Ubc Major Entrance Scholarship 2027: Cad 25,000/year

UBC International Major Entrance Scholarship 2027 in Canada: CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000 a Year for First-Year International Students — No Separate Application

Applications are now open for the University of British Columbia (UBC) International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) and Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award 2027, two merit-based entrance awards for exceptional international students starting an undergraduate degree at UBC in September 2027. The best part? There is no separate scholarship application to complete. If you apply to UBC by the admissions deadline, you are automatically considered for both awards.

The International Major Entrance Scholarship is worth CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000 per year for the 2027/2028 academic year, and it is renewable for up to three additional years of study — so it can be worth up to CAD 100,000 over a four-year degree. The Outstanding International Student Award is a one-time award of CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000, paid when you are offered admission.

This is a partial funding opportunity, not a fully funded scholarship. UBC states plainly that these merit-based awards do not cover the full cost of a UBC education, and recipients are encouraged to create a financial plan for the duration of their degree. Even so, up to CAD 25,000 a year towards your tuition is a significant reduction in the cost of studying at one of Canada's top universities — and because consideration is automatic, you do not have to write an extra essay or meet a separate scholarship deadline to be in the running.

What does the scholarship cover?

The two awards work like this:

• International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES): CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000 per year, awarded when you enter your first year at UBC and renewable for up to three additional years of study. The number and level of scholarships awarded each year vary depending on available funding.
• Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award: a one-time merit-based entrance scholarship of CAD 10,000 to CAD 25,000, awarded to qualified students when they are offered admission to UBC.

Both awards are judged on your demonstrated academic achievement and your extracurricular involvement. UBC considers all international undergraduate applicants for OIS and IMES awards, so the evaluation process is highly competitive, and only successful recipients are notified of an award offer.

Who can apply? Eligibility requirements

To be considered for the International Major Entrance Scholarship, you must:

• Be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school
• Be an international student who will be studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit (student visa) — changes to your citizenship status will affect your eligibility
• Demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and intellectual promise, as well as impressive extracurricular and community involvement
• Not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars Program award
• Apply to UBC by the admissions deadline

To be considered for the Outstanding International Student Award, you must:

• Be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school or post-secondary (university or college)
• Be an international student studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit (student visa)
• Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong extracurricular involvement
• Not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars Program award
• Apply to UBC by the admissions deadline

How to apply: step-by-step

There is no scholarship form to fill in. Here is how it works:

1. Apply to UBC for an undergraduate programme starting in September 2027 through EducationPlannerBC. The application deadline for international students is 15 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
2. Submit any documents required for your admission, including documents showing you meet UBC's English Language Admission Standard, by 15 February 2027.
3. If you are admitted, UBC will automatically consider you for the IMES and OIS awards. Admissions decisions and award evaluations are two separate processes — you are considered for merit-based scholarships after you receive an offer of admission.
4. Scholarship decisions are made between mid-February and the end of April 2027. If you are selected, you will receive your award offer in advance of your admission acceptance deadline — for most students, that is 1 May 2027. Award offers are final, and you have until your admission offer deadline to accept.

Extra awards at UBC's Okanagan campus

If you are applying to UBC's Okanagan campus, three additional automatic awards are also available for new international undergraduates:

• UBC Okanagan Global Elevation Award: CAD 8,000 applied to your tuition, renewable for up to four years — every new international undergraduate who enrols at UBC Okanagan receives it.
• UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award: CAD 5,000 towards first-year tuition, for international students who list a UBC Okanagan degree as their first choice and enrol in that programme.
• UBC Okanagan Bachelor of Commerce International Launch Award: CAD 6,000 towards tuition, renewable for up to four years, for new international students entering the Bachelor of Commerce programme at UBC Okanagan.

Important: merit awards or the need-based programme — not both

UBC runs two separate funding routes for international undergraduates, and you can only be considered for one of them:

• The merit-based route covered in this article — the International Major Entrance Scholarship and the Outstanding International Student Award — is automatic, needs no separate application, and is judged on academics and extracurricular involvement. Financial need is not considered.
• The need-based UBC International Scholars Program is a separate stream for students who demonstrate leadership, exceptional community contributions, outstanding academics and significant financial need. It requires a school nomination and a separate scholarship application, and its deadline is 15 November 2026. We covered it in a separate article on ProjectNG.

If you apply to the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for the merit-based awards. Review UBC's merit and need-based options first and choose the route that fits your situation.

Application deadline

Apply to UBC by 15 January 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. That is the admissions deadline for international students for the September 2027 intake, and it is also the deadline to be considered for the International Major Entrance Scholarship and the Outstanding International Student Award. There is no separate scholarship deadline — but if you miss the admissions deadline, you miss the scholarships too. Submit your supporting documents, including proof of English language proficiency, by 15 February 2027.

Official application links

Read the full official details and apply through UBC's official pages:

https://you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students/international-entrance-scholarships/

https://you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/dates-deadlines

https://you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students/international-scholars