University of Ottawa scholarships 2027 for international undergraduates are partial funding, not a full ride. The main award, the International English Admission Scholarship, takes $7,500 off your tuition each term, up to $60,000 over a four-year degree. It is automatic, so there is no scholarship form and no separate scholarship deadline. Your admission application is what counts, and I last checked the official pages on October 26, 2026.
Most scholarship guides for Canada make you hunt through five tabs to learn one simple thing: whether you must apply separately. At the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), for the awards in this guide, you do not. If you are admitted to an eligible English-language program with a strong enough average, the money is applied to your tuition bill.
I compared uOttawa’s current scholarship overview with its older international scholarship page and with several popular summaries. They disagree on a few points, such as the average needed for the bonus award, which countries qualify, and how many payments you get. I flag each of those below instead of repeating a number I could not confirm.
This guide also gives Pakistani, US, and other international applicants a separate section each, because the practical steps differ more than most blogs admit.
University of Ottawa scholarships 2027, Study in Canada
Quick Facts at a Glance
These facts come from uOttawa’s official scholarship pages. Where a detail could not be confirmed, the table says so.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| University | University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Study level | Undergraduate (Bachelor) |
| Funding type | Partial funding (tuition reduction) |
| Main award | International English Admission Scholarship: $7,500 per term, up to $60,000 over a four-year degree |
| Bonus award | International English Academic Excellence Scholarship: $10,000 ($5,000 per term), 100 awards, not renewable |
| Minimum average | 80% for the Admission Scholarship, 90% or higher for the Excellence Scholarship |
| Who qualifies | International students who pay international tuition fees and hold a valid study permit |
| Intake | Newly admitted for the Winter 2026 term or later |
| Separate scholarship form | No, awards are automatic |
| Deadline | No separate scholarship deadline. The admission deadline for your program applies. |
- Quick Facts at a Glance
- University of Ottawa Scholarships Overview
- Degree Level and Funding Type
- Available Subjects and Eligible Faculties
- Eligible Nationalities
- Who Can Apply
- How Winners Are Selected
- Funding and Benefits
- Other uOttawa Awards Worth Checking
- Required Documents
- English Language Requirements
- Costs to Plan For
- Application Procedure
- Deadlines and Time Zones
- Study Permit and Visa
- For Pakistani Applicants
- For US Applicants
- For Other International Applicants
- After You Receive an Offer
- Common Mistakes
- Scam Warning Signs
- How to Apply Safely
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Words
- Official Links
- Read More
University of Ottawa Scholarships Overview
uOttawa describes its scholarship program as one of the most generous in Canada, and it separates scholarships (based on academic achievement) from bursaries (based on financial need). For international applicants, two merit awards matter most. Both are tied to your admission average and both are applied without any essay, interview, or extra paperwork.
The International English Admission Scholarship
This is the award most international students should plan around. It pays $7,500 per term and can reach $60,000 across a four-year degree. uOttawa says the amount reduces your tuition by $15,000 per year and that fees are lowered immediately, so you never have to claim a refund. The number of awards is unlimited, which means every eligible student receives it.
The International English Academic Excellence Scholarship
This is a smaller, harder-to-win bonus. It is worth $10,000, paid as $5,000 per term, and uOttawa offers 100 of them. It is not renewable, but it can be combined with the Admission Scholarship, so a top student can stack the two in the first year.
One scholarship blog lists a 95% average for the Excellence award, while uOttawa’s own page says 90%. I use the official figure. If a summary and the university disagree, the university’s page and your offer letter win.
Degree Level and Funding Type
Both awards are for undergraduate (Bachelor) programs only. They are partial funding, because they lower tuition and nothing else. Graduate students should read uOttawa’s separate graduate funding page, since the rules there are different.
Available Subjects and Eligible Faculties
Eligibility follows your faculty and, in some cases, your exact program. uOttawa’s current overview mentions approved programs in eligible faculties, and third-party summaries consistently name the six faculties below. The “Examples” column reflects programs named on uOttawa’s older April 2025 page, so treat it as a guide and not a final list.
| Faculty | Examples named on the older page |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Arts | Most English-taught programs, except Digital Journalism and Public Relations |
| Faculty of Engineering | Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering |
| Faculty of Health Sciences | Health Sciences, Human Kinetics, Food and Nutrition Sciences |
| Faculty of Science | Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Environmental Science |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration, Criminology-related combinations |
| Telfer School of Management | Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, International Management |
The older page excluded many programs inside eligible faculties, including most Engineering programs. Never assume that a faculty name alone makes you eligible. Open the current program list on the official page, or ask uOttawa in writing before you apply.
