Social Work Scholarships for Canadian Masters Students
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!
