Exploring University of Ottawa Scholarships and Funding for International Students
1. International Undergraduate Scholarships – English Programs
The University of Ottawa offers renewable, average-based scholarships for international students from Africa, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and South Korea enrolled in eligible English-language undergraduate programs.
- Eligibility: Automatic consideration upon admission; programs span faculties like Arts, Engineering, Health Sciences, Science, Social Sciences, and Telfer Business.
- Award Levels:
- Excellence Scholarships typically require a 90%+ admission average and are competitively awarded.
- Entrance Scholarships are based on a strong academic average and awarded automatically.
- Renewal: Excellence scholarship requires a cumulative GPA of 8.00 or higher; entrance outcome is retained with a GPA of 5.00 or higher. Students from China and South Korea must maintain an 8.00 GPA to retain the excellence scholarship; they are not eligible for the entrance tier.
2. General Admission Scholarships – Undergraduate
All incoming undergraduates, including international students, are automatically considered for general admission scholarships based solely on academic averages:
- 95%–100% average: $3,000
- 90%–94.9% average: $2,000
- 85%–89.9% average: $1,000
3. Additional Undergraduate Awards
The university provides several faculty-specific and recognition-based scholarships:
- Chancellor’s Scholarship: $26,000 ($6,500 annually)
- Faculty of Engineering Dean’s Merit: $4,000–$5,000 (35 awards)
- Faculty of Science Undergraduate Research: $11,500 (16 awards)
- Social Sciences Dean’s Excellence: $1,500
- Jean Chrétien Scholarship: $5,000 minimum
- Faculty of Arts Dean’s Merit: $4,000 over four years
- Fleur de Lys Admission Award: $10,000 ($2,500 annually)
- International differential tuition waivers may also apply in certain programs
4. Support for Graduate Students
Master’s Level
- Admission Scholarship: $7,500 over three consecutive terms, automatically considered for thesis-based master’s students with an average of 8.0/10 or higher.
- Special Merit Scholarships: Faculty-specific top-up awards assessed automatically.
- Teaching/Research Assistant Positions: Available to support tuition and offer valuable experience.
Doctoral Level
- Admission Scholarship: Minimum $72,000 over four years—consisting of $9,000/year from central funding plus matching support from academic units.
- International Doctoral Scholarship: $45,000 over five years for full-time international PhD students admitted May 2023 or later.
- PhD International Research Scholarship: Provides $4,000 (non-renewable) to support at least one term of research abroad; open to international and domestic PhD students who have completed one year at uOttawa.
5. External National and Provincial Funding
International graduate students can access external sources such as:
- Tri-agency scholarships, including CGRS-Doctoral (CGRS D) valued at $40,000/year
- Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in STEM
- Awards such as Vanier CGS, Fulbright, Rhodes, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
- Various foundation and health-specific awards
6. Travel and Study Abroad Scholarships
The university supports student mobility through automatic awards like:
- Jacques Frémont International Experience Scholarship: Supports students on exchange or co-op abroad
- Student Mobility Scholarship: $1,000 per term (for students studying abroad)
- Erasmus+: Supports uOttawa students spending time in Europe with funding for travel and living expenses
7. Community Insights
Some graduate students have noted that master’s-level funding for international students may be limited or unavailable. For instance, statements on discussion forums mention that PhD applicants may receive financial packages, while international master’s candidates often do not—but experiences can vary by program and year.