Eligible Nationalities
This is the single most confusing part of the topic. uOttawa’s older international scholarship page (last updated April 2025) said these awards were for students from Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, South Korea, India, or Bangladesh. The current overview page, updated September 24, 2026, describes the awards for international students who pay international fees and shows no country list.
I cannot tell from the pages alone whether the country restriction was removed or simply not repeated. If you are from another country, such as Pakistan, the safest move is to email uOttawa’s Financial Aid and Awards Service and ask for written confirmation before you accept an offer or pay a deposit.
Who Can Apply
To be considered for the Admission Scholarship, you generally need to meet every item below.
- Be an international student with a valid Canadian study permit.
- Be newly admitted for the Winter 2026 term or later to an approved English-language undergraduate program.
- Study in an eligible faculty: Arts, Engineering, Health Sciences, Science, Social Sciences, or the Telfer School of Management.
- Be enrolled full-time.
- Have a minimum admission average of 80%.
- Pay international tuition fees. Students paying domestic fees are not eligible.
- Not be enrolled in the French Immersion Stream.
Canadian citizens with dual citizenship are not eligible, because they already qualify for Canadian tuition rates.
How Winners Are Selected
For the Admission Scholarship there is no competition. If you meet the criteria, you receive it. uOttawa states that all eligible students are considered automatically and notified when they are admitted.
Selection for the Excellence Scholarship
The Excellence Scholarship works differently because only 100 are available. It is for students with an admission average of 90% or higher. uOttawa’s current text says it is awarded automatically to successful candidates, but it does not explain how ties or oversubscription are handled. An older page described a competitive process with early admission dates, so I cannot confirm the current rules and you should not count on this award.
Funding and Benefits
$7,500 per term
Up to $60,000 over four years, renewable, applied to tuition automatically.
$10,000 once
Paid as $5,000 per term. Not renewable, only 100 awards, 90% average or higher.
Living costs
Housing, food, books, insurance, and transportation are not part of these awards.
Two numbers that do not quite add up
uOttawa says the Admission Scholarship is renewable for a maximum of 12 instalments and worth $60,000 over four years. Eight regular terms at $7,500 give $60,000, but 12 instalments at that rate would be $90,000. I could not find an official explanation, so ask uOttawa how summer terms are counted before you build a budget around the maximum.
Keeping the scholarship
The renewal conditions are not repeated on the current overview page. The older international scholarship page required full-time enrollment in your original program and a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 5.00 at the end of each academic year for the Admission award. Your offer letter lists the current terms, so read it carefully.
Other uOttawa Awards Worth Checking
If your grades are strong or your situation fits, these additional awards are listed on uOttawa’s 2027-2028 overview. Amounts and deadlines can change without notice.
| Award | Value | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Arts Dean’s Merit Scholarship | $4,000 ($1,000 per year) | 10 awards, admission average of 90% or higher, no application needed |
| Faculty of Engineering Memorial Scholarship | $2,000 | Seven awards for women in Engineering, minimum average 80%, letter and resume required, deadline March 31 |
| Engineering Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Admission Scholarship | $5,000 | 35 awards, international students included, deadline March 31 |
| Faculty of Social Sciences Dean’s Excellence Award for International Students | $1,500 | Admission average of 92% or higher |
| Education Bursary for International Students with Disabilities | Variable | Apply each term, deadlines November 2, 2026 (Fall) and March 1, 2027 (Winter) |
| Differential Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship | Varies by program | For international Francophone and Francophile students in French programs |
The full list lives in the uOttawa scholarships and bursaries directory. Check it before you apply, because new awards are added when new cycles open.
Required Documents
You do not upload anything for the scholarship itself. The documents below are the ones that matter for admission and for the study permit that keeps the scholarship valid. Your country’s admission requirements decide the exact list.
Passport
Check the expiry date. It should outlast your planned study period or you will need a renewal.
Academic transcripts
Your grades produce the admission average that unlocks the award.
Diploma or certificate
Required for admission. Ask uOttawa whether predicted or final results are accepted for your system.
English proof
Needed only if your program or country requires it. See the next section.
Study permit
Must be valid when classes start. Apply after you accept your offer.
English Language Requirements
The scholarship pages do not list a test score, so the requirement comes from your admission file. Check the language requirement for your exact program, because it can differ between faculties. If you plan to take a test, use the IELTS band score calculator to see how your section scores average out before you book.
I did not verify a waiver policy for 2027, so I will not guess at one. Ask uOttawa admissions whether your previous English-medium education can replace a test.
Costs to Plan For
I did not find a current international tuition figure on the pages I verified, so I will not quote one. Open uOttawa’s official fees page for your program and subtract the scholarship amount to see what you actually owe each term.
- Tuition and ancillary fees: reduced by the scholarship, not removed.
- Housing and food: usually your largest cost after tuition.
