Canada, Scholarships

🎓 UBC Scholarships for International Students 2026 — Complete Guide to Every Award

Gradualin

June 25, 2026
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The University of British Columbia is consistently ranked among the top 40 universities in the world — and it actively puts its money where its reputation is. UBC devotes more than $35 million annually to awards, scholarships, and other forms of financial support for international undergraduate students. Whether you’re an exceptionally high-achieving student fresh out of secondary school, someone facing genuine financial barriers, or a student whose English isn’t quite at direct-entry level yet, UBC has a specific scholarship pathway designed for you. This guide breaks down every award available to international students, exactly what each one covers, how you’re considered, and the deadlines you cannot afford to miss.

Detail	Information
University	University of British Columbia (UBC)
Country	Canada
Campuses	Vancouver & Okanagan
Degree Level	Undergraduate
Total Annual Funding	$35 million+
Award Types	Merit-based, Need-and-merit-based
Countries Represented	108+
Scholars Since 2001	560+
Application Required?	Automatic for most awards; separate application for International Scholars
Official Link	UBC Scholarships for International Students

🎓 About UBC and These Awards

The University of British Columbia is one of Canada’s two leading research-intensive universities, with campuses in Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna. It consistently places in the global top 40 and is widely regarded as North America’s most internationally diverse university — with students from over 160 countries studying on its campuses at any given time.

What makes UBC particularly notable for international students is that its scholarship programme is not an afterthought. More than 108 countries are represented among award recipients, and over 560 International Scholars have been supported since 2001. The awards span everything from one-time entrance recognition to fully funded multi-year programmes that cover tuition, fees, and living costs.

There are five distinct award categories for incoming international undergraduates. Each has a different funding level, eligibility structure, and application process. Here’s the best part: for most of them, you don’t need to submit a separate scholarship application at all — consideration is automatic the moment you apply to UBC.

🎓 Award 1 — International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES)

The IMES is UBC’s flagship renewable merit-based entrance scholarship for international students. It is awarded to the top academic performers in each incoming class.

What it covers: For the 2026/2027 academic year, IMES awards will be valued at $10,000–$25,000 per year. The scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years of undergraduate study, meaning a recipient could receive up to $100,000 over four years (verify on official website based on final award level).

Who is eligible:

Must be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school
Must be an international student studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit
Must demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, intellectual promise, and impressive extracurricular and community involvement
Must not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars award

How to apply: No separate application is needed. As soon as you receive an offer of admission to UBC, you’ll automatically be considered for merit-based awards. Consideration is based on your demonstrated academic achievement and your extracurricular involvement.

When you’ll hear: Scholarship decisions are made between mid-March to the end of April each year. Only successful recipients will receive notification of an award offer.

🎓 Award 2 — Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award

The OIS Award is a one-time entrance recognition for high-achieving international students. It is slightly broader in reach than IMES — it also accepts students coming from post-secondary institutions, not just directly from school.

What it covers: For the 2025/2026 academic year, OIS awards will be valued at $10,000–$25,000. It is a one-time award, not renewable. (Verify the 2026/2027 value on the official website — amounts are updated annually.)

Who is eligible:

Must be new to UBC, entering directly from secondary school or post-secondary (university or college)
Must be an international student on a Canadian study permit
Must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong extracurricular involvement
Must not be nominated for a need-and-merit-based International Scholars award

How to apply: Like IMES, no separate application is required. All international undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for OIS and IMES awards when they apply for admission by the deadline, making the award evaluation process highly competitive.

What makes this different from IMES is that it is a one-time award — there is no renewal. If you are aiming for multi-year support, the IMES or the International Scholars Program (below) are stronger targets.

🎓 Award 3 — International Scholars Program (Need + Merit)

This is the most substantial and transformative scholarship UBC offers to international undergraduates. It is fundamentally different from IMES and OIS because it combines both academic excellence and demonstrated financial need — and it covers the full cost of attending UBC.

What it covers: The UBC International Scholars Program covers the costs of tuition, fees, and living costs, minus the financial contribution the student and their family can make annually towards these costs. The scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic standing and continues to demonstrate financial need.

