UBC Scholarships for International Students 2026/27: Entrance Awards & International Scholars

The University of British Columbia (UBC) runs one of Canada’s largest international student funding systems. UBC reports more than CAD 35 million in international student financial assistance, award recipients from more than 108 countries, and more than 560 International Scholars welcomed since 2001. That money flows through two very different doors. The first door is merit-based entrance awards — the International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) and the Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award — for which you are considered automatically once you apply to UBC by the admissions deadline. The second door is the International Scholars Program, a set of need-and-merit-based awards for outstanding students who could not attend UBC without significant financial help, which requires school nomination and a separate, detailed application by 15 November.

This guide explains every main UBC scholarship route for international undergraduates in 2026/27 — values, eligibility, deadlines and how the two doors interact (importantly, you must choose one: International Scholars applicants are not considered for merit-based awards). It also covers UBC Okanagan and Vantage One awards, and the graduate funding picture, so you can build a realistic financing plan. For the university itself — programs, tuition, rankings and campus life — see our full University of British Columbia profile, and browse the StudyGraduate scholarships directory to compare UBC with other destinations.

UBC Scholarships at a Glance

Before going further, one strategic warning that UBC itself gives: applicants may only be considered for either the merit-based route or the need-and-merit International Scholars route. If you apply to the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for IMES or OIS. UBC explicitly advises you to review its merit and entrance-based award options first and decide which program fits your circumstances — because for a strong student without significant documented financial need, the automatic merit route is the correct door, while for a strong student whose family genuinely cannot fund a significant part of a UBC degree, the International Scholars Program is where the transformative funding sits.

Merit-Based Entrance Awards: IMES and the Outstanding International Student Award

UBC’s merit-based awards are evaluated on your demonstrated academic achievement and your extracurricular involvement, and consideration begins as soon as you receive an offer of admission. There is no separate scholarship form: if you apply to UBC by the admissions deadline, you are automatically in the pool for both IMES and OIS.

The International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) is the flagship renewable merit award. It is given to exceptional international students entering undergraduate programs, is received in the first year, and is renewable for up to three additional years of study — a potential four years of support. For the 2026/2027 academic year, UBC publishes IMES values of CAD 10,000–25,000 per year; the number and level of scholarships awarded each year vary depending on available funding. We have published a dedicated guide to this award: UBC International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) 2026/27.

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. Recipients show strength academically and display involvement outside the classroom. For the 2025/2026 academic year — the most recent value stated on UBC’s international scholarships page when this article was written — OIS awards were valued at CAD 10,000–25,000. Unlike IMES, OIS is open not only to students entering directly from secondary school but also to new students entering from a post-secondary institution.

UBC is transparent about two things applicants often misunderstand. First, the timeline: admission offers may start rolling out in December, but scholarship decisions are made between mid-February and the end of April, and only successful recipients are notified. Silence in March does not mean rejection — it usually means your file is still in the evaluation window. Second, the limits: IMES and OIS are merit awards, UBC does not consider financial need for them, and they do not cover the full cost of a UBC education. UBC explicitly encourages recipients to build a financial plan for the full duration of the degree. Award offers arrive before your admission acceptance deadline (May 1 for most students), and recipients have until that deadline to accept the award.

The International Scholars Program: Need-and-Merit Awards

The International Scholars Program is UBC’s answer for a different kind of applicant: a high academic achiever with significant financial need who has demonstrated exceptional extracurricular activities, a desire to create positive global and social change, and dedication to giving back to their community. Scholars receive dedicated advising throughout their degree, plus skill-building workshops and retreats, and the option to join exchange and co-op. It is a cohort program, not just a cheque.

There are four award categories inside the program, and you do not choose between them — UBC’s team automatically considers you for every award you are eligible for:

• Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award — recognises superior academic achievement and exemplary leadership that supports and empowers others through collaboration, empathy and active listening, with a positive impact through school and community service projects and notable achievement in other academic or extracurricular pursuits. (This is the current home of the award long known internationally as the International Leader of Tomorrow Award.)
• Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award — for outstanding students from impoverished or war-torn areas who have achieved academic excellence under challenging circumstances and would be unable to attend university without significant financial assistance, with leadership potential and commitment to positive community impact.
• International Impact Award — for students who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to solutions in sustainability and climate change, natural resource conservation and management, social justice, equity and inclusion, or societal health and wellness. Priority is given to first-generation learners and students from diverse lived backgrounds.
• Vantage One Excellence Award — offered through UBC Vantage College for academically outstanding students who do not yet meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard for direct admission. Its value ranges up to the full cost of the student’s academic program and living expenses.

Eligibility is strict, and UBC states there are no exceptions. You must be an international student who will study in Canada on a study permit; entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school; applying for your first undergraduate degree; and — for the 2027 Winter session — you must have graduated from high school no earlier than June 2026. You must prove a significant level of financial need with official documents: UBC’s financial assessment reviews your family’s gross income, expenses and assets, and your family must be unable to afford a significant level of your educational costs and have no access to external funding. You must meet UBC’s admission requirements, demonstrate superior academic achievement (UBC defines this as all As or the equivalent standard), and meet the English Language Admission Standard — unless you are a Vantage College candidate for the Vantage One Excellence Award. Certain degrees are excluded from the program, including the Bachelor of Nursing (both campuses), Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Science, the Bachelor + Master of Management, dual degrees and joint degrees.

