Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarships, Canada

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada;
• have completed the prerequisite degree(s) for the proposed program of study at the time of submitting an application;
• have an overall grade point average (GPA) that is above the minimum standard required by the host university;
• be in good physical and mental health to complete the proposed program of study successfully; and
• possess the linguistic competencies necessary to undertake the academic studies in the language of the institution in the country of study.

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Offered Benefits

The value of the scholarship is up to USD 10,000* per academic year. The benefits are assigned on a case-by-case basis and may include:

• a round-trip economy-class airfare ticket from Canada to the country of study;
• tuition fees and mandatory expenses for the academic program;
• a monthly complementary subsistence allowance (for onsite candidates only);
• health insurance (for onsite candidates only); and
• a fixed annual book allowance.

The benefits will vary according to the terms and conditions as well as the length of the scholarship. OAS scholarships do not include benefits for dependents nor do they cover the totality of awardees’ expenses. Language training is also not available through this scholarship, unless language courses are a specific requirement of the candidate’s approved program or course of study.

Applicants selected for an OAS scholarship will have to provide proof of additional funds for their monthly subsistence expenses.

Scholarship duration

Scholarships are tenable for a minimum of one academic year, which must begin between January 2021 and December 2021. Candidates who have already started a program of graduate studies are eligible to apply.

The scholarship can be renewed once for a total of two academic years. The renewal for the second academic year is subject to:

• the availability of funding;
• a good academic standing during the first year of the scholarship; and
• the confirmation by the academic institution that the award renewal is necessary for the student to complete their study program.

Application Process

To be considered for an academic scholarship under the OAS Academic Scholarships Program, an applicant must complete the following two-step process:

• Step one: Complete and submit the Organization of American Sates (OAS) online application form for graduate studies and provide the supporting documents as requested.
• Step two: Complete and submit the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) online application form available on this site and provide the supporting documents as requested.

These applications will be used in the final selection process. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

All inquiries regarding this scholarship should be directed to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Step one: OAS online application

Applicants must complete and submit the online 2021 OAS Graduate Academic Scholarships Application and upload the requested supporting documents. Applicants are encouraged to review the full OAS Academic Scholarship Application Guidelines before proceeding with the application form.

In addition to submitting the OAS online application, the application and the supporting documents must be submitted by email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that these documents are received at CBIE by the deadline. All questions related to the OAS online application form should be directed to the following email: scholarships@oas.org.

Supporting documents

• Copy of the OAS online application form.
• Copy of diploma: For the highest degree obtained (Bachelor or Master).
• Copy of transcripts: A transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic records including college and CÉGEP) with the cumulative grade point average (GPA) for each degree or certificate. Applicants enrolled in a program of study at the time of application must also submit their current academic transcript.
• Curriculum vitae: The curriculum vitae must not include photographs or any personal information such as a date of birth (maximum two pages).
• Two stamped and/or signed recommendation letters: Preferably from current or former professors (using the OAS Recommendation Statement Form) or from current or previous employers (using the Employer Recommendation Form). If never employed, a reputable member of the community (ex. a business leader) may attest to the applicant’s qualities as a student or professional (using the OAS Recommendation Statement Form).
• Letter of admission: if the applicant is not currently enrolled in graduate studies, this letter must indicate a start date of studies between January 2021 and December 2021.
• Identification Card (ID): A copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, passport or permanent resident card only.

Note: Recommendation letters must be written and signed by the referees and cannot be authored by relatives of the applicant. Relatives are defined as: spouse, son or daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother, brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.

Document titles must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format: OAS-last name-first name.

COMPLETE OAS APPLICATION ONLINE

Step two: DFATD online application

Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the instructions before beginning the online form. If students experience difficulty filling out or submitting the form, they should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Instructions

Applicants must:

• Complete the online form;
  • Individuals who do not have an account will first need to Register an account.
  • Once the account is created and activated, log into it. Under “For Canadians” section, students will need to go to the Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarships Program and click on APPLY NOW.
• Enter data in the fields marked mandatory, following instructions for each item;
• Upload all required supporting documents;
• Upon completion, verify the data prior to submission;
• Print the form for their records using the print function in the browser; and
• Click SUBMIT to provide their form electronically to DFATD. The candidate will receive a confirmation message and reference number once their form is submitted.

NOTE: Applicants will have the ability to save their application and complete it at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the applicant’s profile homepage.

Supporting documents to upload to the application form

The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the online application form in one of the following formats: .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif. Each document must be smaller than 5 MB in order for the application to upload successfully.

• Letter of admission: Letter of admission from the host institution confirming the name and level of the program of study, the academic start and end date, and that the candidate has been admitted on an unconditional basis.
• Proof of Canadian citizenship: copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, passport or permanent resident card; a baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
• Official transcripts: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic records including colleges and CÉGEPs) with the cumulative grade point average for each degree or certificate.
• Study or research proposal: An essay describing your study or research plan (maximum two pages).
• Copy of diploma: for the highest degree obtained.
• Proof of registration for studies in progress: including courses being taken (if applicable).

COMPLETE DFATD APPLICATION ONLINE

Application review procedures

All applications received by the deadline and that meet the eligibility requirements will be evaluated by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee.

The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee:

• is made up of individuals from the academic community representing all regions of Canada, both official language groups and a wide variety of academic and professional disciplines; and
• reviews, evaluates and ranks applications to recommend a list of pre-selected applicants.

Applications will be reviewed by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee using the following criteria:

• the merits and overall credentials of the applicant, including academic and/or professional experience:
  • the quality of the written essays and how well the applicant explains the impact they believe their studies will have on their institution, community and country as well as their five‐year plan upon returning to Canada;
  • the applicant’s university grade point average (GPA);
  • the level of completeness and detail put into the preparation of the application; and
  • the quality of the recommendation letters which attest to the applicant’s ability to perform and to succeed as a scholarship recipient and describe what contribution and impact the referee believes the applicant will have on the institution/community/sponsoring country.
• potential and commitment of the applicant to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of Canada; and
• the adherence to the objectives and the priorities established in the OAS Strategic Plan

Preselected applications will be nominated to the OAS Secretariat where the final selection of scholarship recipients will be made by the Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee appointed by the Secretary General of the OAS. Notification will be sent out to successful candidates by the OAS Secretariat.

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