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Do you have any idea about universities offering full-funded waivers in Canada/USA for a Master's?

04 Sept 2026 · Answered by Prakhar Pragy Dixit · 2 min read
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Yes, fully funded master's options exist in both countries, mainly through thesis based programs. In Canada, Toronto, UBC and McGill offer funding packages combining assistantships and scholarships. In the US, Graduate Assistantships at Purdue and Ohio State provide tuition waivers plus stipends for weekly work.

Prakhar Pragy Dixit
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Yes, you can find fully funded master's programs in both Canada and the USA, but the path runs almost entirely through thesis based research degrees rather than general admission scholarships. Understanding this distinction early will save you from applying to the wrong type of program.

Where Funding Comes From in Each Country

CountryFunding MechanismUniversities to Target
CanadaMinimum Funding Package covering tuition and living costs via TA and RA rolesUniversity of Toronto, UBC, McGill, University of Alberta, Waterloo
CanadaProvincial awards for high achieving studentsOntario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
USAGraduate Assistantship offering tuition waiver plus monthly stipend for 10-20 hours weekly workUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue, Ohio State, University of Michigan
USAMerit based tuition scholarships or fellowshipsDepartment specific, mostly in STEM fields

Strategies to Actually Secure Full Funding

  • Target thesis based M.Sc. or M.A. programs and avoid professional or course based degrees like an M.Eng. or standard MBA, which are almost always self funded.
  • Cold email professors whose research matches your interests, since they often bring master's students onto grants as Graduate Research Assistants.
  • Apply early, since funding deadlines frequently fall between December and February for a Fall intake, well ahead of general admission deadlines.
  • Check external scholarships like Fulbright or home country government grants that can be used at US or Canadian institutions.

My Advice

Before you shortlist any university, decide whether you can commit to a thesis based program, since that single choice determines almost all of your funding eligibility. Then reach out directly to two or three professors in your field this semester, since a strong match with an active grant is often your fastest route to a fully funded offer.

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