There are four award categories within the International Scholars Program. You do not choose which one you want — UBC automatically considers you for each award you are eligible for:

Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award — for students demonstrating superior academic achievement and exceptional leadership that empowers others through collaboration, empathy, and community impact
Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award — for outstanding students from conflict-affected or impoverished areas who have achieved academic excellence under difficult circumstances and could not attend UBC without substantial financial help
Vantage One Excellence Award — for students who do not yet meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard for direct entry but show strong academic potential; covers the full cost of the Vantage One bridging programme
Irving K. Barber Scholarship — (verify current availability and criteria on the official website)

Who is eligible:

Must be an international student studying in Canada on a Canadian study permit
Must be entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school; applicants for the 2027 Winter session must have graduated from high school no earlier than June 2026
Must be applying for a first undergraduate degree
Must demonstrate superior academic achievement — all As or equivalent standard
Must meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard
Must prove a significant level of financial need — it would be impossible to pursue a UBC degree without meaningful financial help

Ineligible programmes: The following degrees are not eligible: Bachelor of Nursing degree (Okanagan and Vancouver), Bachelor of Dental Science in Dental Hygiene, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor + Master of Management degree, dual degrees, joint degrees between UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver, and joint degrees with other post-secondary institutions.

Critical note: If you apply to the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for merit-based awards. You must choose one pathway — either apply for the International Scholars Program (need + merit) or be automatically considered for IMES/OIS (merit only). Think carefully about which route is right for your situation before applying.

Applications for 2027: Applications for 2027 will open in September 2026. The deadline has historically been November 15 each year (verify on official website).

🎓 Award 4 — UBC Okanagan Global Elevation Award

For students choosing the UBC Okanagan campus in Kelowna, the Global Elevation Award is an additional scholarship applied automatically to your tuition.

What it covers: The UBC Okanagan Global Elevation Award is a $8,000 award applied to international students’ tuition at UBC Okanagan. The award is credited in two equal instalments — 50% toward Term 1 tuition and 50% toward Term 2 tuition.

To be considered, students must be a first-year international student enrolled in a full-time course load, select a UBC Okanagan degree as their first choice, and be accepted and enrol into that programme. No separate application is needed — the credit is applied automatically to your student account after you accept your offer of admission.

🎓 Award 5 — UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award

A separate, additional welcome award for Okanagan-bound international students.

What it covers: A $5,000 tuition credit applied in the first year of full-time study — again split equally across Term 1 and Term 2. Like the Global Elevation Award, this is applied automatically with no separate application required after accepting your admission offer and enrolling in your first-choice Okanagan degree programme.

(Note: Verify on the official website whether both the Global Elevation Award and the Welcome Award can apply simultaneously, or whether they are mutually exclusive.)

🎓 Who Should Apply / Who Shouldn’t

✅ These scholarships are ideal for you if:

You are a high-achieving international student completing secondary school or post-secondary studies
You have strong academics and meaningful extracurricular involvement
You need financial support to make a UBC degree accessible — the International Scholars Program is specifically built for this
You are targeting the UBC Okanagan campus — additional automatic awards make it even more financially accessible
You want a merit-based award without writing a separate application

❌ These scholarships may not suit you if:

You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident — these awards are specifically for international students on a study permit
You are applying for graduate (master’s or PhD) study — these are undergraduate awards only
You are planning to study nursing, dental hygiene, medical lab science, or a joint/dual degree programme — the International Scholars Program excludes these
You have already started your undergraduate degree at UBC

🎓 Available Programmes and Fields

UBC’s scholarship awards cover a remarkably wide range of undergraduate programmes across both campuses. Fields available include:

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Business and Economics
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Education and Languages
Health and Life Sciences (some exclusions apply for International Scholars Program)
Law
Media and Fine Arts
Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
Architecture and Design

For the most complete and current list of eligible programmes at both Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, visit UBC’s full programmes page.

🎓 Required Documents

The documents required depend on which scholarship pathway applies to you:

For IMES and OIS (Automatic Consideration):

Completed UBC online admissions application submitted by the admissions deadline
Proof you meet the English Language Admission Standard — IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent (submit by February 15 in the relevant cycle)
Interim and final transcripts from your secondary school or post-secondary institution
Personal profile — UBC’s equivalent of a personal statement, submitted as part of the admissions application

For the International Scholars Program (Separate Application):

Completed International Scholars Program application (submitted via the UBC portal by November 15)
UBC admissions application (submitted by December 1)
Nomination from your school counsellor, principal, or administrator
Academic reference letter from a teacher in your intended field of study
Financial documentation — family income statements, expense records, and asset information for the financial assessment
Notes on extracurricular activities, awards, and community involvement
Any additional documents required by the specific award category

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

For IMES and OIS:

