University of Alberta Scholarships 2027: Undergraduate & Graduate Funding for International Students — Requirements, Benefits & How to Apply

The University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada, distributes tens of millions of dollars in scholarships, awards, and financial support every year — with dedicated funding streams for international students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Unlike some scholarships with one single form, most U of A awards are built directly into your admission or department nomination process, which means the real key to accessing them is applying strong and applying early.

If you’re researching funding for undergraduate or graduate study in Canada, here’s a breakdown of the main scholarship streams, what they’re worth, and the deadlines you need to know for the 2027 intake.

Quick Overview


Institution	University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Levels covered	Undergraduate, Master’s, PhD
Undergraduate scholarship application window (Fall 2027 entry)	1 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
Graduate Entrance Scholarship value	$17,500 (Master’s) / $21,000 (PhD), plus $10,000 for international students
Separate application required?	Mostly no — awards are built into admission or department nomination

Undergraduate Scholarships

For students entering the U of A directly from high school (or with limited post-secondary credit), scholarships fall into two categories:

Admission-based scholarships — automatically considered based on your admission average once you apply and receive an offer. No separate form needed.

Application-based scholarships — require a separate scholarship application, submitted after you’ve applied for admission. For students starting September 2027, this application window runs from 1 October 2026 to 10 January 2027.

Global Citizen Scholarship for IB Diploma Students is one of the largest entrance awards available — worth up to $53,000 per year, for up to 4 years, for qualifying international IB Diploma students. Like other admission-based awards, there’s no separate application: eligibility is assessed automatically once you’re admitted, based on your IB results.

Graduate Scholarships

Graduate funding at the U of A works differently from undergraduate — most is nomination-based through your admitting department, not something you apply for directly.

Graduate Entrance Scholarship

$17,500 stipend for Master’s students, $21,000 for PhD students
Additional $10,000 for international students to help cover tuition and fees (domestic students receive an additional $7,100)
No separate application — newly admitted students are nominated by their department based on how strongly their admission was ranked
Important: you must have a Canadian bank account and Canadian address to receive the stipend payment, so this is typically disbursed after you’ve arrived and settled in Edmonton

Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship

Offered in $5,000 increments, with the total award determined by the university
For PhD students with a minimum entrance GPA of 3.5
No application process — your admitting department makes the nomination directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

How to position yourself for graduate funding:

Apply for admission to your Master’s or PhD program with as strong an academic file as possible — this is what departments use to rank and nominate candidates.
Once admitted, reach out directly to your admitting department to ask about their internal nomination timeline and process — this varies by department and isn’t centrally publicised.
Have your documentation (transcripts, English proficiency scores, CV, reference letters) ready, since departments typically need these to support a nomination.

Application Process Summary

Undergraduate:

Apply for admission to your chosen program.
Admission-based awards (including Global Citizen Scholarship, where applicable) are considered automatically.
For application-based awards, submit your separate scholarship application between 1 October 2026 and 10 January 2027 for Fall 2027 entry.

Graduate:

Apply for admission to your Master’s or PhD program with a strong, complete file.
Once admitted, contact your department to understand their nomination process and timeline for entrance scholarships.
Departments submit nominations to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) / Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) for review.
If nominated and successful, your award is confirmed as part of your funding package.

Key Dates

Undergraduate application-based scholarship window (Fall 2027 entry): 1 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
Graduate scholarships: no fixed public deadline — tied to your department’s internal nomination timeline, which follows your admission

Because graduate nominations depend on your department’s own internal process, applying for admission as early as possible in your target cycle gives your department more time to consider you for nomination.

Official Resources

Undergraduate entrance scholarships: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/admissions/tuition-and-scholarships/entrance-scholarships/index.html
Graduate Entrance Scholarship: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/graduate-studies/fees-funding/scholarships-awards/entrance-scholarship.html
General scholarships and awards overview: available via the University of Alberta’s Office of the Registrar and Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research pages

Always confirm current award values, eligibility, and deadlines directly on the official U of A pages before applying, since specific amounts and windows are reconfirmed each cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to submit a separate scholarship application? For most undergraduate admission-based awards and all graduate entrance scholarships, no — you’re considered automatically based on your admission application or department nomination. Some undergraduate awards do require a separate application within the stated window.

When should international undergraduate applicants apply for Fall 2027? Apply for admission as early as possible, and if applicable, submit any separate scholarship application between 1 October 2026 and 10 January 2027.

Can I apply directly for the Graduate Entrance Scholarship? No — it’s entirely nomination-based through your admitting department, so there’s no direct application to submit.

Do I need a Canadian bank account to receive graduate funding? Yes, for the Graduate Entrance Scholarship specifically — you’ll need a Canadian bank account and address, which typically means the stipend is paid after you’ve arrived in Canada.

What’s the largest undergraduate scholarship available? The Global Citizen Scholarship for IB Diploma Students, worth up to $53,000 per year for up to 4 years, for qualifying international IB Diploma applicants.

Don’t Wait on This One

Whether you’re applying at the undergraduate or graduate level, the sequence is the same: your admission application comes first, and it’s the strength of that file — grades, documentation, and (for graduate applicants) fit with your prospective department — that determines your access to funding afterward. Starting your admission application early gives undergraduate applicants more runway before the 10 January 2027 scholarship deadline, and gives graduate applicants more time for their department to consider them for nomination.

Want expert guidance through the process? Our experienced student counsellors can help you build a strong admission application and understand exactly which University of Alberta scholarships you’re positioned for — reach out today.

Follow @stepbystepscholarshipguide for more fully funded scholarship breakdowns, deadlines, and step-by-step application guidance.