Have you been considering studying in Canada from the Maldives? It is very possible to do that. You must have weighed the country, the programs they offer in their universities and if it is suitable for you. Canada is highly sought-after by students in various countries, not just in the Maldives.
Studying in Canada from the Maldives can either be a smooth ride or a tedious one depending on how ready you are both financially and mentally. For starters, you should have a statement of account showing an amount of money to cover your tuition and living expenses, and some documents like a medical report, police report, study visa and study permit. We’ll look into how to obtain these documents in more detail.
In this article
- Why Study in Canada from Maldives?
- Types of Programs Maldivian Students Can Study in Canada
- Cost of studying in Canada from Maldives
- Scholarships for Maldivian Students in Canada
- Institutions that offer scholarships to Students from Maldives
- How to Apply for Admission in Canada from Maldives
- How do I apply for a Canadian Study Visa from the Maldives?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Study in Canada from Maldives?
Studying in Canada from the Maldives is a great experience for any student planning to take this journey. It is also rewarding after your study in Canada. The Maldives rely solely on their earnings from tourism, importation and exportation. Meanwhile, Canada offers mouth-watering benefits to any student who is privileged to finish his/her degree in Canada.
Although the Maldives is a tourist center, with its good and wonderful environment there are only three universities to cater to the intellectual needs of more than 500,000 people. Based on this fact, Maldivian students choose to go to a better country with a good educational system when compared to them.
Canada is known for academic excellence and this is why most students choose to leave their countries to study there. When you check, you will see that 26 universities in Canada are in the ranks of QS World University Ranking and also ranked in The World University Rankings. They provide quality research tools as well for the research and development of their students without minding if they are locals or international students.
When it comes to disciplines like Medicine, Engineering, Telecommunication and Technology, the Canadian government pays attention to them and offers support to them whenever it is needed. Despite ranking in the top universities, when compared to other universities in other countries it is affordable. It is also a very viable option for Maldivian students migrating to Canada for study purposes. There are also scholarships available to Maldivian students in Canada to help reduce their costs. It could be a fully-sponsored or partially-sponsored scholarship.
Asides from these other obvious facts, you get to have other experiences when it comes to cultures. This is because Canada is a country with different cultures like the NHL Hockey, just for laughs, comedy festival in Montreal, Calgary stampede. You can also earn while studying, that’s another interesting thing.
Generally, when compared to Canada, the Maldives rely on tourism and imports as their yearly revenue but Canada relies on different sources to fund their national expenses. Maldives is less populated when compared to Canada with just three universities while Canada has over 30 universities under DLI.
After studying in Canada you have a chance of getting your permanent residence and having a good job. The prospects in Canada cannot be exaggerated because there are many other things to gain asides from the residency.
As a Maldivian student migrating to Canada for study purposes, there are provinces in Canada you can reside in due to the population of Maldivians there. These provinces are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.
Types of Programs Maldivian Students Can Study in Canada
There are different programs a Maldivian student can study in Canada, ranging from the undergraduate level to the MBA level, to the masters level, to the Diploma level and then PhD.
Programs like Engineering, Political Science, Law, and Medicine, are open to international students from the Maldives. Engineering is a science that deals with the application of sciences to the maximum conversion of natural resources to the uses of humankind.
Political science deals with the study of politics and how people are governed. Law has to do with human rights and how to make sure that everyone gets what rightfully belongs to them. Medicine is a science that studies human health and how to administer the right medication and right dosage for the proper functioning of the human system.
All these programs are good programs that can be taken at either undergraduate level, masters level, MBA level or PhD level.
Cost of studying in Canada from Maldives
Studying in Canada from the Maldives could be stressful or smooth depending on some factors which will be mentioned later. But more importantly, is the financial requirement needed for you to be accepted into any Canadian university.
