Last verified: 17 October 2026 · Entry: September 2027
If you are in SS3 or your final year of SHS, the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada has one of the most generous awards for international students who are brilliant but cannot afford to study abroad. It is called the UBC International Scholars Program, and the application for September 2027 closes on 15 November 2026.
This is not a scholarship you can rush in one night. You need a nominator from your school, a teacher referee, an admission application to UBC and an award application, all before the deadline. Below, I explain who qualifies, what you need, how the money works and the exact steps, using only UBC’s own pages.
UBC International Scholars Program 2027
| Provider | University of British Columbia (Vancouver and Okanagan campuses) |
|---|---|
| Destination | Canada |
| Level | Undergraduate (first degree), entry September 2027 |
| Funding | Need-based awards for top students. UBC does not publish one fixed amount; the award depends on your assessed financial need |
| Eligible | International students finishing secondary school, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia |
| Status | Open · Apply by 15 Nov 2026 |
| Deadlines | UBC admission + award application: 15 Nov 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific time · Documents: 31 Jan 2027 |
Scam alertUBC does not charge any fee for the International Scholars Program award application and does not use agents to select students. The only payment is UBC’s normal admission application fee, paid on UBC’s own website. Anybody selling “guaranteed UBC scholarship slots” is lying.
In this guide
What the UBC International Scholars Program is
The International Scholars Program (ISP) is UBC’s main award program for international students who are academically outstanding, have shown leadership or real service in their community, and would not be able to attend UBC without significant financial help. You do not apply for one named award. When you apply to ISP, UBC considers you for every award in the program that you qualify for:
- Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award: for superior academic results plus leadership that lifts other people, and service in school or community.
- Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award: for outstanding students from impoverished or war-torn areas who have done well despite serious challenges.
- International Impact Award: for students already working on issues such as sustainability, climate change, social justice, equity, or health and wellness. UBC gives priority to first-generation learners.
- Vantage One Excellence Award: for strong students who do not yet meet UBC’s English Language Admission Standard and are admitted through UBC Vantage College.
One important rule: if you apply to ISP, UBC will not also consider you for its merit-based (no-need) entrance awards. You choose one route. If your family can pay a large part of your costs, read UBC’s merit awards first.
What the award covers
UBC does not publish a fixed amount for the International Scholars awards. They are based on financial need: UBC estimates what it would cost you to live and study at UBC, looks at what your family can genuinely contribute, and the award is built around the gap. For the Vantage One Excellence Award, UBC states that awards range “up to the full cost of a student’s academic program and living expenses”.
So the honest answer is this: the award can be very large, but nobody outside UBC can promise you a figure. Be careful of any website that quotes one exact amount for every winner.
| Cost to apply | Official amount | In naira and cedis (about) |
|---|---|---|
| UBC undergraduate application fee (international students who need a study permit) | CAD $173.25 | ₦163,000 / GH₵1,430 |
| International Scholars Program award application | No fee | ₦0 |
Exchange rates checked on 17 October 2026 (about ₦941 and GH₵8.26 to one Canadian dollar). Your bank’s rate may be different.
Who can apply
UBC lists these requirements. You must meet all of them:
- International student who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit. Nigerians, Ghanaians and other West Africans qualify.
- Coming straight from secondary school. For September 2027, you must have finished secondary school no earlier than June 2026. If you finished WASSCE or NECO in 2026 or will finish in 2027, you are in the right window. If you finished in 2025 or earlier, you are not eligible.
- First undergraduate degree. If you have already started university anywhere, you cannot apply.
- Significant financial need, backed by official documents. UBC says it must be “impossible” for you to study at UBC without meaningful financial help.
- Superior academic results: UBC describes this as all As or an equivalent standard.
- UBC admission and English requirements. If your English does not meet UBC’s standard for direct entry, you may be considered through Vantage College.
- An eligible degree. These are excluded: Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Dental Science in Dental Hygiene, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, the Bachelor + Master of Management, dual degrees, and joint degrees.
Not sure how WAEC grades compare? UBC publishes its admission requirements by country on its website. Read them before you choose your course, and see our guide to WAEC result verification and transcripts.
Key dates for September 2027 entry
| What | Date | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| ISP application opens | 5 October 2026 | UBC |
| Apply to UBC for admission and submit the ISP award application | 15 November 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific time | You |
| Nominator and teacher referee submit their forms | A few days before 15 November | Your school |
| English requirement met and required admission documents submitted | 31 January 2027 | You |
| Video interview (if invited, you get one week) | January to March 2027 | You |
| Results, released on a rolling basis | February to April 2027 | UBC |
| Final award notifications | Early to mid-April 2027 | UBC |
11:59 pm Pacific time on 15 November is 8:59 am on 16 November in Lagos and 7:59 am in Accra, Freetown, Monrovia and Banjul. Do not plan around that. Treat 14 November as your real deadline, because a referee who forgets can cost you the whole application.
