For a lot of students in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, or Kenya, the University of British Columbia feels like one of those dream destinations that only wealthy classmates end up at. Tuition alone for an international undergrad can run past CAD 40,000 a year, and Vancouver isn't cheap either. Here's the good news: UBC has been running its International Scholars Program for 25 years now, and it exists precisely for exceptional international students who simply cannot afford UBC without meaningful financial help. This is a need-and-merit award that can cover your full cost of study — tuition, living, and housing — for your entire undergraduate degree.
In short: The UBC International Scholars Program 2027 is a need-and-merit based award for exceptional international students entering their first undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia in September 2027. It can fund your full cost of study — tuition, living expenses, and housing. You must be nominated by your high school, apply by November 15, 2026, and prove significant financial need alongside outstanding grades.
Quick Overview
- Host Country: Canada
- Host Institution: University of British Columbia (Vancouver and Okanagan campuses)
- Degree Level: Undergraduate (first bachelor's degree only)
- Program Duration: Full duration of the undergraduate degree
- Funding Type: Need-and-merit based, up to full cost of study and living
- Deadline: November 15, 2026 (award application; recommenders must submit a few days before)
Benefits of the UBC International Scholars Program
One thing I want to be clear about: this is a genuine need-based award, which means the funding is scaled to your actual demonstrated financial need. For students with the greatest need, it can be truly life-changing — here's what it offers:
- Full cost of study — Depending on your assessed financial need, the award can cover tuition, living costs, and housing for your entire undergraduate program.
- Four award pathways — You're automatically considered for whichever awards you qualify for: the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award (for students from impoverished or war-torn areas), the International Impact Award, and the Vantage One Excellence Award (for students who don't yet meet the English requirement and enter through Vantage College).
- Dedicated advising and support — Scholars get access to skill-building workshops, retreats, dedicated program advisors, and options for exchange and co-op placements while they study.
- A global scholars community — The program is celebrating 25 years and has built a community of scholars from more than 111 countries, so you're joining a genuinely international network.
Eligibility Criteria for the UBC International Scholars Program
UBC is blunt about this: there are no exceptions to these criteria. Check every box before you invest time in the application.
- International student status — You must be an international student who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit.
- Fresh out of high school — You must be entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school, applying for your first undergraduate degree. For the 2027 Winter session intake, you must have graduated from high school no earlier than June 2026.
- Superior academic achievement — Think all As or the equivalent standard in your national curriculum. This is a top university; the bar is high.
- Proven financial need — This is the heart of the program. You must prove a significant level of financial need with official documents — family income, expenses, assets, dependents, school fees. If you could afford UBC through family resources or other funding, you won't qualify. UBC will do a full financial assessment.
- Nomination required — Your high school must nominate you. Each school can nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver (including Vantage College) and one for UBC Okanagan. If you come from a war-torn, politically unstable, or economically disadvantaged area, a registered non-profit organization acting in place of your school can nominate you instead.
- English Language Admission Standard — You must meet UBC's English requirement (or you may be eligible for the Vantage College pathway with the Vantage One Excellence Award).
- Excluded degrees — The Bachelor of Nursing (both campuses), Bachelor of Dental Science in Dental Hygiene, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, the Bachelor + Master of Management, and all dual or joint degrees are not eligible.
- One award track only — If you apply to the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for UBC's merit-only entrance awards (like IMES or the Outstanding International Student Award). So look at both routes and pick the one that fits your situation.
How to Apply for the UBC International Scholars Program
The process runs on a tight timeline, and UBC openly says that applications started shortly before the deadline are less likely to succeed. Here's the sequence:
1. Mid-September: Decide on your campus and program. Pick your academic program and whether you're aiming for UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan. You'll be considered for your first-choice program, but select a second choice too. 2. Late September: Discuss the nomination with your school. Talk to your guidance counsellor or principal early — your school has limited nomination slots, and they'll need time to decide. 3. Early October: Apply to UBC. Submit your UBC admissions application first. You must have completed it before starting the award application, because the award form asks you to confirm your admissions application was submitted. 4. Early October: Set up your award application and invite your referees. Create your award application account and send invitations to your nominator (counsellor/principal) and your teacher referee (two different people). Remind them their recommendation forms should be completed a few days before November 15. Your application cannot be completed until both forms are in. 5. Mid-October: Complete your sections. This is the heavy part — family financial details (income, expenses, assets, dependents, school fees), calculating your family contribution and financial need using UBC's cost estimator, extracurricular information, awards, and four essay questions of roughly 150–250 words each. 6. By November 15, 2026: Submit the completed award application. Submit well in advance — technical hiccups on the last day have sunk real applications. 7. By January 31, 2027: Submit required admission documents. After you apply to UBC, you'll get a "Your UBC Application – Next Steps" email. As a Scholars applicant, your document deadline is January 31, not whatever date that email says. If transcripts aren't available by then, send them as soon as they arrive. 8. January–March 2027: Video interview (if invited). Some applicants are invited to record video responses within a one-week window — a chance to show who you are beyond the written application. 9. February–April 2027: Watch your email. Decisions roll out through February to April, and by early to mid-April you'll know if you've received an award. Mark all UBC addresses as safe and check your spam folder.
