The International Scholars Program at UBC offers scholarships to international students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential. To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be coming directly from high school
- Be beginning your undergraduate studies at UBC in the UBC Vantage One Program
Note: If you apply for the International Scholars Program, you will not be considered for merit-based awards such as International Major Entrance Scholarships and Outstanding International Student Awards.
Eligibility for the Program
- You must be an international student who will be studying in Canada on a Canadian study permit.
- You must be entering UBC from a recognized secondary school, or transferring from your first year at a post-secondary college or other university.
- You must have graduated from high school no earlier than one gap year prior to the academic year you are applying to. For example, applicants for 2025 Winter session must have graduated from high school no earlier than November 2023.
- You must be applying for your first undergraduate degree.
- You must demonstrate superior academic achievement (achieve all As or equivalent standard).
- You must demonstrate a level of financial need that would otherwise prevent you from pursuing a UBC degree. (UBC automatically considers all international students for the merit-based International Major Entrance Scholarships and Outstanding International Student Awards. If these awards do not cover your needs for tuition and basic living expenses, you are eligible to apply for the International Scholars Program.)
- You must meet UBC’s admission requirements, including general and degree-specific requirements and the English Language Admission Standard.
We will consider you for the Vantage One Excellence Award if:
- All previous eligibility criteria apply, except you must not yet meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard for direct admission to UBC.
- You must meet the UBC Vantage College admission requirements, including the English requirements for Vantage College.
- You must be coming directly from high school
- You must be beginning your undergraduate studies at UBC in the UBC Vantage One Program.
Application Deadlines
- November 15: You must have submitted your International Scholars Program application.
- December 1: You must have submitted your online application for admission to UBC. Although you can specify two degree choices in your application, only your first-choice degree will be considered for an Internationals Scholars Program award.
- January 31: Meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard for direct-entry, or the English language requirement for UBC Vantage College if you have applied to a Vantage One program and are hoping to be considered for the Vantage One Excellence Award.
- January 31: Submit any documents required for your admission to UBC. Please submit by this deadline, not the date indicated in your “next steps” email.
- Mid-April: You will be informed if you have received an award.
How to Apply
Applications for the 2025 school year are now open! To apply, follow these steps:
1. Review the application page for the International Scholars Program.
2. Decide on the academic program you want to study, and which campus you want to choose.
- For the International Scholars Program awards, you will be considered for your first choice program. You should still select a second choice program; however only your first choice program is eligible for award consideration.
- When selecting your degree, please note that the following degrees are not eligible for UBC International Scholars Program awards: UBC Okanagan Bachelor of Nursing degree, 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.
3. To apply for the International Scholars Program, you must be nominated by your school or non-profit, and submit a reference from an academic referee.
- Confirm that your school or non-profit is able to nominate you. A single high school, college, or university may nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver (including Vantage College), and one student for UBC Okanagan. A non-profit may only nominate a high school student who is involved with their organization. This nomination will count towards the total nominations permitted from a student’s school.
- Inform your nominator and academic referee that you’d like to apply for the International Scholars Program and advise them of the November 15 application deadline. Your nominator should be your school counsellor or equivalent, and your academic referee should be someone who is familiar with you and your work – for example, your teacher for your chosen area of study.
4. Gather your required financial information, as well as notes on any extracurricular activities and awards.
5. Apply for the International Scholars Program by submitting the application by the November 15 deadline.
6. Submit your admissions application to UBC by the December 1 deadline.
Apply now: https://undergraduatescholarships.ubc.ca/prog/2025_international_scholars_program_application
