Social Work Scholarships for Canadian Masters Students 

Social work scholarships Canada

List of Social Work Scholarships in Canada for MSW students

Below is a list of social work scholarships and bursaries that MSW students across Canada may apply for. Note that this list includes application deadlines, location requirements, and a brief overview of the scholarship requirements and funding amount, as well as links to learn more about each program.

Please practice discretion when exploring resources and links on this page. MSW Helper does not endorse the legitimacy of any of the following resources and viewers are responsible for their own actions on external links.

Canada Graduate Scholarships — Master’s program

Amount: $17,500 for 12 months, non-renewable

Deadline: December 1st 

Location: Canada-wide

About: The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS M) program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.

Learn more about this scholarship

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program

Amount: $10,000 for 2 consecutive study terms or $15,000 for 3 consecutive study terms

Deadlines: Check with your school of study 

Location: Ontario, Canada

About: Students in graduate studies at the master’s and doctoral levels can apply for a merit-based scholarship through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program. Awards are available to graduate students for all disciplines of academic study at participating schools in Ontario.

Learn more about the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers Student Award

Amount: The award is supported by the fund that SASW has placed under the management of the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation. The yearly award shall be determined by the SASWAwards Committee in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency regulations.

Deadline: March 31st 

Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

About: The SASW Student Award is presented to a Saskatchewan social work student enrolled in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina, taking classes within Saskatchewan, or in an accredited social work program outside of Saskatchewan. The Award is presented in recognition of a student’s contribution to his/her community, beyond the immediate requirements of education/employment.

Learn more about Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers Student Award

Persons Case Scholarship

Amount: $2500

Deadline to apply: December

Location: Alberta, Canada

About: The Persons Case Scholarship supports women, men and gender-diverse individuals studying in the arts, humanities and social sciences fields whose work advances gender equality or who are studying in fields where their gender is underrepresented or disadvantaged.

Learn more about the Persons Case Scholarship

NBASW Co-operators Bursary for Student Members

Amount: $500

Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Deadlines:

January 31 each year  - Université de Moncton BSW/MSW Program

March 1 each year - Mi’kmaq/Maliseet BSW Program

November 1 each year - St. Thomas University BSW/MSW Program

About: Awarded to one student member of the NBASW from each New Brunswick School of Social Work.

Learn more about this social work scholarship

UNI Education Grant

Amount: $1000

Deadline: March 1 each year

Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Awarded to two registered members of the NBASW that reside in New Brunswick pursuing a higher degree in social work, a specialized certificate program, or a course related to social work. Funding to pursue other forms of continuing professional education activities are eligible for consideration. 

Learn more about this social work scholarship

UNI Bursary for Student Members

Amount: $500

Deadline: October 1 each year

Location: New Brunswick, Canada

About: Awarded to an NBASW student member and who resides in New Brunswick while studying in a school of social work full time through distance education.

Learn more about this social work scholarship

NSCSW College Bursaries

Amount: $500

Deadline: Fall 

Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

About: College bursaries will be awarded to several NSCSW members who are attending accredited social work programs in the fall of 2023. Bursaries are awarded based on your commitment to professional social work practice.

We value diversity and strive to create opportunities for Nova Scotians with intersectional identities who have historically faced barriers. It is not mandatory for applicants to disclose whether or not they belong to any equity-seeking groups. However, preference for bursary awards may be given to applicants who identify as holding an identity that has historically faced barriers to accessing educational opportunities.

Learn more about this social work scholarship

Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care

Amount: $1000

Deadline: April 2024

About: This scholarship seeks to support high school and undergraduate students who intend to spend their careers helping other people.

Any low-income high school senior or undergraduate student who is planning to pursue a career in healthcare, social work, government, education or a related field may apply for this scholarship.

To apply, tell us about yourself and how you hope to help the world with your career.

Learn more here: https://bold.org/scholarships/robert-f-lawson-fund-for-careers-that-care/


School Specific Social Work Scholarships in Canada: 

Each School of Social Work in Canada offers internal scholarships, awards, and bursaries for their MSW students. Check out your school’s funding list for MSW students below: 

Did you find a broken link or do you have any scholarships to add? send an email to info@mswhelper.com

How do I write my social work scholarship essay?

Many social work scholarships require an essay as part of the application process. What you include in the essay will depend on what the school is asking for. However, in my experience many scholarship essays ask you to talk about your career aspirations, goals, and your commitment to your community and social justice.

As an MSW student these themes might sound familiar. For many scholarships I actually just ended up submitting the personal statement I wrote for my MSW application because there was a lot of overlap between my initial MSW application and scholarship applications. As a busy student, it wasn’t feasible for me to write an entirely different essay for each scholarship I applied for. If you are applying to your MSW be sure to keep copies of your personal statement so that you can use it for inspiration later.

If you don’t have a personal statement you can use our personal statement template or watch our webinar on how to write a compelling personal statement. Although these resources are meant for the MSW application personal statement you can also apply a lot of the same elements to your social work scholarship applications!

Michelle Bruxer

Michelle Bruxer is the Founder & CEO of MSW Helper.

MSW Helper is a resource hub designed to help future social workers get accepted to their dream MSW programs. Through our personal statement editing services and free resources, we’re here to help you write your MSW personal statement with confidence.

MSW Helper is the ONLY grad school application service designed specifically for students who are applying to social work programs. Learn more about MSW Helper here.

https://www.mswhelper.com/
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Scholarships for social work students in the USA

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