President's Scholarship of Distinction

What you will need

• ✓ No formal application is required; consideration is automatic upon admission
• ✓ Accept your Offer of Admission by the date specified on the offer
• ✓ Maintain full-time enrollment in a degree program from September to December
• ✓ For International Experience Award applicants: participate in an international study or work experience
• ✓ For Research Award applicants: secure an on-campus research position with a Waterloo professor or a research-based co-op position with the University

About this award

You can receive a $2,000 entrance scholarship, plus a $1,500 International Experience Award and/or a $1,500 Research Award. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a high-achieving student entering university for the first time with a very strong academic record. You will be notified in mid-May via the scholarships and financial aid tab in your applicant portal. If your early May average is below 85% but your final average in June or July reaches 85% or higher, you will be awarded the President’s or Merit Scholarship that matches it and notified after final grades arrive in July. You will receive an email in late July with details on how to use the funds for your tuition and fees. University of Waterloo considers you automatically based on your admission average using your top six Grade 12 courses or equivalents. To keep the entrance scholarship, you must remain enrolled in full-time degree studies for the full four-month fall term from September to December. To claim the International Experience or Research awards in your upper years, you must complete your first year with an average of at least 80%, be in your second year or higher, and claim the award before you complete your undergraduate program. You claim each one with an online form, before the term of your research or travel: by October 1 for fall, February 1 for winter and June 1 for spring.

Who qualifies

You must be admitted to a full-time, first-year degree program at the University of Waterloo main campus and be beginning university or college for the first time in September. Your early May admission average, including required courses for your program, must be 95% or higher. You must accept your Offer of Admission by the date specified on the offer and remain enrolled in full-time degree studies for the entire September to December term. Note that this award is not available if you register through St. Jerome's University.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident or international student
• ✓ Open to high school students

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Academic RecordAvoid giving up if your early May average is below 85%. Instead, focus on your final exams, because a final average of 85% or higher in June or July can still earn you a President’s or Merit Scholarship. Check your portal in July for updates.
• Program ChoiceAvoid assuming your average qualifies you for every program. Instead, remember that required courses vary by program, and your average is calculated based on those specific requirements. Review the admission requirements for each program you applied to.
• StrategyAvoid ignoring your applicant portal in May. Instead, check the scholarships and financial aid tab regularly starting in mid-May to see if you qualify. Set a calendar reminder for the second week of May.
• RealismAvoid treating the International Experience and Research awards as immediate cash. Instead, plan for these as potential bonuses for your second year or later, provided you maintain an 80% average in your first year. Budget your first-year expenses without relying on these specific funds.

Questions students ask

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