Apply to UBC by the admissions deadline (typically January 15 each year) via UBC’s application portal
Submit your personal profile as part of your application — this is evaluated alongside academics for merit consideration
Submit supporting documents — transcripts and English language proof — by February 15
Wait for your admission decision — offers begin rolling out from December/January
Receive your scholarship offer — decisions are released between mid-February and end of April, before the May 1 acceptance deadline
Accept your award within your admissions acceptance deadline — typically May 1

For the International Scholars Program:

Gather financial documentation and identify your nominator and academic referee from mid-October
Inform your nominator and referee of the November 15 deadline
Submit your International Scholars Program application by November 15
Submit your UBC admissions application by December 1
Submit admissions documents — your document deadline as an International Scholars Program applicant is January 31
Await the financial assessment and scholarship decision — notifications go out in mid-April
Apply for housing only after receiving your award decision (by May 1)

Practical tip: The International Scholars Program application is a very in-depth process, so give yourself ample time to gather financial information and complete the application itself — well in advance of the November 15 deadline.

🎓 Important Dates

Event	Date
International Scholars Program Application Opens	September 2026 (for 2027 Winter)
International Scholars Program Deadline	November 15 (verify annually)
UBC Admissions Application Deadline	December 1
International Scholars Document Deadline	January 31
IMES/OIS Admissions Deadline	January 15 (verify annually)
English & Transcript Document Deadline	February 15
IMES/OIS Award Decisions Released	Mid-February to end of April
International Scholars Award Decisions	Mid-April
Admission Acceptance Deadline	May 1 (most students)

Bookmark this page and check back for updates. Always verify exact dates for your cycle on the official UBC scholarships page.

🎓 Why Apply — Why UBC and Why Canada

Vancouver is consistently ranked among the world’s most liveable cities — and UBC’s Point Grey campus sits on a forested peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains. Beyond the scenery, UBC is a serious research powerhouse, producing globally recognised graduates across every discipline.

What makes these scholarships genuinely worth pursuing — beyond the award values — is the community you join. When you receive an award or scholarship, you join a community of engaged and supportive young leaders and changemakers who enrich UBC with their diverse perspectives, lived experiences, involvement, and innovation.

Canada is one of the most international-student-friendly countries in the world, with clear post-study work pathways through the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) programme. A UBC degree, backed by a scholarship, positions you strongly for both further academic study and immediate entry into competitive global industries.

What makes the International Scholars Program particularly outstanding is that it is one of a very small number of fully funded undergraduate scholarships at a globally top-40 university that takes financial need seriously — not just grades. UBC offers approximately 50 scholarships annually across all four International Scholars award categories, renewable for up to four years, with total funding value that can exceed $200,000 depending on programme and individual financial assessment.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to apply separately for IMES and OIS? A: No. All international undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for OIS and IMES awards when they apply for admission by the deadline. No extra application is needed.

Q: Can I apply for both the International Scholars Program and IMES/OIS at the same time? A: No. If you apply to the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for merit-based awards. You must choose one pathway.

Q: Is English language proficiency required for these scholarships? A: Yes. All scholarship pathways require you to meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard. Accepted tests include IELTS, TOEFL, and others — verify the specific score requirements for your programme on the UBC website.

Q: Are the IMES and OIS awards renewable? A: IMES is renewable for up to three additional years of study. OIS is a one-time award and not renewable.

Q: What GPA or grades do I need for IMES? A: There is no single GPA threshold published — selection is competitive based on the full pool of admitted students. For the International Scholars Program, all As or equivalent standard are required.

Q: Can transfer students apply? A: Yes — the OIS Award and the International Scholars Program both accept students transferring from a first year at a post-secondary institution. IMES is restricted to students entering directly from secondary school.

🎓 Official Source & Contact

UBC Scholarships for International Students: you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students
International Scholars Program: you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-international-students/international-scholars
UBC Application Portal: myapplication.ubc.ca
IMES Enquiries: international.entranceawards@ubc.ca
General Contact: you.ubc.ca/contact-us

🎓 Summary Table

Award	Type	Value	Renewable?	Application
IMES	Merit	$10,000–$25,000/year	Yes — up to 3 more years	Automatic
OIS Award	Merit	$10,000–$25,000 (one-time)	No	Automatic
International Scholars Program	Need + Merit	Full tuition + living costs	Yes — up to 3 more years	Separate (Nov 15)
UBC Okanagan Global Elevation Award	Merit	$8,000 (one-time)	No	Automatic
UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award	Merit	$5,000 (one-time)	No	Automatic