University of British Columbia Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most UBC scholarships you’ll see for international students are designed for students enrolled in a UBC degree program (and, for many international awards, studying at UBC on a Canadian study permit), rather than stand-alone online courses or non-credit online certificates.

UBC offers scholarships and funding across a wide range of subjects; some awards are general (not tied to one major), and others are faculty- or program-linked. In GlobalScholarships recipient stories, you can see awards supporting business, engineering, and STEM paths like data science, food science, geomatics/environment, and AI/medical-imaging research.

• Satvik Khurana (Business/Finance, Sauder): “My experience at UBC Sauder has been amazing till now.”
• Carmene (STEM, Data Science): “The world is moving toward AI-driven decision-making… This is what made me pursue Data Science.”
• Samuel Osaretin Buraimoh (STEM, Food Science): he pursued “a master’s degree in food science from the University of British Columbia, Canada.”
• Beatrice Somuah (Environment/STEM, Geomatics): “UBC’s Geomatics for Environmental Management program perfectly aligned with my goals.”
• Nourhan Bayasi (Engineering/STEM + health tech): “Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, specializing in AI for medical imaging.”

Humanities: UBC also has scholarships for Arts and humanities students (often via general awards plus faculty-recommended awards), so humanities students can still be competitive—especially when academics + leadership/community impact are strong.

Medicine: UBC does fund many health-related areas (e.g., research, biomedical fields, public health, and allied health programs depending on program rules). However, for the MD/PhD route, UBC’s published eligibility notes that the combined MD/PhD program is restricted to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons with refugee status in Canada (so international students would not be eligible for that specific pathway).

UBC scholarships can be open to many nationalities, especially major international entrance awards and need-and-merit programs that are intended for international students studying at UBC. The GlobalScholarships UBC recipient stories show a wide mix of backgrounds, including Rwanda, India, Nigeria, Ghana, and Syrian Canadian.

• Carmene: “My name is Carmene, and I am from Rwanda.”
• Satvik Khurana: “I grew up in New Delhi, India, and moved to Canada in 2022.”
• Samuel Osaretin Buraimoh: “I’m Samuel Osaretin Buraimoh, from Edo State, Nigeria.”
• Beatrice Somuah: “I am from… Ghana.”
• Nourhan Bayasi: “Hi, I’m Nourhan Bayasi (Syrian Canadian).”

Important nuance: some scholarships are broadly open to “international students” (not nationality-specific), while others (including some external and partner-funded programs) may target specific regions or communities, so always check the eligibility text for each award.

Not always. UBC has multiple ways to meet its English language admission standard, including approved tests (like IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT) and other pathways such as prior schooling in English or an approved waiver process. In recipient stories, you can see both paths: Satvik Khurana says, “I took the SAT and IELTS,” while Beatrice Somuah notes that “UBC waived the GRE/IELTS requirement due to my prior education in English.”

There are also cases where a test isn’t required for a specific program/application context: Samuel Osaretin Buraimoh shares, “I did not take standardized tests such as… TOEFL, IELTS… as they were not required for the programs to which I applied.”

UBC publishes minimum academic thresholds for consideration, but admission is competitive and many programs effectively require higher averages than the minimum. For example, UBC’s academic calendar notes minimum requirements for secondary-school applicants (including a minimum overall admission average) and also emphasizes that higher achievement is often needed because there are more qualified applicants than spaces.

From recipients’ examples, competitive profiles can be very strong: Satvik Khurana reports 96% (Grade 10) and 95.2% (Grade 12), and Nourhan Bayasi reports graduating top of her class with a 3.96/4.0 GPA. At the same time, Carmene reminds applicants that “there are many other factors,” and that it helps “to balance academics with social activities.”

It depends on the scholarship type, but a strong academic record plus evidence of leadership/community involvement is a common theme for many UBC awards. For instance, UBC’s merit-based international entrance awards look for exceptional academic achievement alongside extracurricular and community involvement; and the International Scholars-style awards emphasize leadership, community impact, and meaningful financial need (with a financial assessment).

Recipient stories show what this can look like in practice: Carmene targeted universities that “valued leadership and community impact,” Beatrice Somuah says her process was “holistic,” and Nourhan Bayasi believes her application stood out because of “honesty and authenticity.”

For undergraduate applications, UBC typically requires academic records (transcripts/grades) and, if applicable, proof that you meet the English language requirement (test scores or documentation for another pathway/waiver). After you apply, UBC tells you exactly what to submit and where (often through the Applicant Service Centre), and requirements can differ depending on your curriculum and background.

For graduate applications, common components include academic documents (transcripts), reference letters, and a statement of interest/intent; some programs also require English test scores and/or other test scores depending on the program. In recipient stories, references and personal statements show up repeatedly: Nourhan Bayasi says she “contacted referees… with strong, personalized letters,” Satvik Khurana describes building strong recommendation letters by “cultivat[ing] a rapport with my teachers,” and Beatrice Somuah focused on “crafting a compelling Statement of Purpose and a strong resume.”

A practical tip from Carmene: treat the process like a project: she says she “relied heavily on self-research,” gathering “requirements, and scholarships,” and she even built an Excel tracker to stay organized.

Yes. UBC charges application fees, and the amount depends on whether you’re applying as a domestic applicant or an applicant who will study on a Canadian study permit, and whether you’re applying to undergraduate or graduate programs.

For graduate applicants, UBC notes some cases where an application fee waiver may apply (for example, applicants from countries classified among the UN’s least developed countries, per UBC’s graduate admissions fee guidance).