uOttawa International Scholarship
The University of Ottawa offers automatic Differential Tuition Fee Exemptions to international research-stream graduate students. The exemption brings international PhD and many Master's tuition rates down to the Canadian domestic rate — saving roughly CAD 18,000-24,000 per year. Combined with department research stipends (RA/TA) and supervisor grants, this often results in fully-funded packages for Sri Lankan applicants. uOttawa is bilingual (English / French) and is the largest French-English bilingual university in the world.
University of Ottawa
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
International-to-domestic tuition rate (~CAD 18-24k/yr saving)
Level
Master's (research) + PhD
Duration
Applied every year of programme
Stipend
Often topped up by RA/TA + supervisor grant
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
International (Visa) Student
Open to international graduate students paying overseas tuition. Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. The differential exemption applies to students starting in or after Fall 2019.
Research-Stream Programme
Must be admitted to an eligible research-based Master's (with thesis) or PhD programme. Course-based / professional Master's degrees are typically excluded — check the per-faculty list.
Full-Time Enrolment
Maintain full-time graduate-student status with satisfactory academic progress. The exemption is automatically renewed each term while you remain in your funded programme.
Supervisor / Department Confirmation
PhD applicants normally need a confirmed supervisor before admission. The supervisor's research grant typically supplements the exemption with a stipend — most Sri Lankan PhD students end up fully funded.
account_tree Application Process
Contact a potential supervisor
For PhD applicants, email faculty members whose research aligns with yours — attach your CV, transcripts, and a short research statement. Conditional supervisor support is often the deciding factor in admission.
Submit your graduate application
Apply via the uOttawa graduate online portal. Include transcripts, references, English / French language test (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent for English-only programmes), and your research proposal.
Receive offer with exemption
If admitted to a research-stream programme, the offer letter automatically lists the Differential Tuition Fee Exemption alongside the international tuition figure.
Apply for study permit
Use the offer letter (which states the funding package including any supervisor stipend) for IRCC's study permit application. Lanka Scholar supports the visa file.
Why uOttawa?
Located in Canada's capital, the University of Ottawa is a U15 research university and the world's largest English-French bilingual university. Strong programmes in law, public administration, engineering, and the health sciences (with Canada's only medical school directly attached to a teaching hospital in downtown Ottawa).
Top 250
QS World Ranking 2026
47,000+
Total Students
U15
Canada's Research Group
Similar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
Waterloo International Master's Award of Excellence
University of Waterloo
Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarship
Mackenzie King Scholarships Trust (tenable at McGill / Canadian universities)
University of Alberta International Tuition Scholarship
University of Alberta