University of Waterloo International Student Entrance Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ No application required; eligibility is verified automatically by the University of Waterloo
• ✓ Maintain full-time enrollment (three or more courses) in first and second terms
• ✓ Continue to hold international fee-paying status

About this award

You get $10,000 for your first-year studies. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. The money is split into two payments: a first installment of $5,000 is available in late July to help with your first-term tuition, and a second installment of $5,000 is available in late November for your second-term tuition. This is for you if you are an international fee-paying student starting a full-time degree at the University of Waterloo. Students applying from CEGEP (the public college system in Quebec) are eligible too, and so are international fee-paying students at high schools in Canada. Eligible students will see the award appear on the Awards and financial aid tab in the University of Waterloo applicant portal beginning in mid-April. No separate application is required, so you do not need to track a specific deadline date. There is no limit on the number of students who can receive this scholarship, and it is not highly competitive. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you are automatically granted the award. The money is not sent to you as cash. Instead, the University of Waterloo applies the $5,000 installments directly to your first and second term tuition fee bills. To keep the scholarship, you must remain an international fee-paying student and be enrolled full-time—which means taking three or more courses—during both your first and second terms. You must also continue to meet the minimum requirements listed on your Offer of Admission. Since this is available only in your first year, it is not renewable.

Who qualifies

You are eligible if you are an international fee-paying student admitted to a full-time, first-year degree program at the University of Waterloo. This includes students applying from CEGEP and those attending high school within Ontario or Canada, as long as you pay international fees. Students admitted to the BASE program (one or two years) also qualify, though the award is granted when you officially start your degree program. You are NOT eligible if you fall into any of these groups: - Students in Medical Sciences (Waterloo) or the Doctor of Medicine (St. George's University) programs - Students in the Bachelor of Social Work, Doctor of Optometry, or Doctor of Pharmacy programs - Transfer students admitted with transfer credits - Students who deferred their offer of admission from a previous year - Students enrolled in 2+2 or similar programs at the University of Waterloo - Students who are Canadian citizens, Permanent Residents, or Protected Persons (such as those receiving OSAP — the Ontario Student Assistance Program, which is the provincial government's student financial aid)

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 CEGEP 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

• ApplicationAvoid searching for an application form. Instead, monitor your University of Waterloo applicant portal. Check the Awards and financial aid tab starting in mid-April to see if you have been granted the scholarship.
• DocumentsAvoid emailing transcripts or bank details to the financial aid office. Instead, focus on meeting the conditions of your Offer of Admission. The university handles the award automatically based on your admission status.
• StrategyAvoid assuming this replaces other funding. Instead, remember that you can receive this $10,000 alongside any other entrance scholarships you win. Review all offers in your portal to calculate your total first-year budget.
• RealismAvoid planning to use this money for rent or books. Instead, recognize that these funds are applied strictly to your tuition fee bills. Plan your other living expenses using separate savings or loans.

Questions students ask

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