Organization of American States Academic Scholarships Program

Eligibility

To be eligible, candidates 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
• ✔ possess the linguistic competencies necessary to undertake the academic studies in the language of the institution in the country of study

Candidates are responsible to seek their own admission to the universities or educational institutions of their choice and ensure the necessary admission requirements are met.

Scholarship value and duration

* All amounts are subject to change

Scholarships are tenable for a minimum of one academic year, which must begin between January 2023 and December 2023. 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
• the confirmation by the academic institution that the award renewal is necessary for the student to complete their study program

Eligible expenses

Benefits are assigned on a case-by-case basis and may include:

• ✔ round-trip airfare via the most direct and economical route from Canada to the country of study
• ✔ tuition fees and mandatory expenses for the academic program
• ✔ monthly complementary subsistence allowance (onsite candidates only)
• ✔ health insurance (onsite candidates only)
• ✔ fixed annual book allowance

The benefits will vary according to the terms and conditions as well as the length of the scholarship. The Organization of American States 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.

Candidates selected for an Organization of American States scholarship will have to provide proof of additional funds for their monthly subsistence expenses.

Application process

3-step process

Candidates must complete a three-step application process.

1. Step one: complete and submit the Organization of American Sates (OAS) online application form for graduate studies and provide the supporting documents as requested.
2. Step two: submit a copy of the completed OAS application and supporting documents by email to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).
3. Step three: complete and submit the online application form of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) 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 1: OAS online application

Applicants must complete and submit the online 2023 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.

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 highest degree obtained (Bachelor or Master)
• Copy of official 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
  • 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 2023 and December 2023
• 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.

Step 2: Submit supporting documents

The OAS application and associated 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 before the deadline.

Step 3: 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

Applicants must

1. Login or Create an account on Momentum to apply for the scholarship.
2. Once you have logged into your account, select the Organization of American States Scholarship Program in the “For Canadians” section and click on “Apply Now”.
3. Enter data in the fields marked mandatory and follow instructions for each item.
4. Upload all required supporting documents. Each document must be smaller than 5 MB and in .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif format. All documents must be in either English or French.
5. Verify the data prior to submission.
6. Click “SUMBIT”. You will receive a confirmation message and a reference number for submitted applications.
7. Print the form for your records using the print function in the browser.

Visit Help with Momentum for more information.

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

• 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 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. Applicants enrolled in a program of study at the time of application must also submit their current academic transcript.
• 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)

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
• 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
  • 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
• the adherence to the objectives and the priorities established in the OAS Strategic Plan (PDF, 44KB)

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.

Key dates

Application deadline

The deadline to submit the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) online application form is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 10, 2023.

The deadline to submit the OAS application form is March 10, 2023. Applications received late or incomplete by the scholarship administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), will not be considered.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that any documents sent by mail are received by the deadline. CBIE will not accept incomplete files. Supporting documents, other than the ones requested, will not be accepted.

An acknowledgement of receipt will not be provided.

Notification of results

The final selection of scholarship recipients is made by the Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee appointed by the Secretary General of the OAS and will be communicated to the scholarship administrator in June 2023.

Notification will be sent out to successful candidates by the OAS Secretariat.

Scholarship conditions

Conditions for successful students

The terms and conditions are as follows:

• applicants are not eligible for a scholarship in the country of their citizenship or permanent residency
• OAS staff members, OAS consultants, staff members of the Permanent Missions to the OAS, as well as their relatives, are not eligible for OAS scholarships and must wait six months after the termination of their employment or contract before being considered eligible once again
• selected candidates must provide an unconditional acceptance letter and be ready to begin their studies between January 2023 and December 2023 for a minimum of one academic year
• selected candidates must agree to return to and reside in Canada for a period of no less than 24 months after completing the program. Recipients in online education programs must agree to remain in Canada for the same period of time
• selected candidates will be required to submit proof of additional funds

Additional information

All recommendations of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee and decisions made by the OAS are final and are not open to appeal.

The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the OAS through the Department of Human Development, Education, and Employment.

Contact us

Questions?

• Contact the scholarship administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE): scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca or 613-237-4820