The process requires a nomination: a high school or registered non-profit organisation may nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver (including Vantage College) and one student for UBC Okanagan. You need one nominator (such as a guidance counsellor, principal or administrator) and one teacher referee — and they must be different people. The full application, including four essay questions of roughly 150–250 words and detailed family financial information, is due by 15 November; required admission documents follow by 31 January; shortlisted applicants may be invited to a video interview between January and March; and results are released on a rolling basis from February to April, with all applicants hearing by early to mid-April.

UBC Okanagan and Vantage One Awards

Two further award families are worth knowing because they are automatic and predictable. At UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, all new international undergraduate students who enrol receive the Global Elevation Award of CAD 8,000, applied as a tuition credit in two instalments of CAD 4,000 across Winter Term 1 and Term 2, and renewable for up to four years or degree completion. On top of that, the International Welcome Award gives CAD 5,000 toward first-year tuition to international students who list a UBC Okanagan degree as their first choice, are accepted into it and enrol full-time. For a student who genuinely wants the smaller Okanagan campus, these two awards together provide a known CAD 13,000 first-year reduction before any merit award is considered.

Through UBC Vantage One — the first-year pathway for academically strong students whose English proficiency does not yet meet direct-admission requirements — eligible students can receive the International Major Entrance Scholarship for Vantage One, the Vantage One Entrance Award, or the Vantage One Excellence Award (the last of these also sits inside the International Scholars Program). Criteria and timelines vary by award, so Vantage applicants should read UBC’s dedicated Vantage One awards page carefully.

Graduate Funding at UBC: A Short Note

This article focuses on undergraduate entrance funding, where UBC’s international scholarship system is most distinctive. Graduate applicants should know that UBC provides funding packages to many full-time research graduate students, and that the major federal doctoral award has changed: the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program has been discontinued, and its successor is the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D), worth CAD 40,000 per year for 36 months. International students may hold CGRS-D within a cap of 15% of awards and must already be enrolled in an eligible doctoral program at a Canadian institution when applying. The master’s-level CGRS-M is restricted to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons. Always confirm current graduate funding terms with your UBC graduate program directly.

Eligibility Summary

Whichever route you take, you must also meet UBC’s general and degree-specific admission requirements and, for the study permit, satisfy Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. For study permit applications from 1 September 2026, IRCC’s living-expense requirement for a single applicant is CAD 23,448, on top of tuition and travel (the figure was CAD 22,895 for applications up to 31 August 2026). Merit awards reduce your tuition bill but do not remove the need to evidence the remaining funds. Our scholarships in Canada guide sets UBC’s awards in the context of funding and visa requirements across the country.

How to Apply: Two Routes, Step by Step

Route A — Merit awards (IMES and OIS). (1) Apply for admission to UBC by the admissions deadline. (2) Receive an offer of admission — consideration for merit awards follows automatically. (3) Wait for the scholarship decision window (mid-February to end of April); only successful recipients are contacted. (4) Accept your award by your admission acceptance deadline, typically May 1. That is the entire process — there is no form to miss, which means the quality of your admission application, including your Personal Profile, is your scholarship application.

Route B — International Scholars Program. (1) In mid-September, decide your academic program and campus — you will be considered for your first-choice program, though you should still select a second choice. (2) In late September, discuss nomination with your school and line up your nominator and a separate teacher referee. (3) In early October, submit your UBC admission application first — it is required before you can complete the award application. (4) Create your award application account, invite your nominator and referee, and confirm they have received their invitations; your application cannot be completed until both forms are submitted. (5) Through mid-October, gather family financial information (income, expenses, assets, dependents, school fees, sources of support) and draft the four short essays. (6) Submit the completed application by 15 November — UBC recommends submitting well ahead of the deadline. (7) Submit required admission documents by 31 January. (8) If invited, complete the video interview (January–March, with one week to record responses). (9) Watch your email — including spam folders — for results released between February and April.

Required Documents

For admission and merit consideration: your secondary school (or post-secondary) transcripts, English proficiency results where required, and your completed Personal Profile. For the International Scholars Program, add: official financial documents evidencing family income, expenses and assets; nominator and teacher referee forms; and the four application essays. Because the financial assessment is documentary, families should gather bank records, employer letters and tax or income evidence early — assembling credible financial documentation in the final week before 15 November is the single most common practical failure in this program.

