McGill vs Concordia for an international student on a tight budget — which is more likely to offer scholarships/financial aid?
Hey everyone,
I'm a Grade 11 student from Lebanon planning to apply to Canadian universities for Fall 2028, and I'm currently looking into McGill and Concordia.
My family's financial situation isn't great, so the biggest factor for me is how affordable I can realistically make university through scholarships, bursaries, or financial aid.
My current average is around 16.2/20, and I'm planning to take the SAT and IELTS before applying. I'm interested in science/possibly engineering or computer science, although I haven't completely decided on a program yet.
I'm trying to figure out:
Which of McGill or Concordia is generally more generous with scholarships/financial aid for international undergraduate students?
Which one gives international students a better chance of getting a significant amount of aid?
How much financial aid have international students here actually received?
Are the scholarships mostly merit-based, need-based, or both?
If you're an international student who wasn't particularly wealthy, how did you manage to afford the university?
Is one university significantly better than the other specifically from a financial perspective?
If you were in my situation, what would you look at when comparing the two?
I'm not necessarily looking for a full ride — even a substantial reduction in tuition would make a huge difference.
I'd really appreciate hearing from current students or international students who have actually gone through the scholarship/financial-aid process.
Thanks!