The Mackenzie King Open Scholarship is an annual award administered by the Board of Scholarship Trustees. It supports graduates of Canadian universities who are commencing or continuing master’s or doctoral study in any discipline, in Canada or elsewhere. One scholarship is awarded each year.
There is no fixed program venue; recipients study at their chosen graduate institution, while applications move through each applicant’s home Canadian university. The documented 2026 application windows have closed, and an exact opening date for the next cycle has not been published.
Benefits & funding
- The Open Scholarship is valued at CAD 13,000, subject to change.
- Funding is provided for one year, and one Open Scholarship is awarded annually.
- Holding the scholarship alongside other awards requires written approval from the Board of Scholarship Trustees.
Eligibility
- Hold a degree from a Canadian university by the time the scholarship tenure begins.
- Commence or continue master’s or doctoral study in any field, in Canada or elsewhere.
- No citizenship or residency requirement is stated; eligibility is based on holding a Canadian university degree.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Master · PhD
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Application process
- 1Identify the home university: the Canadian university from which you most recently graduated or where you are currently enrolled.
- 2Complete and sign the scholarship form, including Sheet A on achievements and experience and Sheet B, a personal statement of no more than 600 words.
- 3Include official transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended.
- 4Arrange three confidential reference letters; at least two should come from university teachers or senior academic colleagues familiar with your major work.
- 5Submit the package through the home university by its internal deadline; applications sent directly to the national Board are not accepted.
Program timeline
University of Toronto deadline for its currently registered students in the most recent cycle.
Jan 23, 2026
University of Alberta and some University of Toronto routes closed for the most recent cycle; applicants must follow their own home university’s deadline.
Feb 2, 2026
National decisions were expected during this period, depending on the administering university’s published schedule.
2026-07 to 2026-09