UBC International Scholars 2027: Scholarships for Outstanding Students — Who Qualifies and How to Apply
Planning to study in Canada? Strong grades alone are not enough. The University of British Columbia (UBC) is accepting applications for its International Scholars Program for September 2027 entry. It is for international students applying directly from secondary school who combine top grades, leadership and significant financial need. Applicants also need a school nominator and a separate teacher referee, whose forms are due before the main deadline. Both the UBC admission application and the award application must be submitted by 15 November 2026.
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QUICK ELIGIBILITY CHECK
Answer these five questions before you start.
1. Timing. Are you in your final year of secondary school now, or did you finish in June 2026 or later without starting university? (If you finished before June 2026, you are not eligible.)
2. Grades. Are your results all As or the equivalent in your school system?
3. Financial need. Could your family genuinely not afford a significant part of the cost of studying in Canada, with no other funding available?
4. Nomination. Will your school (or an eligible non-profit) nominate you, and can a different teacher act as your referee?
5. Time. Can you apply to UBC, complete the award application and have both recommendations submitted before 15 November 2026?
If you answered yes to all five, read on. If not, this programme may not be right for you this year.
WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS
The UBC International Scholars Program brings high-achieving international students with significant financial need to the University of British Columbia, one of Canada's leading universities, for their first undergraduate degree. UBC says more than 680 International Scholars from over 111 countries have joined the programme since 2001. Applications for September 2027 entry opened on 5 October 2026 and close on 15 November 2026.
WHAT THE SCHOLARSHIP MAY COVER
UBC offers four need-and-merit-based award categories. You do not choose one; UBC considers you for every category you are eligible for.
- Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award: for academic excellence and leadership that supports and empowers others.
- Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award: for students from impoverished or war-torn areas who have excelled in difficult circumstances and could not attend university without significant help.
- International Impact Award: for leadership in areas such as sustainability and climate change, social justice, or health and wellbeing, with priority for first-generation learners.
- Vantage One Excellence Award: for strong students who do not yet meet UBC's English requirement for direct entry. UBC says this award ranges up to the full cost of the programme and living expenses.
How much funding you receive, and what it covers, is decided by UBC. It depends on UBC's assessment of your family's finances and on the conditions of the award you are offered. UBC does not publish fixed amounts, so awards can be substantial for some students and smaller for others, and no level of funding is automatic. Scholars also receive dedicated advising and access to more than 200 hours of development workshops and one-to-one support.
THE NOMINATION REQUIREMENT: ACT NOW
This is the step most applicants underestimate, and it is why you should speak to your school this week.
- You need one nominator, such as a guidance counsellor, principal or school administrator, who can speak to your goals and character.
- You also need one teacher referee who knows your work in your chosen subject. The nominator and the referee must be different people.
- Each secondary school or eligible non-profit may nominate only up to two students for UBC Vancouver (including Vantage College) and one student for UBC Okanagan. If other students at your school are also interested, your school may need to choose between you, so ask early.
- Your nominator and referee must submit their forms a few days before 15 November, earlier than your own deadline. Counsellors and teachers are busy, and they may need time to prepare.
- You cannot complete your award application until both forms are in. If either person submits late, your application cannot be completed.
- A non-profit may nominate you only if it acts as your educational institution instead of a school, or runs an educational, leadership and mentoring programme for secondary-school graduates from less fortunate backgrounds. UBC says this route is usually for applicants from war-torn, politically unstable or economically disadvantaged areas.
What to do today: tell your counsellor or principal that you plan to apply, ask whether the school can nominate you, ask a teacher in your chosen subject to be your referee, and agree with both of them on a date to submit before 15 November.
HOW TO APPLY, IN ORDER
1. Choose your programme and campus (Vancouver or Okanagan), and a second-choice programme.
2. Speak to your school about nomination and confirm you meet every eligibility rule.
3. Apply to UBC for admission. You must do this before you can start the award application.
4. Create your International Scholars application account and invite your nominator and teacher referee. Follow up to make sure they received the invitation.
5. Gather your family financial information and complete your sections, including the four essays.
6. Submit the award application by 15 November 2026. UBC recommends submitting well before the deadline in case of technical problems.
7. Submit any admission documents and meet the English language requirement by 31 January 2027.
8. If invited, complete the video interview (January to March 2027). You will have one week to record it.
9. Watch your email, including spam folders. UBC releases results on a rolling basis from February to April 2027.
The official UBC links you need are at the end of this guide.