- Health insurance: confirm what is mandatory for international students.
- Study permit and biometrics: paid to the Canadian government, not to uOttawa.
- Winter clothing and books: easy to forget, and not small.
Any currency conversion you see on other sites is an estimate. Exchange rates move daily, so check a live rate on the day you plan a payment.
Application Procedure
The flowchart below shows the full route. Notice that no step says “apply for the scholarship.” That is deliberate, because the award follows your admission.
Confirm the program is taught in English, sits in one of the six faculties, and is not in the French Immersion Stream.
Submit through uOttawa’s admissions portal. A late application can cost you both the seat and the scholarship consideration.
Use the CGPA calculator if your transcript uses a grade point scale, then compare the result with the 80% and 90% lines. uOttawa’s own conversion is the final word.
uOttawa notifies eligible students at admission. If a scholarship you expected is missing, contact the Financial Aid and Awards Service with your student number.
You need a valid permit when classes start, so begin as soon as you accept.
Your tuition is reduced by the scholarship amount. Keep the grades required to renew it.
Deadlines and Time Zones
The two main international awards have no scholarship deadline of their own. Your program’s admission deadline is the one that matters. Check it on uOttawa’s admissions page for your program, and track it with our scholarship deadline tracker.
Some related awards do have dates. The timeline below shows the ones listed on uOttawa’s 2027-2028 overview that international students can use. The March 31 dates come from the same listing, so I assume they apply to the 2027 intake cycle.
Time zone conversion
uOttawa does not state a closing time or time zone for these dates. Ottawa uses Eastern Time, so the table shows what a closing time of 11:59 PM in Ottawa would look like elsewhere. This is an illustration, not an official time.
| Date (Ottawa) | Ottawa (ET) | Pacific (PT) | GMT | Pakistan (PKT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2, 2026 | 11:59 PM EST | 8:59 PM PST, Nov 2 | 4:59 AM, Nov 3 | 9:59 AM, Nov 3 |
| March 1, 2027 | 11:59 PM EST | 8:59 PM PST, Mar 1 | 4:59 AM, Mar 2 | 9:59 AM, Mar 2 |
| March 31, 2027 | 11:59 PM EDT | 8:59 PM PDT, Mar 31 | 3:59 AM, Apr 1 | 8:59 AM, Apr 1 |
Notice that the March 31 conversion shifts by an hour compared with the other rows. Daylight saving time begins in March 2027, while PKT does not change. Submit well before the cutoff so a time zone slip never costs you a deadline.
Study Permit and Visa
uOttawa requires a valid Canadian study permit when classes begin. The permit is issued by the Canadian government, not by the university, so your offer letter is the starting point and not the finish line. Depending on your passport, you may also need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter Canada.
I did not verify current processing times, so check the Canadian immigration website for your country before you set a travel date. Do not pay an agent for a permit outcome that no one can promise.
For Pakistani Applicants
Pakistani students should treat this scholarship as a tuition discount, not a funded place. You still need to budget for living costs and show the financial proof that the study permit requires.
Grades and conversion
Your admission average comes from your FSc, A-level, or equivalent results. uOttawa decides how Pakistani grades convert, so read its admission requirements for Pakistan before you apply. If your marks are on a percentage scale you may already be close to the 80% line, but only the university’s conversion counts.
Country eligibility
Pakistan is not named on the older regional list, and the current page does not restrict countries. That is exactly the gap I described earlier. Ask Financial Aid and Awards for written confirmation, and keep the reply with your documents.
Practical steps from Pakistan
- Request transcripts and certificates early, because document delays are the most common cause of missed intakes.
- Check the accepted English test for your program and book it with time to spare.
- Start the study permit file the day you accept your offer.
- Remember that PKT runs 9 to 10 hours ahead of Ottawa, so a submission at midnight in Ottawa is already the next morning in Pakistan.
- Write a clear statement if your program asks for one. Our guide on how to write a winning motivation letter shows how.
For US Applicants
Americans are international students in Canada, which means they pay international tuition fees and can be considered for these awards. Many US applicants assume their transcript will convert simply, so it helps to understand how the numbers work.
GPA and the 80% line
A US GPA is not an admission average. uOttawa converts your grades to its own scale, and a 3.5 GPA does not automatically equal 80%. Look up the conversion in the admission requirements for US applicants before you decide whether the scholarship is realistic.
What is different for you
- You need a Canadian study permit even though you can travel to Canada without a visa.
- Ottawa shares the Eastern Time zone with New York, so deadlines are straightforward to track.
- Check whether your program can be used with US federal student aid. I did not verify this, so ask both uOttawa and your financial aid office.
- Prices on the uOttawa site are in Canadian dollars, so use a live exchange rate on the day you pay.
