The McGill Students and Scholars at Risk Program
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela
The ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world continue to remind us of the fragility of life as we witness lives disrupted, refugees fleeing their homes, and atrocities visited upon civilians and their communities.
Though less often in the headlines, the effects of these crises on the academic community are also profound and long-lasting: schools and universities closed or even destroyed, scholarly work interrupted, life-changing research unrealized.
To help lessen the impact of these devastating events, McGill University has established The McGill Students and Scholars at Risk Program (SSAR). The program offers support to international undergraduate students, graduate students, scholars and researchers who have been displaced by conflicts or humanitarian emergencies.
A new Provostial Advisory Council, established in May 2026, is mandated to review and advance SSAR engagement initiatives, ensure alignment with institutional priorities and governance processes, assess risks and resource implications, coordinate with existing measures, and explore opportunities for collaboration with other Canadian universities supporting students and scholars at risk.
About the McGill Students and Scholars at Risk Program
Choose from the options to the left to view details including information about applying.
Undergraduate students
Note: Students must be admitted to a McGill program before applying for funding.
The fund provides undergraduate students with critical support during their studies, including tuition waivers, health insurance, scholarships for living expenses, housing, and language support.
Support for individual students will be provided in the form of tuition waivers, of up to the full amount of their academic fees, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses. (A matched or stacked funding model is preferred.)
Please ssar [at] mcgill.ca (email) for more information about the program.
Use of funds:
- Travel to Canada: The funds may be used to cover the cost of travel to Canada.
- Living Expenses: The funds may be used for living expenses in Montreal.
Graduate students
Note: Students must be admitted to a McGill program before applying for funding.
The fund provides graduate students with critical support during their studies, including tuition waivers, health insurance, scholarships for living expenses, housing, and language support.
Support for individual students will be provided in the form of tuition waivers, of up to the full amount of their academic fees, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses. (A matched or stacked funding model is preferred.)
Please ssar [at] mcgill.ca (email) for more information about the program.
Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) (Science en exil - Students):
The Science en exil program aims to facilitate access to FRQ training grants for students from countries experiencing an emergency. The supports put in place can assist students in exile by providing scholarships, language training and networking opportunities through the collaboration of Quebec’s higher education institutions.
Learn more about the FRQ-Science en exil program
Use of funds:
- Tuition and Living Expenses: The funds may be used for tuition and living expenses in Montreal.
Scholars and researchers
The program provides a source of financing and an academic home by arranging temporary research and teaching roles as well as stipends or fellowships for living expenses.
Support for individual scholars will be provided as a fellowship.
Please ssar [at] mcgill.ca (email) for more information about the program.
Hosting displaced or refugee scholars
Hosting scholars may take place through an existing partner organization. The process usually involves the following steps:
- Scholar applies through a partner organization (see below).
- Organization sends out message to interested partners about hosting availability.
- McGill accepts scholar and hosts at a faculty/department (there may be a requirement to provide full or matching funding, depending on the placing organization).
Partner organizations:
These organizations provide sanctuary and assistance to threatened scholars and arrange temporary research and teaching positions:
Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) (Science en exil - Researchers):
The Science en exil program aims to facilitate access to FRQ training grants for researchers from countries experiencing an emergency. The supports put in place can assist researchers in exile by providing scholarships, language training and networking opportunities through the collaboration of Quebec’s higher education institutions.
Learn more about the FRQ-Science en exil program
Use of funds:
- Tuition and Living Expenses: The funds may be used for tuition and living expenses in Montreal.
Visit the McGill Giving website to back McGill’s efforts in supporting students and scholars at risk and contribute to this Fund.