award granted to post-secondary students who are residents of Alberta, Canada. It was established in honor of Jason Lang, a brilliant student who was brutally taken during a school shooting.
It is a namesake scholarship given to the spirited and excellent scholar who continues to perform with merit in academic disciplines. While this scholarship targets students within Alberta, numerous other similar scholarships are available to international students looking to come to study in Canada.
Most of these offer visa sponsorship or support in some manner that can help facilitate their trip.
Overview of Jason Lang Scholarship
Jason Lang Scholarship awards CAD 1,000 to undergraduate students attending eligible post-secondary institutions in Alberta. It is granted annually to students who have a minimum GPA of 3.2 based on a 4.0 scale while completing a minimum of 80% of a full course load in the previous academic year.
This is meant to identify and give incentives to students who have shown commitment to their studies and who are on course towards completing their undergraduate programs successfully.
Eligibility Criteria for Jason Lang Scholarship
While the Jason Lang Scholarship targets students who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons living in Alberta, international students should be more concerned with the general eligibility criteria; there might be other scholarships that international students can apply for that might be relevant. Generally speaking, in order to be eligible for a scholarship like Jason Lang, students have to:
Academic Achievement: Most international scholarships, just like the Jason Lang Scholarship, consider providing financial merit to students with higher GPAs. Most of the merit scholarships in Canada require a minimum of 3.0 GPA or higher.
Full-Time Enrollment: Students must be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at an accredited Canadian institution. Many times, high-demand scholarships target programs in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) amongst other high-demand programs.
Application Process: Most applications also require academic transcripts; a personal statement or essay on the student’s academic goals, leadership experience, and potential contribution to the academic community.
Student Visa/Study Permit: It is expected of every international student to apply for a study permit if they wish to study in Canada. It is the permit that would be their visa to live and study in Canada. Some scholarships help with the visa application process to make things easier for the awardees.
Scholarships for International Students in Canada with Visa Sponsorship
Although the Jason Lang Scholarship in its real sense is not available for international students, there are a number of other scholarships available in Canada that accrue similar benefits. This visa support is one of the common benefits accruing from some of these scholarships targeted at helping international students study abroad.
1. Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program
Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program: The Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program assists students from the Commonwealth who are undertaking post-graduate studies in Canada. It is a great avenue through which the bonds between Canada and other Commonwealth countries are established by the exchange of academic and research collaboration. It covers tuition fees, travel, and living costs.
Eligibility: Open to international students coming from Commonwealth countries that apply to graduate programs in Canada. Candidates should possess an extremely impressive academic record with leadership potential.
After that is visa sponsorship: it supports winners in the application for a study permit to move to Canada easily for studies.
2. Global Affairs Canada – International Scholarships
With the help of Canadian institutions, Global Affairs Canada provides numerous scholarships for international students. The scholarships serve in fostering academic and research collaboration between Canada and other countries, while at the same time providing financial support to outstanding students.
Eligibility: Available to undergraduate or graduate students from eligible countries. Applicants are selected based on academic ability and research potential.
Visa Sponsorship: This Scholarship programme facilitates obtaining the necessary visa to study in Canada and also verifies that the student meets all the Immigration Requirements.
3. Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute Scholarships
The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute offers scholarships and fellowships to students from India to pursue undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral studies in Canada. The scholarships would assist in developing academic cooperation between India and Canada through the grant of financial assistance and research opportunities.
Eligibility: Open to Indian students selected based on academic and admission requirements. It is devised for students in various academic disciplines, including social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.
Visa Sponsorship: Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute supports students in visa matters by way of advice and helping them attain study permits.
4. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship awarded to graduate students, including international students, studying at participating Ontario-based institutions. The scholarship is valued at $15,000 per year and is awarded based on academic merit as well as on the basis of research potential.
Eligibility: Open to all international and domestic students looking to pursue their master’s or doctoral studies from any Ontario university. Admission will be based on selection, where the applicant’s academic record, research proposal, and leadership qualities will be considered.
Visa Sponsorship: Though OGS does not sponsor any type of visa, Ontario universities extend full support to international students in obtaining their study permits.
5. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is a leading scholarship program in support of outstanding doctoral students in any area of the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences that relates to human rights, social justice, and public policy. This program supports financial aid, mentorship, and leadership development.
Eligibility: This is open to domestic and international students in a doctorate degree program whose research interests fit the Foundation’s goals. Candidates must show a commitment to social change and academic excellence.
It does not provide any direct Visa Sponsorship, but the participating universities significantly facilitate the visa application in applying for a study permit.
Visa Sponsorship for Canada: International Students
For foreign students, studying in Canada requires obtaining a study permit, generally known as a student visa. Not all scholarships directly sponsor visa applications. However, most universities in Canada have resources and support to help students obtain a study permit. Here is a short overview of the process for applying for a visa:
Get Admission Letter: Once selected, a student shall require an admission letter from a specified post-secondary Canadian post-secondary institution. This document is necessary during the application for a study permit.
Assembly of Documents Required: In general, the application for a study permit would require a few required documents such as proof of acceptance, proof of identity-passport, and proof of financial support. The financial support may be by scholarship, personal savings, or funding from a sponsor.
Application for Study Permit: Students are required to apply for the study permit using Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Applicants may be required, based on country of residence, to provide biometrics or a medical examination.
Study Permit Approval: Once the study permit is approved, students can enter Canada and begin their respective academic programs. Some of the scholarships, especially by major universities, provide continued support for the same.
Application Process for Canadian Scholarships – International Students
Generally, the application process includes the following steps for scholarships in Canada:
Scholarship Research and Identification: Students are supposed to research the available scholarships that fit their academic goals, as well as their background. Most Canadian universities advertise all available scholarship opportunities on their websites, further categorizing these by field of study, academic level, and country of origin.
Application Materials Preparation: A personal statement or essay, academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, proof of extracurricular activities, or leadership-no scholarship application goes without these.
Apply to a Canadian Institution: The most dominant feature is that international students need to get admitted to an accredited Canadian post-secondary institution. Indeed, the processes of application for scholarships often begin after one gets admission.
Apply for Scholarship: Each of these programs normally has its deadline and requirements that a student must consider, submitting his or her application very much in advance of the due date.
Visa Process: After getting a scholarship and admission to a university in Canada, students can initiate the process of applying for a study permit.
Conclusion
While the Jason Lang Scholarship is actually for residents in Alberta, Canada is bound to support academic excellence. There are several scholarships with financial support and sponsorship of a visa for international students that allow them to study in Canada.
Indeed, attaining the academic and leadership entry criteria has been an opportunity for international students to study in one of the most accommodating countries for higher education globally.
References:
1. Educanada
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