The nomination: your school’s part
You cannot apply alone. ISP needs two different people from your school or community:
- A nominator, usually your principal or guidance counsellor, who completes the nomination form.
- A teacher referee, who writes a recommendation about you.
Each secondary school (or registered non-profit) can nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver (including Vantage College) and one student for UBC Okanagan. If several of you want to apply from the same school, the school decides who goes. A registered non-profit can nominate you only if it acts as your school or runs an education and mentorship program for disadvantaged students.
De Auditor’s tip
Do not send your principal a WhatsApp forward and wait. Go to the office with the printed UBC page, your results and a one-page summary of your activities. You are more likely to be taken seriously when you are standing in front of them. Ask them to tell you the day they will submit the nomination, and agree a date before 10 November. Do the same with your teacher referee.
How to apply, step by step
- Choose your degree and campus. Pick a first-choice program and a second choice. Check that your degree is not on the excluded list above.
- Talk to your school early. Ask who will be your nominator and who will be your teacher referee. They must be two different people.
- Apply to UBC for admission on UBC’s website and pay the CAD $173.25 fee. You complete a personal profile with short written answers about yourself, so draft them first in a document.
- Create your International Scholars Program account on UBC’s scholarship portal and start the award application.
- Send the nomination and reference requests from inside the portal. Your nominator and teacher get their own forms by email.
- Gather your financial information honestly (see below) and complete every section.
- Submit before 15 November, then check the portal to confirm that the nomination and reference show as received.
- Meet the 31 January 2027 document deadline for your English requirement and admission documents. UBC says to use this date, not the one in the general “next steps” email.
For help with the written parts, see our guides on getting a strong recommendation letter and scholarship interview questions and answers.
Documents and the financial need part
The ISP form itself has three parts: your application, the nomination form and the teacher recommendation. Because ISP is need-based, UBC will also ask for official documents that show your family’s financial situation. Be truthful. UBC compares what your family can pay with the cost of studying at UBC, and false or exaggerated information can disqualify you.
Start collecting what you will likely need now: your school results and transcript, your passport, proof of your parents’ or guardians’ income (payslips, a letter from an employer, or business records), and details of any other support you receive. UBC sets the exact list in the application, so follow it, not a list from social media.
What happens after you apply
If UBC shortlists you, you may be invited to a video interview between January and March 2027, and you get one week to complete it. Results come out on a rolling basis between February and April, with final notifications by mid-April. UBC also advises applicants to wait for award decisions before paying for UBC housing; the housing application deadline is 1 May 2027.
De Auditor’s note
James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor
UBC no be scholarship wey you go just fill form for one night. E get nominator, e get teacher referee, e get admission form, e get financial papers. If one person for that chain slack, your application don waste.
So start this week. Go see your principal by yourself, carry your result, and agree the date with them. Tell your teacher what you want them to talk about. And abeg, tell the truth about your family money. Need-based scholarship mean say UBC wan help person wey truly need am; no try to form am. Remember the truth will always set you free, Don’t wait; start today.
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Frequently asked questions
Can Nigerians and Ghanaians apply for the UBC International Scholars Program?
Yes. It is open to international students who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit, and one of its awards, the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, is aimed at outstanding students from impoverished or war-torn areas.
I finished secondary school in 2025. Can I apply?
No. For September 2027 entry you must have finished secondary school no earlier than June 2026.
Is the UBC International Scholars award fully funded?
It can cover a large part of your costs, but UBC does not publish one fixed amount. Awards are based on your assessed financial need. For the Vantage One Excellence Award, UBC says awards range up to the full cost of the program and living expenses.
Can I apply without my school?
No. You need a nominator (such as your principal or guidance counsellor) and a separate teacher referee. A registered non-profit can nominate you only in limited cases.
How much does it cost to apply?
The UBC undergraduate application fee for international students who need a study permit is CAD $173.25 (about ₦163,000 or GH₵1,430). There is no separate fee for the ISP award application.
When will I know if I won?
UBC releases results on a rolling basis from February to April 2027, with final award notifications by early to mid-April.
Sources and verification
Checked on 17 October 2026 against UBC’s official pages: International Scholars, 2027 International Scholars Program Application, Dates and deadlines and Complete the application. Exchange rates are approximate. If UBC changes any detail, I will update this post and the date at the top. Read how we check scholarships.
See all our Canada scholarships, and plan the year ahead with our Scholarship Calendar.
Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor
James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com