UBC Major Entrance Scholarship + Centennial Scholars Programme

What you will need

• ✓ Submit your UBC undergraduate admission application by the standard deadline
• ✓ Complete the Personal Profile thoughtfully (it directly feeds entrance scholarship decisions)
• ✓ For supplementary-application awards (subset only): complete the named-award form by its specific deadline
• ✓ For Indigenous, first-generation, or transfer streams: declare relevant identifiers in your application

About this award

The University of British Columbia operates one of the largest entrance scholarship programs at any Canadian university, organized as a multi-tier system across both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan campuses. The flagship awards include the Centennial Scholars Entrance Scholarship (renewable, awarded based on academic record and Personal Profile responses), the Major Entrance Scholarship (named donor-funded awards across faculties), the Presidential Scholars Award (high-tier merit-based recognition), and the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program (entrance scholarships and ongoing support for underrepresented and first-generation students). UBC also operates dedicated Indigenous entrance awards, transfer-student entrance awards, and IB / AP recognition programs. Most entrance awards use your standard UBC admission application as the entry — you do not submit a separate scholarship application — and selection is based on a combination of academic record (BC Grade 12 / equivalent + course-by-course review) and your Personal Profile responses. A subset of named awards require a supplementary application or department nomination, with deadlines distinct from the admission deadline; check the specific award page if a faculty advisor or admissions counsellor flags one for you. UBC publishes annual scholarship value tables; specific dollar amounts vary by award and by year, so this entry intentionally does not assert single-figure values.

Who qualifies

You qualify for consideration if you are admitted to UBC (Vancouver or Okanagan) as an incoming undergraduate. Specific awards have specific layers on top of admission: most require Canadian citizen / permanent resident status, some are open to international students, some are restricted to first-generation or underrepresented students (Beyond Tomorrow Scholars), some are faculty-specific, and some are merit-only versus need-aware. Strong academic record (typically Grade 12 average above 90% for the most competitive named awards) and a thoughtful, specific Personal Profile are the two universal levers. Transfer students, Indigenous applicants, and IB / AP candidates have parallel entrance award streams adapted to their academic context.

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 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

   Write your essay

   Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.

3. 3

   Check this year's deadline

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

Questions students ask

Similar awards

• University of British ColumbiaUBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Award
• University of British ColumbiaUBC International Student Entrance Scholarship$25,000
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• University of British ColumbiaKillam Doctoral Scholarship (UBC)$40,000
• University of British ColumbiaKaren McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award
• University of British ColumbiaUBC Presidential Scholars Award$80,000
• University of British ColumbiaDonald A. Wehrung International Student Award