Most international students lose hope because they feel their family cannot afford that amount but do not be afraid. When it comes to studying in Canada, you can be self-sponsored or sponsored by a family member or a foundation in your home country. But any sponsorship aside from self-sponsorship will require a stamped letter from your sponsor indicating their interest to sponsor you through school.
Some students can’t get sponsorships neither can they get a scholarship; such students can go for student loans. Loans have been made available for students who cannot afford a sponsorship or were not able to secure a scholarship. This loan is interest friendly and it is either given out by the Canadian government or the university, even some private lenders too but they have to obey the interest law given by the government. You also have to consider costs like flight cost, books, jackets, accommodation, food etc.
Scholarships for Maldivian Students in Canada
There are different scholarships available for an international student from the Republic of Maldives and it is either a partially-sponsored scholarship or a fully-sponsored scholarship. To be eligible for any of these scholarships the following criteria has to be met:
- Be a student of a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation.
- You should not be a past recipient of the scholarship.
- You achieved a first-class degree, that is if you’re seeking a fully-sponsored scholarship.
- You must have a valid study permit.
- You must have a minimum of 3.0 CGPA.
- You must be a full-time student.
- You must have an acceptable score on GMAT and GRE in the last five years.
Institutions that offer scholarships to Students from Maldives
Do you know you can be eligible for a scholarship and still not get the scholarship? These organizations that offer scholarships also consider the program you applied for. These are the organizations that offer scholarships to international students:
- UBC Sauder School of Business: This institution offers a partially-sponsored scholarship to international students who wish to study business administration. If you are planning to study in Canada from the Maldives for an MBA degree, then this scholarship is right for you. They choose a total of two students and award them a sum of $25,000 every year till the end of their academics.
- Dalhousie University Killam Predoctoral Scholarship Awards: It is a partially-sponsored scholarship that is funded by the Dalhousie University. It is mainly for a postgraduate degree and a master’s degree for all subjects. The benefit of this award is that the master’s degree awardee will receive a sum of $6,666 per term, an ITF and then a relocation allowance in some cases. Meanwhile, the doctoral degree awardee will receive a sum of $10,000 per term, a relocation allowance and then a resident’s award for two years.
- Academic Excellence Awards at Polytechnique Montréal: This partially-sponsored scholarship is hosted by Polytechnique Montréal for all subjects. It is mostly for postgraduates. The benefits for a doctoral research scholarship is $25,000 every year for three years plus an extra year with a monthly allowance of $1,000. A short stay research or development grants $3,000 per month for four months. Then a postdoctoral scholarship awardee will receive $35,000 for a year which is non-renewable.
- Canada HEC Montreal MSc Entrance International Awards: This fully-funded scholarship is hosted by HEC Montréal. It is mainly for international students studying business administration at the master’s level. A sum of $5,000 will be awarded to successful candidates for their master’s program.
- Canada Provincial Government Student Assistance Scholarships: This is a partially-funded scholarship funded by the CDI college for all subjects. It is mostly for bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and PhD seekers. The selected individuals will no longer pay their tuition fees because the college will handle them.
These are the available scholarships for a Maldivian student planning to study in Canada but there are procedures for applying for these scholarships:
- You must be admitted into any of the universities.
- Have copies of admission letters and study permits.
- Have an English proficiency test (IELTS, TOEFL).
- Create a portal with the university online.
- Start submission for the scholarships with the required documents.
How to Apply for Admission in Canada from Maldives
Applying for admission in Canada from the Maldives is a two-way journey. It is either you are prepared or not both financially and otherwise. You will choose the university and the program of your choice and then apply either online or on paper. After the application, the university will require you to pay a non-refundable application fee. However, this does not guarantee your admission.
After this payment, you will wait to be admitted but during the waiting period, you should start your visa processing and your study permit. A study permit is very different from a study visa because with only a study permit you cannot board a flight going to Canada from the Maldives, it is only possible with a study visa. But with a study permit, you have chances of getting a Canadian permanent residence and finding a job while studying.