Deadlines and Timeline

How to Improve Your Chances

For merit awards, understand what UBC actually evaluates: academic achievement and extracurricular involvement as presented in your admission file. Your grades set your ceiling, but UBC’s Personal Profile is where involvement becomes visible — write it with concrete outcomes, sustained commitments and reflection, not lists. Apply by the deadline without exception; late applicants are simply not in the pool. For the International Scholars Program, the decisive combination is all-As-level achievement, leadership with genuine community impact, and financial documentation that is complete, official and consistent — UBC’s assessment reviews income, expenses and assets together, and inconsistencies undermine credibility. Start in September, give your nominator and referee weeks (not days), and treat the four short essays as the place where your leadership story becomes evidence. Our dedicated IMES guide goes deeper on positioning your admission file for the merit route.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The costliest mistake is choosing the wrong door: applying to the International Scholars Program when you cannot document significant need (you then lose merit-award consideration for nothing), or relying on merit awards when your family’s finances mean only a need-based award makes UBC affordable. Second, missing the 15 November International Scholars deadline — it falls months before most students expect a scholarship deadline. Third, assuming IMES or OIS covers full costs; UBC states clearly that these awards do not, and study permit rules still require proof of CAD 23,448 in living funds (from 1 September 2026) plus tuition. Fourth, waiting for a scholarship notification that may never come — UBC notifies only successful merit recipients, so build your plan B in parallel. Fifth, for graduate applicants, planning around the discontinued Vanier scholarship instead of its CGRS-D successor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much scholarship money does UBC give international students?

UBC reports more than CAD 35 million in international student financial assistance, with recipients from more than 108 countries. Individual undergraduate awards include IMES at CAD 10,000–25,000 per year (2026/2027, renewable for up to three additional years) and the one-time OIS Award at CAD 10,000–25,000 (2025/2026 figure).

Do I need a separate application for UBC entrance scholarships?

Not for merit-based awards. If you apply to UBC by the admissions deadline, you are automatically considered for IMES and the Outstanding International Student Award once you receive an offer of admission. The International Scholars Program is different: it requires nomination and a separate application by 15 November.

What is the difference between IMES and the International Scholars Program?

IMES is a merit-only, renewable entrance award with automatic consideration. The International Scholars Program is need-and-merit-based: it requires significant documented financial need, school nomination, essays and a financial assessment, and it offers cohort support such as dedicated advising. You can only be considered for one route — International Scholars applicants are not considered for merit awards.

What are the four International Scholars awards at UBC?

The Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, the International Impact Award, and the Vantage One Excellence Award. You do not choose one; UBC considers you automatically for each award you qualify for.

Is the Outstanding International Student Award still available?

Yes. UBC lists the OIS Award as a current one-time merit-based entrance scholarship. The value published on UBC’s page at the time of writing is CAD 10,000–25,000 for the 2025/2026 academic year; check the official page for the figure attached to your cycle.

When will I hear about a UBC scholarship?

Merit scholarship decisions are made between mid-February and the end of April, and only successful recipients are notified. International Scholars results are released on a rolling basis from February to April, with all applicants informed by early to mid-April.

Can UBC scholarships fully fund my degree?

Merit awards cannot — UBC states they do not cover the full cost of education. Within the International Scholars Program, funding is based on assessed need, and the Vantage One Excellence Award ranges up to the full cost of the academic program and living expenses. Most students should plan to fund part of their costs from family or other sources.

Are there automatic scholarships at UBC Okanagan?

Yes. All new international undergraduates who enrol at UBC Okanagan receive the CAD 8,000 Global Elevation Award (renewable up to four years), and students whose first-choice program is at UBC Okanagan and who enrol in it receive the additional CAD 5,000 International Welcome Award for their first year.

Planning Your Finances Around a UBC Award

Whichever route you take, UBC’s own advice is to build a financial plan for the whole degree, and the structure of the awards shows why. A merit recipient at the middle of the IMES range still faces the majority of international tuition plus Vancouver living costs each year; an International Scholar’s package is calibrated to assessed need rather than to a headline figure; and even the automatic Okanagan awards, valuable as they are, are tuition credits rather than cash. Start from UBC’s published tuition for your program, add realistic Vancouver or Kelowna living costs, subtract only the award value you have actually been offered in writing, and stress-test the result against the study permit requirement — tuition for your first year plus CAD 23,448 in living funds for a single applicant (for applications from 1 September 2026), evidenced with documentation IRCC will accept. Students who run these numbers in September, before choosing between the merit and International Scholars routes, make the route decision with clear eyes; students who run them in April sometimes discover that the award they won was never going to make their preferred campus affordable, and that the other route — or the other campus — was the right door all along.

Sources & Verification

This article is based on the University of British Columbia’s official pages, consulted at the time of writing: UBC — Scholarships and awards for international students (IMES and OIS values, eligibility, timelines, Okanagan and Vantage One awards) and UBC — International Scholars Program (eligibility, nomination, process and award categories). Award values are quoted with the academic year UBC attaches to them. For the national context, see our scholarships in Canada guide.

Disclaimer: Scholarship values, deadlines and eligibility rules change between cycles. Always confirm the details that apply to you on the official UBC website before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, and cannot guarantee admission, scholarship selection or visa approval.