The University of Alberta in Edmonton runs one of the largest international scholarship programmes in Canada, and part of it needs no separate application at all. The university says one in five first-year students receives a scholarship, and it awards CAD 53 million a year in undergraduate scholarships, awards and financial support.
For Indian students the numbers are unusually concrete: an admission-based award of up to CAD 10,000 that is decided from your high school average, and an application-based President’s International Distinction Scholarship worth up to CAD 120,000 over four years for 25 students a year. Everything below comes from the university’s own scholarship, deadline and fee pages, linked at the end.
University of Alberta international scholarships: quick facts
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada |
| Last date to apply | 10 January 2027 – entrance award application deadline (apply for admission first). Admission applications for most programmes close 1 March 2027 |
| Admission-based awards | International Admission Scholarship up to CAD 10,000; Regional Excellence Scholarship up to CAD 5,000 – no scholarship application needed |
| Top application award | President’s International Distinction Scholarship: up to CAD 120,000 payable over four years, 25 awards a year |
| Other awards | International Leader Scholarship up to CAD 15,000; Cora Martinson International Scholarship up to CAD 56,000 over four years (Augustana Faculty); Chan Pang Kuen Memorial International Distinction Scholarship up to CAD 120,000 |
| Application fee | CAD 150 for new applicants, CAD 100 for current or former students, non-refundable |
| Official website | ualberta.ca – international entrance scholarships |
Admission-based scholarships: no application required
Two of the awards are decided automatically when the university assesses your application for admission. You are evaluated on your high school admission average at the time of the admission offer, and the university contacts eligible students directly.
- International Admission Scholarship: up to CAD 10,000, awarded to top students on admission average.
- Regional Excellence Scholarship: up to CAD 5,000 for top students from certain regions.
Because these are admission-based, there is nothing extra to fill in – but there is also nothing extra you can do to chase them beyond applying early with strong final marks. Your average at the point of the offer is what counts, which is why students who apply with completed Grade 12 results tend to do better than students who apply on predicted marks.
Application-based scholarships: the big ones
The high-value awards use one single scholarship application. You must apply to an undergraduate degree programme before you can apply for any entrance scholarship, and the deadline for application-based scholarships is 10 January. Offers are made starting in early winter.
- President’s International Distinction Scholarship: up to CAD 120,000 payable over four years, for 25 students a year with a superior admission average and demonstrated leadership, entering the first year of an undergraduate degree on a student visa.
- Chan Pang Kuen Memorial International Distinction Scholarship: up to CAD 120,000 payable over four years, same profile of student.
- International Leader Scholarship: up to CAD 15,000 for well-rounded applicants with superior academics, judged on leadership roles and accomplishments in school, community organisations, extracurricular activities or the workplace.
- Cora Martinson International Scholarship: up to CAD 56,000 payable over four years, open to students entering any year of an undergraduate degree at the Augustana Faculty on a student visa, with preference for demonstrated financial need.
- University of Alberta Global Citizen Scholarship: full tuition and non-instructional fees for four years plus up to CAD 28,000 a year for living expenses – but only for IB Diploma students from Aga Khan Academies.
Two awards on the same page are not open to Indian applicants and are worth knowing so you do not count them in your planning: the May Quon Undergraduate Scholarship (up to CAD 100,000 over four years) is restricted to Chinese or Hong Kong citizens, and the Global Citizen Scholarship is limited to students from Aga Khan Academies.
Who can apply
- You must be applying to an undergraduate degree programme at the University of Alberta, and for the Distinction awards you must be entering first year on a student visa.
- The application-based awards are assessed on admission average plus leadership, community involvement and – for some awards – indicated financial need.
- You must apply for admission before you can submit the scholarship application, so the two deadlines are linked: miss the admission application and the scholarship application has nothing to attach to.
- The awards are open across programmes; the Cora Martinson award is specific to the Augustana Faculty.
Important dates for the 2027 intake
These are the university’s published dates for applicants starting in the 2027 cycle. The entrance award deadline is the one that matters most for scholarship applicants.
- 1 October 2026: applications open for Spring and Summer 2027 admission.
- 10 January 2027: entrance award application deadline.
- 15 February 2027: deadline to submit a programme change request form.
- 1 March 2027: deadline to submit the application for admission for most programmes (select programmes have extended deadlines).
- 30 April 2027: deadline to self-report final high school marks in the application.
- 1 May 2027: deadline to accept admission offers made before 1 April; admission evaluations after that are done on a rolling basis.
The entrance award deadline falls about seven weeks before the general admission deadline. Students who wait for the March admission cut-off and then look for scholarships have already missed the January award round.
Costs you should budget for
The scholarship pages are only half the picture – you also need the fee side. The university publishes a tuition guarantee for international undergraduates, which fixes both the annual and the programme-total tuition for the duration of the degree, so the cost is known before you accept an offer.
- Application fee: CAD 150 for new applicants, CAD 100 for current or former students, non-refundable, paid when you apply.
- Tuition deposit: CAD 5,000 to accept the offer, receive the provincial attestation letter needed for the study permit, and become eligible to register. Students already studying in Canada pay CAD 1,000.
- Tuition guarantee: the annual and programme-total international tuition is fixed for the length of the programme.
- Payment timing: tuition is due by the fee deadline each semester – typically late September for Fall and late January for Winter.
Living costs in Edmonton, books and the compulsory health and dental coverage sit on top of tuition. Use the university’s cost calculator with your own programme before you compare the scholarship figure against the bill.
How to apply, step by step
- Choose your undergraduate programme and submit the admission application, paying the CAD 150 application fee.
- Wait for your admission offer – you cannot submit the entrance scholarship application before you have applied for a degree programme.
- Fill in the single scholarship application: it assesses your background, experiences, academics and interests, and matches you to every award you qualify for rather than one at a time.
- Submit the scholarship application by 10 January 2027.
- Watch for offers from early winter, and accept the admission offer (and pay the CAD 5,000 tuition deposit) by the deadline printed on your Launchpad.
Frequently asked questions
The entrance award application deadline is 10 January 2027. Admission applications for most programmes close on 1 March 2027, so the scholarship deadline comes first.
No. It is admission-based: the university evaluates you from your high school admission average when it makes the offer, and contacts eligible students directly. The award is up to CAD 10,000.
Up to CAD 120,000, payable over four years, for 25 students a year entering first year on a student visa with a superior admission average and demonstrated leadership.
No. The May Quon Undergraduate Scholarship is restricted to Chinese or Hong Kong citizens and the Global Citizen Scholarship is only for IB Diploma students from Aga Khan Academies. The International Admission Scholarship, Regional Excellence Scholarship, President’s International Distinction Scholarship, Chan Pang Kuen Memorial award, International Leader Scholarship and Cora Martinson Scholarship are open to international applicants generally.
Yes. CAD 150 for new applicants, or CAD 100 for current and former University of Alberta students. It is non-refundable and paid at the time of application.
A CAD 5,000 tuition deposit for most new international applicants, which is applied to tuition. The deposit is CAD 1,000 for students already studying in Canada.
The Distinction awards are paid over four years and can reach CAD 120,000 in total. The admission-based awards are one-time amounts of up to CAD 10,000. Check the conditions attached to your own offer letter, because renewal terms differ by award.
Official links
- University of Alberta – international entrance scholarships
- University of Alberta – admission dates and deadlines
- University of Alberta – international tuition and fees
- University of Alberta – undergraduate awards office
Related hubs: Study abroad scholarships, International scholarships, Class 12 scholarships.
Related scholarship posts:
- Carleton University scholarships for international students
- University of Manitoba scholarships for international students
- University of Guelph international scholarships