A financial statement helps the university and the government to know how you plan to fund your studies for the first year. This financial statement should be up to $25,000 and anything below it is hard to accept. Police reports and medical reports are also needed to know if they are accepting a criminal or someone with a communicable disease. Once all these are verified then you are fully ready to be admitted to a reputable university in Canada.
All these are requirements to possess to apply for admission from The Republic of Maldives. When taking these steps have in mind that you can either do them with the help of a representative or you can do them yourself.
Also, keep in mind that knowing either the English language or French can boost your chances of getting accepted into any university in Canada. However, most universities prefer their students to be more proficient in English rather than French.
How do I apply for a Canadian Study Visa from the Maldives?
Sometimes we confuse study visas with study permits due to the similarities when processing them. To get a study visa you have to be ready both financially and mentally because it will require your time and effort. Getting this visa is only possible when the following documents are ready and complete:
- Valid passport
- Your high school degree certificate
- Academic references from reputable people.
- Employers reference (for master’s degree and PhD).
- Statement of purpose.
- Certificate of extra-curricular activities.
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of payment
- Proof of financial funds.
- Passports
- English proficiency test
- Any other requirement will be sent to you by the Canadian embassy.
A study permit is also as important as a study visa because without this permit your chances of finding a job while studying will be low and your chances of getting a Canadian permanent residence will also be below.
A study permit is a document that is issued by the Canadian government to international students to study in an approved university by the government. To acquire the study permit, you will be required to submit the following documents:
- Proof of acceptance
- Proof of identity
- Proof of financial support
- A letter of explanation
- A custodian declaration (for minors)
- A certificate d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ)
When these documents are complete you can submit them either through the paper process or online process. Online is said to be a faster process though there could be some complications along the line but the paper process is also effective and mostly for those who do not trust the online process or do not have access to the internet. It will cost about $150 to process your study permit.
The mode of payment will be communicated to you either on your visit to the embassy or when you get to the payment phase online.
Currently, there is no Canadian office in the Maldives but the offices in Sri Lanka and Colombo offer consular services to Maldivian students who want to study in Canada. But then, to know your study permit progress, you either have to go back to the office or go online and check the portal you created for the updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to study in Canada from the Maldives?
It will cost over $100,000 for the first year. This covers every expense from tuition to living and transportation.
What is the best time to apply for study in Canada from the Maldives?
Out of the three intakes in a year, the best is the fall intake since it offers more programs and flexible schedules.
How do I get a scholarship to study in Canada from the Maldives?
The first thing is to secure a scholarship then you either apply for it from the Maldives or in Canada.
How do I study in Canada after graduation in the Maldives?
It all depends on the degree you are applying for. You will have to prepare all the documents and then choose a university of your choice and pay the application fee.
Do I need TOEFL or IELTS to study in Canada from the Maldives?
Yes, it is needed. This test goes to prove that you are qualified to study in Canada. Canada is an English speaking country, therefore being proficient in English is an advantage.
What is the population of Maldivian students in Canada?
As of 2007, it was discovered that 1200 students from the Maldives studied in Canada. From 2007 till date the figures are increasing due to Canada’s diverse cultures.
Can Maldivian students work in Canada while studying?
Yes, it is possible to work while studying only if you have a valid study permit. This study permit will help you get a job while studying and also give you a chance of getting your permanent residence.
Is Canada the best country for Maldivian students?
Currently, Canada is rated 3rd for foreign students attraction. This is because of the kind of environment they produce and their improving educational system.
Conclusion
Studying in Canada from the Maldives is a good experience due to the diverse culture in Canada, the student can also adapt quickly due to that kind of serene environment. The Maldives has only two main sources of revenue aside from other minor ones which are; tourism, imports and exports. They also have just three higher institutions and with the population, in the Maldives, they spend more money to upgrade their academic system which is not comparable to Canada. Therefore, Canada is the best place for international students from the Maldives and other parts of the world.
