UBC International Student Entrance Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Apply to the University of British Columbia by the admissions deadline — you are then considered automatically for IMES and OIS, with no separate scholarship application
• ✓ Study at UBC on a Canadian study permit (student visa)
• ✓ For the UBC Okanagan awards: accept UBC's offer of admission and enrol at UBC Okanagan (the International Welcome Award also needs a UBC Okanagan degree as your first choice and a full-time course load of 24 credits in Winter Session)

About this award

Depending on the award, you can receive between $5,000 and $25,000. The International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) provides $10,000 to $25,000 per year and is renewable for up to three additional years of study. The Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award is a one-time payment of $10,000 to $25,000. At the Okanagan campus, the Global Elevation Award provides $8,000, which is renewable for an additional 3 years (up to 4 years or degree completion). The International Welcome Award provides a $5,000 credit for your first-year tuition. These are scholarships, not loans, so you do not have to pay them back. This is for you if you are an international student coming to UBC on a Canadian study permit to start an undergraduate degree. IMES and OIS go to exceptional applicants; the UBC Okanagan awards go to every eligible new international student there. You must apply to the University of British Columbia by the admissions deadline to be considered. While admission offers start in December, scholarship decisions are made between mid-February and the end of April. Most students will have a deadline of May 1 to accept their award. If you do not receive a notification, you were not selected, as only successful recipients are contacted. Evaluation is based on your academic and personal profile, including your grades and extracurricular involvement. Because all international undergraduate applicants are considered for the OIS and IMES awards, the process is highly competitive. UBC does not publish how many IMES and OIS awards it gives; the number and value of IMES awards each year depend on available funding. For the Global Elevation and International Welcome awards, the money is applied as a credit toward your tuition fees on your student account. For other merit awards, ask the University of British Columbia during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. For the IMES and Global Elevation awards, you can keep the funding for multiple years if you meet the renewal terms. UBC's page does not list what you must maintain to keep a renewable award, so ask before you count on all four years.

Who qualifies

To qualify for any of these awards, you must be an international student studying at the University of British Columbia on a Canadian study permit (student visa). For the International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES), you must be new to the university and entering directly from secondary school. For the Outstanding International Student (OIS) Award, you can enter directly from secondary school or post-secondary (university or college). To get the Global Elevation Award, you must be a new international student who enrolls at the UBC Okanagan campus. For the International Welcome Award, you must be a first-year international student enrolled in a full-time course load (24 credits in Winter Session) and have listed a UBC Okanagan degree as your first choice.

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.

• ✓ International student
• ✓ Open to high school or undergraduate 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

• ExtracurricularsAvoid just listing your clubs and sports. Instead, describe the impact you had and the leadership roles you took on. Provide specific examples of how your community involvement showed your intellectual promise.
• ApplicationAvoid waiting until the last minute to submit your university application. Instead, apply well before the admissions deadline. Since you are considered automatically once you apply by the admissions deadline, your primary goal is to secure your spot in the program first.
• StrategyAvoid assuming these awards cover all your costs. Instead, use the University of British Columbia's financial calculators to build a full budget. Remember that merit-based awards do not consider financial need.
• RealismAvoid counting on an IMES or OIS award. Instead, treat it as a bonus rather than a certainty. Because the process is highly competitive and only winners are notified, you should have a backup financial plan ready.

Questions students ask

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