University of Guelph Scholarships 2027: Up to $42,500 for International Students

If you are an international student starting an undergraduate degree in Canada in September 2027, the University of Guelph Scholarships 2027 are worth your attention. Guelph offers entrance scholarships for international students worth up to $42,500, and three of the four main awards are automatic, with no separate scholarship form, and you are considered as soon as you apply for admission. The most prestigious award, the Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino President's Scholarship, is worth $42,500 and opens for applications by 1 December 2026, with a student deadline of Monday 8 March 2027. The international admission application deadline for Fall 2027 entry is 1 March 2027, so the clock is already running.

What the Guelph scholarships are worth

Guelph's international entrance scholarships are a portfolio, not a single award. The university's own international student support page lists four entrance scholarships for international students who have never attended post-secondary studies, and the university reports that it awarded $12 million to international students in the 2024 to 2025 academic year across its scholarships, bursaries and Work Study programmes.

Four awards at a glance

• Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino President's Scholarship: $42,500, two awards, separate application, opens by 1 December 2026.
• University International Scholarship: up to $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year), automatic on admission.
• Dean's International Scholarship: up to $10,000 over four years ($2,500 per year), automatic on admission.
• President's International Entrance Scholarship: $2,000 to $7,500, automatic on admission.

The Vaccarino award is paid as $8,250 a year for four years, plus a one-time $9,500 stipend for a summer research assistantship. It also includes mentorship by one of the university's leading professors and guaranteed first-choice residence preference in year one, provided the residence deposit is made by the deposit deadline. Only two Vaccarino scholarships are awarded for Fall 2027, so it is genuinely competitive, but the automatic awards mean a strong admission average can still earn you funding even if you do not win the top prize.

Guelph's award search tool lists further entrance awards, including the Bruder Scholarship for Latin America and the Caribbean, worth $20,000 over four years, with a next deadline of 1 April 2027.

Tuition coverage and living allowance

Be clear about what these awards are: they are partial, merit-based university awards, and a form of international student financial aid. They are not a fully funded tuition grant. The automatic awards reduce your tuition bill by a set amount each year, and even the $42,500 Vaccarino award is spread across four years rather than paid as a single lump sum. You will still need to fund the balance of international tuition, plus housing, food, books, health insurance and travel, from your own resources or other funding.

The renewable awards continue into years two, three and four only if you stay registered full-time and achieve a minimum 80.0% average in your previous academic year while continuing to pay international tuition fees. You must also register full-time for both the fall and winter semesters in year one to receive the full first-year value. Entrance scholarships cannot be deferred: if you defer your offer, you are reconsidered the following year based on the availability of scholarships for that cohort.

These are undergraduate entrance scholarships, not a graduate assistantship stipend. There is no teaching or research-assistant job attached to them.

Who is eligible?

The automatic entrance scholarships are open to students who:

• Pay international student tuition fees and apply as an international student applicant;
• Are entering semester one of any degree programme at the University of Guelph;
• Have not previously attended a post-secondary institution; and
• Have a record of high academic achievement, with the award based on the admission average at the time of the offer of admission, or in May and/or in August.

The Vaccarino President's Scholarship is narrower. You are eligible to apply if you:

• Have submitted an application for admission and hold a valid U of G student ID number;
• Are an international (VISA) student;
• Are entering the first semester of any undergraduate degree programme at the University of Guelph;
• Have not previously attended a post-secondary institution;
• Have at least an admission average equivalent to a 90.0% Canadian curriculum; and
• Have made significant leadership contributions to your school and community.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada are not eligible for the Vaccarino scholarship, regardless of current country of residence or international school credentials. They should apply for the domestic President's Scholarship or Lincoln Alexander Chancellor's Scholarship instead.

Key dates for Fall 2027 entry

Key dates

• Fall 2027 admission applications: open now via OUAC 105.
• International application deadline (OUAC, high school applicants outside Canada): 1 March 2027.
• Transcript deadline (international high school applicants): 15 March 2027.
• Vaccarino President's Scholarship application opens: by 1 December 2026.
• Vaccarino student application deadline: Monday 8 March 2027, 4:00 p.m. EST.
• Vaccarino reference letters deadline: 15 March 2027, 4:00 p.m. EDT.
• Bruder Scholarship (Latin America and the Caribbean) deadline: 1 April 2027.

OUAC notes that it will continue to accept applications after 1 March 2027, but apply as early as possible: entrance scholarships are awarded competitively on the admission average at the time of the offer or in May and/or August, so an early, complete file puts you in the strongest position.

