The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada recognizes the academic achievement of outstanding students from around the world by devoting more than $30 million annually to awards, scholarships, and other forms of financial support for international undergraduate students.
Joining UBC’s community of award winners
When you receive an award or scholarship, you join a community of engaged and supportive young leaders and changemakers who enrich UBC with their diverse perspectives, lived experiences, involvement, and innovation.
While studying at a global top 40 university, and North America’s most international university, you’ll have the chance to grow, connect, research, and innovate.
UBC offers a wide range of opportunities inside and outside the classroom – from co-ops and undergraduate research to clubs and study abroad – to round out your degree and help you contribute to the university’s thriving community.
Merit-based awards
As soon as you receive an offer of admission to UBC, you’ll automatically be considered for these merit-based awards. Consideration is based on your demonstrated academic achievement and your extracurricular involvement.
International Major Entrance Scholarship
International Major Entrance Scholarships (IMES) are awarded to exceptional international students entering undergraduate programs at UBC. Students receive their IMES when they enter their first year at UBC, and the scholarships are renewable for up to three additional years of study. The number and level of these scholarships awarded each year vary, depending on available funding.
Eligibility
To be considered for the IMES, 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 IMES 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 award.
Outstanding International Student Award
The Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award is a one-time, merit-based entrance scholarship awarded to qualified students when they are offered admission to UBC. Students selected for this award show strength academically and display involvement outside of the classroom.
Eligibility
To be considered for an OIS 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). (Changes to your citizenship status will affect your scholarship eligibility.)
- Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong extracurricular involvement.
- Not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars award.
Scholarship and evaluation timeline
Merit-based awards are evaluated based on an applicant’s academic and personal profile. All international undergraduate applicants are considered for OIS and IMES awards, so the award evaluation process is highly competitive.
Admissions decisions and award evaluations are two separate processes. You will be considered for merit-based scholarships after you receive an offer of admission to UBC. While offers of admission may start rolling out in January, scholarship decisions are made between mid-March to the end of April.
Due to the large volume of applicants eligible for awards consideration, only successful recipients will receive notification of an award offer. Recipients of the IMES and OIS awards will receive their award offer in advance of their admission acceptance deadline date. Most students’ deadline will be May 1. The award offers are final and recipients will have up until their admissions offer deadline to accept their awards offer.
Financial Planning
Our OIS and IMES are merit-based awards and we are unable to take financial need into consideration. Recipients of OIS and IMES awards are encouraged to create a financial plan for the duration of their degree at UBC as these awards do not cover the full cost of education.
UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award
The UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award is a $5,000 award applied to international students’ first-year tuition at UBC Okanagan.
All international students who apply to UBC with a UBC Okanagan degree listed as their first choice and who are accepted and enrol into their UBC Okanagan first-choice program, will receive this award. The $5,000 award is a credit toward tuition fees for your first year of full-time study on the Okanagan campus. 50% of the award will be applied to Term 1 tuition and 50% of the award will be applied to Term 2 tuition.
The award is designed to welcome international students to the Okanagan campus and help you get the best possible start to your UBC Okanagan experience.
Eligibility
To be considered for the International Welcome Award, you must:
- be a first-year international student,
- select a UBC Okanagan degree listed as your first choice, and
- be accepted to UBC Okanagan and enrol into your first-choice degree.