For Other International Applicants
Students from the UK, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, the Gulf, and everywhere else follow the same path: eligible English program, 80% admission average, valid study permit, and full-time enrollment. What changes is how your country’s grades convert and whether your country is covered.
Check your nationality line
Students from Africa, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam were automatically named on the older page, and students from China and South Korea were named for Excellence awards only. If your country was never listed, ask for written confirmation as described earlier.
French programs have their own route
If you study in French or in the French Immersion Stream, you cannot use these English awards. uOttawa instead offers the Differential Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship to international Francophone and Francophile students, which can reduce fees considerably.
After You Receive an Offer
Read the offer letter line by line before you pay anything. Confirm the scholarship amount, the renewal conditions, and the deadline to accept. Keep a copy of every message from uOttawa, because you may need them for your study permit and for fee disputes later.
Tip: If the scholarship in your letter is lower than expected, write to the Financial Aid and Awards Service before you accept. A short, polite email with your student number is enough.
Common Mistakes
- Choosing the French Immersion Stream and losing eligibility without realizing it.
- Trusting the faculty name and skipping the program-level check.
- Missing the admission deadline, which removes both the seat and the scholarship.
- Counting on the Excellence award. Only 100 are given, so plan your finances around the Admission Scholarship alone.
- Assuming it covers living costs. It reduces tuition only.
- Using a blog as the final source, including this one. Rules change, and your offer letter is what uOttawa honors.
Scam Warning Signs
- Payment for a scholarship form. These awards need no application, so no one should charge for one.
- Guaranteed scholarship promises. Only uOttawa decides, and only after admission.
- Pressure to pay quickly. Real offers come from official uOttawa email addresses and the student portal.
- Requests for your passport scan or bank login from unverified contacts.
How to Apply Safely
Use only the uOttawa website and portal, and type the address yourself or save it from the official site. The scholarship overview is at the official links below. If something looks different from what I describe, trust uOttawa’s page and your offer letter. You can also read our About Us page to see how we research and update posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the University of Ottawa scholarship fully funded?
No. The International English Admission Scholarship is partial funding that lowers your tuition by $7,500 per term, up to $60,000 over a four-year degree. You still pay the remaining tuition, living costs, health insurance, and other fees.
Do I need to apply separately for the University of Ottawa scholarship?
No. The Admission Scholarship and the Academic Excellence Scholarship are awarded automatically to eligible students who are admitted and enrolled full-time. Your offer letter shows what you received.
What admission average do I need for the University of Ottawa scholarship?
You need an admission average of at least 80% for the Admission Scholarship and 90% or higher for the Academic Excellence Scholarship. The university converts your own country’s grades, so check the requirements for your education system.
Is there a deadline for the University of Ottawa international scholarship?
uOttawa lists no separate deadline for the two main international awards. They depend on your admission, so the deadline that matters is the admission deadline for your program.
Can I receive both international scholarships together?
Yes. uOttawa states that the Academic Excellence Scholarship is not renewable but can be combined with the Admission Scholarship.
Can Pakistani students apply for the University of Ottawa scholarship?
Pakistani students can be considered if they pay international tuition fees, hold a valid study permit, and are admitted to an eligible English-language program. An older uOttawa page listed specific regions, so confirm your country in writing before you accept an offer.
Can students from the United States apply?
Students from the United States are treated as international students in Canada, so they can be considered under the same rules if they pay international tuition fees. You still need a Canadian study permit.
Does the scholarship cover living costs?
No. It reduces tuition only. You need to plan separately for housing, food, health insurance, books, and transportation.
Final Words
If you remember only three things, make them these. First, the main awards are automatic, so your energy belongs in a strong admission file. Second, check your exact program and your country’s eligibility in writing. Third, plan your budget around the Admission Scholarship alone and treat everything else as a bonus.
If this guide helped, tell me in the comments which program you are targeting. I will keep the facts updated as uOttawa publishes changes.
This article is for general guidance only and is not an official University of Ottawa publication. Scholarship values, eligible programs, averages, and deadlines can change without notice. Verify every detail on the official uOttawa website and in your offer letter before you apply or pay any fee. Study Abroad with Arbaz is not affiliated with the University of Ottawa. Read our full disclaimer page.
Official Links
Scholarships and awards overview: uOttawa scholarships and awards overview
International English Scholarships (older page): uOttawa International English Scholarships
How to apply for scholarships and awards: uOttawa applying for scholarships
Scholarships directory: Online Scholarships and Bursaries directory
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Editorial note: Scholarship figures, programs, and deadlines should always be checked against the official sources before you submit anything.
Published: October 26, 2026
Last verified: October 26, 2026
Published by: Study Abroad with Arbaz
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