UC International First Year Scholarship 2027: NZ$15,000 for Offshore Students

The UC International First Year Scholarship (Offshore) is a New Zealand undergraduate award worth NZ$15,000 towards tuition fees at the University of Canterbury. It is open to top-achieving international students who have completed their university-entrance qualification overseas – which includes Indian students completing Class 12 or an equivalent qualification in India – and who will begin an undergraduate degree at UC.

For a Semester 1 2027 start, the scholarship closes on 31 October 2026, with applications having opened on 5 September 2026. A second window closes on 15 April for a Semester 2 start, with applications opening on 7 March.

Below are the value, the eligibility rules for offshore applicants, the 2027 dates, the application steps and the official University of Canterbury links.

UC International First Year Scholarship (Offshore) 2027

What is the UC International First Year Scholarship?

The University of Canterbury runs two versions of its international first-year award. The Offshore version – the one described here – is for international students who completed their university-entrance qualification outside New Zealand, or through UC International College. The separate NZ Incoming First-Year version is for international students who finished a university-entrance qualification at a New Zealand secondary school and who apply in the August round.

Both awards carry the same value: NZ$15,000 towards tuition fees, applied in the first year of the undergraduate degree. The offshore award exists precisely to give strong students applying from overseas – including from India – a route into UC with part of the first-year tuition covered.

Scholarship value: NZ$15,000 towards tuition

• NZ$15,000 towards tuition fees in the first year of the undergraduate programme at the University of Canterbury.
• This is the highest-value first-year award UC publishes for international entrants, three times the value of the country High Achievers Scholarships.
• The award is a tuition-fee contribution, so it does not cover flights, visa costs, health insurance or living costs in Christchurch.
• UC allows students to hold more than one scholarship, so the offshore award can be combined with other UC awards an applicant is eligible for.
• Awards are subject to funding availability and are reviewed each year.

Eligibility for the offshore first-year award

• Be an international student intending to enrol at UC in the first year of an undergraduate degree.
• Have completed, or be completing, a university-entrance qualification overseas – for Indian applicants this normally means Class 12 (or an equivalent school-leaving qualification) studied outside New Zealand.
• Applicants who studied at secondary level in New Zealand, including through a New Zealand school, must apply in the August round under the NZ Incoming First-Year version instead.
• Students coming through UC International College (UCIC) also apply under this offshore award.
• Have a strong academic record, because the award is aimed at top-achieving students.
• Read the award’s regulations in the UC scholarships database before applying – UC states that each scholarship has its own criteria and the regulations are the final authority.

UC International First Year Scholarship dates 2027

• 5 September 2026 – applications open for a Semester 1 2027 start.
• 31 October 2026 – last date to apply for a Semester 1 2027 start.
• 7 March – applications open for a Semester 2 start.
• 15 April – last date to apply for a Semester 2 start.

UC states that the closing date is not flexible and that the ‘Apply Here’ button appears in the scholarship listing only during the roughly eight-week window in which the award is open, so plan the application and the supporting documents well before 31 October 2026.

How to apply for the UC offshore scholarship

1. Create a myUC account on the University of Canterbury website. Use a personal email address that will remain active for at least six months after the closing date.
2. Open the UC scholarships portal at scholarshipscanterbury.communityforce.com and click “Apply for a Scholarship”.
3. Search the database for the incoming first-year undergraduate scholarships and open the UC International First Year Scholarship (Offshore) listing.
4. Read the regulations – they state the eligibility criteria and what the selection committee looks for – and then click ‘Apply Here’.
5. Complete the form inside myUC and submit it before 31 October 2026 for a Semester 1 2027 start.
6. Add [email protected] and [email protected] to your contacts so that application correspondence is not missed.

Tips for a strong UC scholarship application

• Apply for every scholarship you are eligible for – UC states that it is often possible to hold more than one award at a time.
• Start the application early: the form can be saved and returned to, but the closing date cannot be extended.
• Make the most of the word limit in open-ended questions, because the awards are competitive – use the space to explain why you deserve the scholarship.
• Line up referees in advance and warn them that a request from UC will arrive with its own deadline.
• Use an email address you will still control six months after the closing date, and never a school or parent address.

FAQs about the UC International First Year Scholarship

Official links

Related reading: University of Canterbury – scholarships for international students
University of Canterbury – incoming first-year scholarships
University of Canterbury scholarships portal (applications)

Explore more: browse study abroad scholarships, international scholarships for Indian students and scholarships for graduation students.

Related scholarship posts

Related reading: University of Canterbury India High Achievers Scholarship 2027: NZ$5,000
Dean’s Asia Scholarship 2027: Full Tuition at University of Auckland
University of Auckland India High Achievers Scholarship 2027: 25% Tuition Waiver