DOCUMENTS AND ESSAYS TO PREPARE
- Your submitted UBC admission application
- Contact details for your nominator and a different teacher referee
- Family financial information: annual income and expenses, wealth and assets, dependants and school fees, and other sources of support, with official supporting documents
- A list of your extracurricular activities and awards
- Four short essays of roughly 150 to 250 words each
- By 31 January 2027: your admission documents and English language test results
KEY DATES
- 5 October 2026: applications opened
- A few days before 15 November 2026: nominator and teacher referee forms submitted
- 15 November 2026: deadline for both the UBC admission application and the International Scholars award application
- 31 January 2027: admission documents and English language results due
- January to March 2027: possible video interview
- February to April 2027: award decisions; UBC says applicants will know by early to mid-April
- 1 May 2027: UBC housing application deadline (UBC advises waiting for award decisions before applying)
PRACTICAL PREPARATION CHECKLIST
- This week: confirm your nominator and teacher referee and agree a submission date with them.
- This week: submit your UBC admission application.
- Next: open your award application account and send both referee invitations.
- Collect family income, expense and asset information, and the official documents to support it.
- Use UBC's cost estimator to understand your family's expected contribution.
- Draft your four essays early and ask a teacher to review them.
- If you need an English language test, book it early enough for results to reach UBC by 31 January 2027.
- Submit well before 15 November 2026.
WHO IS UNLIKELY TO QUALIFY
Students already at university or seeking a second degree; students who finished secondary school before June 2026; applicants without all As or equivalent; families able to fund a significant share of the costs; students applying to excluded degrees such as Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Science or dual and joint degrees; and anyone who cannot secure a nominator and a separate teacher referee in time.
IZONAI REALITY CHECK
'Fully funded' headlines leave out three things. First, funding is not automatic: UBC decides the amount and what it covers after assessing your financial need, and it does not publish fixed values. Second, you cannot apply alone: without a school or eligible non-profit nominator and a separate teacher referee, your application cannot be completed, and each school can nominate only a small number of students. Third, applying for this programme removes you from consideration for UBC's merit-based IMES and OIS scholarships. For a student with top grades, genuine financial need and a supportive school, this is a serious opportunity worth the effort. For others, UBC's merit-based awards or different scholarships may be a better fit.
INDEPENDENT GUIDE
IZONAI Digital is an independent guide and is not affiliated with UBC. IZONAI does not accept or process applications. Apply only through UBC's official website, be wary of anyone who charges a fee to guarantee an award, and confirm every detail with UBC before you apply. All details in this guide were checked against UBC's official pages on 21 October 2026; the official links are at the end of this guide.
Eligibility
UBC states that you must meet all of these requirements, with no exceptions. You must be an international student who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit, applying for your first undergraduate degree. You must be entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school, and for September 2027 entry you must have graduated from secondary school no earlier than June 2026. In practice, this means students in their final year of secondary school now, or students who finished in June 2026 or later and have not started a university degree. If you finished secondary school before June 2026, or you are already studying at university, you are not eligible. You must also show superior academic achievement (all As or equivalent), meet UBC's general and degree-specific admission requirements, and meet UBC's English Language Admission Standard. Finally, you must prove significant financial need: UBC expects that it would be impossible for you to take a UBC degree without meaningful financial help, and that your family cannot afford a significant share of the costs or access other funding. Some degrees are excluded: Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Science, the Bachelor + Master of Management, dual degrees and joint degrees.
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Who should consider this
Students in their final year of secondary school now, or who finished secondary school in June 2026 or later and have not started university, who have all As or equivalent, clear evidence of leadership and community contribution, and a family that genuinely cannot fund study abroad. It particularly suits first-generation learners and students from economically disadvantaged or conflict-affected areas, whom some award categories prioritise.
Who may not be suitable
Students already at university or seeking a second degree; students who finished secondary school before June 2026; applicants without top grades; families able to fund a significant share of the costs; students applying to excluded degrees such as Nursing or dual degrees; and anyone who cannot secure a school nominator and a separate teacher referee in time.
Key conditions
Award values and coverage are decided by UBC after assessing your financial need and depend on the award's conditions; no fixed amount is published and no level of funding is automatic. You must submit full family financial information and official supporting documents. A school or eligible non-profit nominator and a different teacher referee are required, and both must submit their forms a few days before 15 November. Nomination numbers are capped per school. Applying excludes you from UBC's merit-based IMES and OIS awards. You may be invited to a video interview. Admission documents and English language results must reach UBC by 31 January 2027.
What to prepare
Your chosen UBC programme and campus (Vancouver or Okanagan) plus a second choice; your submitted UBC admission application; contact details for your nominator and a different teacher referee; family financial information (annual income and expenses, wealth and assets, dependants and school fees, and other sources of support); a list of extracurricular activities and awards; four short essays of roughly 150–250 words each; and, by 31 January 2027, your admission documents and English language test results.
OFFICIAL UBC LINKS AND SOURCES
- International Scholars Program (eligibility, nomination, steps and awards): you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students/international-scholars (opens in a new tab)
- Dates and deadlines: you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/dates-deadlines (opens in a new tab)
- How to apply to UBC: you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/how-to-apply (opens in a new tab)
- Scholarships and awards for international students: you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students (opens in a new tab)
- Cost estimator: you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/cost (opens in a new tab)
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