Waterloo International Entrance Scholarship 2027 Canada

University of Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship 2027 in Canada: CAD 10,000 for First-Year International Students — No Separate Application

Applications are now open for the University of Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship 2027, a CAD 10,000 first-year award for international students starting an undergraduate degree in September 2027 at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. The best part is how simple it is: there is no separate scholarship application, no extra form and no documents or bank details to submit for this award. If you are eligible and admitted, Waterloo says you will be automatically granted the scholarship.

This is a partial funding award, not a fully funded scholarship. It is designed to help with first-year tuition, so it is best seen as a strong head start on your first year at Waterloo rather than cover for your whole degree.

What the scholarship offers

According to the University of Waterloo's official scholarships page for international students, eligible students receive:

- CAD 10,000 towards first-year tuition, paid in two instalments

- CAD 5,000 available in late July towards first-term tuition

- CAD 5,000 available in late November towards second-term tuition

The award is for the first year only. It can only be applied to your first- and second-term tuition bills, and it cannot be spread over multiple years or transferred to you directly as cash.

There is no cap on how many students can receive it: Waterloo states there are no limits on the number of students who receive the scholarship, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. It also does not replace or reduce other entrance scholarships — you can receive this award as well as any other entrance scholarship you are awarded.

Who can apply? Eligibility requirements

You are eligible for the International Student Entrance Scholarship if you:

- Are an international fee-paying student

- Are admitted to full-time, first-year degree studies at the University of Waterloo

- Are starting in September 2027 (Waterloo admits first-year students for the September term only)

- Remain enrolled full-time (three or more courses) in your first and second terms

- Continue to be an international fee-paying student throughout those terms

Waterloo notes the award is available in most undergraduate programmes, with some exceptions listed on its official page, so check your chosen programme against that page before you apply. Students admitted to the Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE) programme also qualify, with the scholarship awarded when they start their degree programme, provided they still meet the eligibility criteria at that point.

You do not need to maintain a specific grade average to keep this scholarship beyond meeting the conditions of your Offer of Admission. If your average drops but you still meet those conditions, Waterloo says you will still be awarded the scholarship.

How to apply

There is no separate scholarship application for the CAD 10,000 International Student Entrance Scholarship. You simply apply for undergraduate admission to the University of Waterloo:

1. Apply for admission through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) by your programme deadline below.

2. Submit your transcripts and any supplementary forms your applicant portal asks for, such as the Admission Information Form where required, by the documents deadline.

3. If you are eligible and admitted, the scholarship will appear on the Awards and financial aid tab in your Waterloo applicant portal from April.

That is it for this award. Waterloo also offers other entrance and faculty scholarships, some of which do require separate applications, so if you are aiming for those as well, check their individual deadlines on Waterloo's official scholarships pages.

Deadline

Admission deadlines for September 2027 entry — international students have the same deadlines as all applicants:

- Engineering programmes (other than Architecture): apply by 15 January 2027; documents and supplementary forms due by 1 February 2027

- Most other programmes: apply by 1 February 2027; documents due by 15 February 2027

Some specialised programmes have different dates, so confirm the deadline for your exact programme on Waterloo's official deadlines page. An application deadline may be extended if a programme is not yet full, but late applications are reviewed only if spaces remain, so do not rely on an extension.

Why this scholarship stands out

Many entrance awards are competitive, capped or buried behind a separate form. Waterloo's International Student Entrance Scholarship is different: it is automatic, uncapped for eligible students, and it stacks with other entrance scholarships rather than replacing them. For an international student already planning to apply to Waterloo — a university known for its co-op programmes and its large international community of more than 25,000 students from 120 countries — that CAD 10,000 first-year boost is a genuinely useful, no-extra-paperwork reason to get your OUAC application in before the January or February deadline.

Official links

- University of Waterloo — Scholarships for international students (official page): https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/financing/international-scholarships

- University of Waterloo — Application and document deadlines (official page): https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/admissions/deadlines

- University of Waterloo — International student admission (official page): https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/international-students