WUSC — Student Refugee Program (SRP)

About this award

Tuition, fees, and first-year living costs covered by the host campus through the WUSC Student Refugee Program if you are a refugee youth selected for a Canadian sponsorship — host campuses each set their own deadlines.

The Student Refugee Program (SRP) is Canada's oldest refugee-education resettlement pathway. Run by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), it is the only program in the world that combines refugee resettlement with university or college admission — you arrive in Canada as a permanent resident, ready to start studying. WUSC, founded in 1957 as one of Canada's first non-profit international development organizations, launched the SRP in 1978 with a single placement at Carleton University. Today, the program supports more than 150 students per year through more than 100 partner Canadian university, college, and CEGEP campuses, and has resettled over 2,500 young refugees across its history. The funding model is unusual and worth understanding: each Canadian campus that joins the SRP raises money through a small per-student levy that the local student union votes on. Those campus levies then cover your tuition and first-year living costs after you arrive. WUSC is an official Sponsorship Agreement Holder with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which is why students arrive directly as permanent residents rather than as study-permit holders. The first year is fully covered by your host campus. After that, you are a regular permanent resident with full access to provincial student aid (OSAP, AFE, and equivalents), provincial bursaries, and the broader Canadian funding ecosystem. You cannot apply directly. WUSC selects candidates through partner organizations in countries hosting large refugee populations — typically through UNHCR-referred lists. Ask WUSC at srp.wusc.ca to confirm the current intake countries and selection timeline.

Can you get it?

• ✓ Protected Person or Refugee — citizenship requirement
• ✓ College, Undergraduate — study level
• ✓ Resident of ON, BC, AB, QC, NS, MB, SK, NB, NL, PE — provincial eligibility
• ✓ Studying all — field of study

How to apply

1. 1

   Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour

   Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.

2. 2

   Submit before the posted deadline~1 hour

   Check the official source for the current deadline — save a copy and submit at least 24 hours early.

More details