How to apply: step-by-step blueprint

1. Choose your programme and check its requirements. Guelph offers undergraduate degrees across arts, science, engineering, business, agriculture and more. Confirm the programme-specific prerequisites and English-language requirements on the official programme page before you apply.
2. Apply for admission through OUAC 105. International undergraduate applicants apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre using the OUAC 105 form. Submit your application by 1 March 2027 and your transcripts by 15 March 2027. Once you submit, you will receive a U of G student ID number, which you need before you can apply for the Vaccarino scholarship.
3. Get your file complete early. Your admission average is what the automatic scholarships are judged on, so make sure transcripts, predicted grades where applicable, and English-language test results reach Admission Services in good time.
4. Apply for the Vaccarino President's Scholarship when it opens. The Fall 2027 Vaccarino application opens by 1 December 2026. If you hold a 90.0% admission average and a strong record of school and community leadership, prepare your application and your reference letters well ahead of the 8 March 2027 student deadline, with references due by 15 March 2027.
5. Search the Undergraduate Award Search tool. Guelph's award search lists 19 entering awards for international students. Check for awards tied to your college, your country or your programme.
6. Watch for your offer of admission. Automatic entrance scholarships are announced with your offer of admission, so there is no separate notification to chase.

Document checklist

• Completed OUAC 105 application and U of G student ID number
• Official high school transcripts and predicted or final grades
• English-language proficiency test results, where required
• Passport bio-page scan
• For the Vaccarino scholarship: a completed scholarship application, evidence of leadership and community contributions, and reference letters by 15 March 2027
• Any additional documents requested by your programme, such as a background information form

Visa support and planning your move

The Guelph scholarship pages do not list a separate visa fund, so do not budget as if visa or travel costs are covered. Once you hold an offer of admission, apply for your Canadian study permit early, as processing times vary by country, and you will need your letter of acceptance, proof of funds for the remaining tuition and living costs, and your passport.

Common pitfalls and disqualification factors

• Applying after 1 March 2027 and assuming the automatic awards will still be available. OUAC may accept late applications, but scholarship consideration is competitive and tied to your admission average at the time of offer.
• Submitting an incomplete admission file. Transcripts and English evidence that arrive late can keep your file out of scholarship consideration entirely.
• Waiting for the Vaccarino form to open before applying for admission. You need a U of G student ID number to apply for Vaccarino, so get the admission application in first.
• Assuming Canadian citizens or permanent residents can apply for Vaccarino. They cannot. The award is for international (VISA) students only.
• Counting on the awards to cover everything. These are partial awards. Budget for the balance of tuition, residence, food, books, insurance and flights.

Frequently asked questions

What GPA is required for the University of Guelph Scholarships 2027?

There is no single published GPA cut-off for the automatic awards. They are awarded competitively on your admission average. The Vaccarino President's Scholarship states a minimum admission average equivalent to 90.0% on a Canadian curriculum, plus significant leadership contributions. To keep a renewable award, you must hold an 80.0% average in each previous academic year.

Do the Guelph scholarships cover living expenses?

The awards are tuition-fee scholarships, not a living-cost package. The Vaccarino award's $9,500 summer research assistantship stipend is the one element that functions like paid work over a summer. Plan to fund housing, food, books, insurance and travel separately.

Can I apply for the Guelph scholarships without an application fee?

There is no separate scholarship fee, and the three automatic awards cost nothing extra to be considered for. You are assessed when you apply for admission. The admission application itself is made through OUAC, which charges its own application fee.

Is there a separate application for the automatic scholarships?

No. The President's International Entrance Scholarship, the University International Scholarship and the Dean's International Scholarship are all awarded automatically on your admission application. Only the Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino President's Scholarship requires a separate application, which opens by 1 December 2026 and closes on 8 March 2027.

Four awards, up to $42,500 in value, and no separate form for three of them. These scholarships reward students who get a strong, complete admission file in early. Submit your OUAC 105 application before the 1 March 2027 international deadline, and if you hold a 90% average with real leadership behind it, put the Vaccarino application at the top of your December list.

Official links

• University of Guelph: International Student Support (entrance scholarship portfolio; $12 million awarded in 2024 to 2025)
• University of Guelph: Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino President's Scholarship ($42,500 value, eligibility, 8 March 2027 deadline)
• University of Guelph: President's International Entrance Scholarship ($2,000 to $7,500, automatic on admission)
• Ontario Universities' Application Centre: University of Guelph undergraduate guide (international application deadline 1 March 2027)

Details verified against the official University of Guelph pages and the Ontario Universities' Application Centre guide on 6 November 2026. Award values, deadlines and requirements can change, so always confirm them on the official pages before you apply.