Required Documents
- Completed UBC undergraduate admissions application
- Completed International Scholars Program award application with confirmation of UBC application
- Nominator recommendation form (guidance counsellor, principal, or administrator — not the same person as your teacher referee)
- Teacher referee recommendation form from someone familiar with your work in your chosen field
- Official family financial documents demonstrating significant financial need (gross income, expenses, assets, dependents, annual school fees)
- Secondary school transcripts and academic certificates
- Proof of meeting UBC's English Language Admission Standard (by the document deadline)
- Study permit application materials (you'll need the study permit before traveling to Canada)
UBC International Scholars Program 2027 Deadline
The International Scholars Program award application is due November 15, 2026. Your nominator and teacher referee should submit their recommendation forms a few days before that date. Your admission documents must reach UBC by January 31, 2027.
If you miss the November 15 award deadline, you cannot be considered for this year's program — there's no late track. You'd need to look at UBC's merit-based entrance awards for the same intake instead. And a word of caution for gap-year students: if you graduated before June 2026, you don't meet the eligibility for the 2027 intake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UBC International Scholars Program really fully funded?
It can be, for students with the greatest financial need. The award is scaled to your demonstrated need — so it covers whatever gap exists between what your family can genuinely contribute and the full cost of studying at UBC. Students with very high need receive funding covering tuition, living costs, and housing; students with partial need receive less. It's honest and transparent about this.
Do I need a nomination, or can I just apply myself?
You need a nomination, and there's no way around it. A high school or registered non-profit may nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver and one for UBC Okanagan. So your first move in September should be a conversation with your school counsellor or principal.
What are the four awards in the program?
The Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award (exceptional academics plus leadership and empathy), the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award (outstanding students from impoverished or war-torn areas), the International Impact Award, and the Vantage One Excellence Award (for students entering through Vantage College because they don't yet meet the English standard). You don't pick one — you're automatically considered for all that you qualify for.
If I apply for the Scholars Program, can I also get the International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES)?
No. UBC says applicants to the International Scholars Program will not be considered for merit-based awards. You have to choose your track: need-and-merit (Scholars) or merit-only (IMES/OIS). If your family's need is borderline, think carefully about which route fits you better.
Can I apply if I already started a bachelor's degree?
No. You must be entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school and applying for your first undergraduate degree.
Can students from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, or other South Asian countries apply?
Yes — the program is open to international students from any country, and UBC reports scholars from more than 111 countries. There's no country quota mentioned on the official page.
What if I don't meet the English Language Admission Standard yet?
You may still be eligible for the Vantage One Excellence Award through Vantage College, which is UBC's pathway program for students who need to build their English before entering a full degree. Your English status must still be resolved by the January 31 document deadline.
Can I keep the award for all four years of my degree?
The program is designed to support you through your undergraduate degree, and scholars receive ongoing advising. That said, awards like these always require you to maintain satisfactory academic standing and full-time enrollment — treat the award as something you keep earning, not something guaranteed forever.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL specifically?
You need to meet UBC's English Language Admission Standard by January 31, 2027. UBC accepts several ways of demonstrating this (including IELTS, TOEFL, and certain school-based exemptions). Check UBC's official English requirements page for your country's accepted tests.
What happens after the award decision in April?
If you receive an award, you'll confirm your offer, then move on to the study permit application, housing, and pre-departure steps. One practical note from UBC: wait until award decisions are released before applying for UBC Housing — the housing application deadline is May 1, so you'll have time.
Final Words
The UBC International Scholars Program is one of the few genuinely need-based undergraduate awards from a world-top-40 university, and it's already helped students from over 111 countries get to British Columbia. But it's brutally competitive and the process rewards early starters — the nomination, the financial documentation, and the essays all take weeks, not days. With November 15 now only weeks away, if you're eligible, today is the day to email your school counsellor and start your UBC admissions application.
