The University of British Columbia runs the International Scholars Program for international students entering a first undergraduate degree straight from secondary school, at its Vancouver or Okanagan campus. It backs applicants with top grades, leadership and community impact who could not attend UBC without substantial financial help.
One application puts you in the running for four named awards; you do not choose one. This round is for September 2027 entry.
Benefits & funding
- The award is sized to your assessed financial need and can reach the full cost of your program plus living expenses.
- The Vantage One Excellence Award renews for up to three more years or to degree completion, whichever is less, while you keep international student status; UBC’s main page gives no renewal terms for the other awards.
- Workshops, retreats and dedicated program advisors throughout the degree.
Eligibility
- International student who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit.
- Entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school, graduated no earlier than June 2026, for a first undergraduate degree.
- All As or equivalent, plus UBC’s general, degree-specific and English language admission requirements; students short on English may be considered for Vantage College and its Vantage One Excellence Award.
- Significant, documented financial need, with no access to external funding.
- Not eligible: Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor + Master of Management, dual degrees and joint degrees.
- Applying removes you from UBC’s merit-based international awards.
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.
“You are an international student who will be studying in Canada on a Canadian study permit. … You are entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school. … Applicants for 2027 Winter session must have graduated from high school no earlier than June 2026. … You are applying for your first undergraduate degree.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
USA · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti · Jamaica
+ 223 more
Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Åland Islands · Svalbard and Jan Mayen · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Japan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
High School
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Apply for UBC admission first; the award application requires it.
- 2Line up one school nominator and a different teacher referee; a school or eligible non-profit nominates at most two students for Vancouver and one for Okanagan.
- 3Submit the award application (family finances, activities, four short essays) by 15 November 2026.
- 4Meet all admission document and English requirements by 31 January 2027.
- 5Some applicants are invited to a one-week video interview.
Program timeline
Application deadline
15 November 2026, 11:59 pm PST
Admission documents and English results due
31 January 2027
Video interviews
January–March 2027
Decisions, on a rolling basis
February–mid-April 2027
Studies begin
September 2027