The University of Calgary International Scholarships are not one scholarship. The phrase covers the whole pool of awards, scholarships and bursaries run by the university's Office of the Registrar in Canada, from entrance awards for students coming straight out of school to continuing awards for students already enrolled and funding for graduate students. Some pay a few thousand dollars. Some are automatic. Many are closed to you as a Pakistani applicant because they require Canadian citizenship or Alberta residency. Knowing which is which saves a lot of wasted effort.
This guide explains how the system works, which parts are realistic for an international student, and where people slip up. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing as well.
The University of Calgary awards system in brief
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | University of Calgary (Office of the Registrar) |
| Country | Canada |
| Funding | Full or partial, depending on the award |
| Levels | Undergraduate, Master's, PhD, Juris Doctor, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine |
| Deadline | Varies by award |
| Typically opens | July (confirm the current cycle on the official portal) |
| Official site | University of Calgary awards page |
Who this suits, and who should look elsewhere
This is a good fit if you are already planning to study at the University of Calgary and want to reduce your costs. It is not a fully funded scholarship you apply to from Pakistan in the hope of covering tuition, living costs and travel in one go. The individual awards listed by the university are mostly modest amounts, and the money is applied to your student account or paid by direct deposit.
If you need full funding before you can even think about Canada, treat Calgary's awards as a bonus on top of a solid financial plan, not as the plan itself. Canadian visa officers will still want to see that you can pay. Our guide to bank statements and proof of funds covers that side.
Students with very high school results get the most out of it. The President's Admission Scholarship, for example, goes to students with a final admission average of 95.00 percent or higher, and no application is needed.
Can Pakistani students apply?
Partly. The university's position is that international students are eligible for award applications that do not specify Canadian residency requirements. So a Pakistani student can apply for any award that does not ask for citizenship, permanent residence or Alberta residency.
The catch is that a visible chunk of the funding is government-funded and restricted. Alberta Student Aid awards require you to be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person, and an Alberta resident. That rules out these names for most Pakistani applicants:
- Jason Lang Scholarship
- Louise McKinney Scholarship
- Indigenous Careers Awards
- Dr. Gary McPherson Leadership Scholarship
- Laurence Decore Awards for Student Leadership
- Lois Hole Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarship
When you browse the awards, read the eligibility line of each one before you spend time on an application. If it mentions residency, move on.
The money: what individual awards are worth
The university publishes award values per award rather than one package. A few examples from the entrance awards:
| Award | Value |
|---|---|
| James M. Stanford Entrance Award in Business | Up to $5,000 |
| Frank Speakman Memorial Entrance Bursary in English | Up to $3,000 |
| Norman Ronald Silver Memorial Entrance Scholarship | Up to $2,500 |
| Royal Canadian Legion Bursary | $1,000 |
| President's Admission Scholarship | For a final admission average of 95.00% or higher |
Check each award's own terms for whether it is open to international students. Notice how "up to" appears on most of them. You may receive less than the headline figure.
Payments are usually split equally between the Fall and Winter terms. The money goes toward tuition and fees on your student account, and if an award is larger than what you owe, the overpayment is refunded to you by direct deposit. For undergraduates those refunds go out on October 10 for Fall and February 10 for Winter.
Entrance, continuing and graduate awards work differently
Entering from high school
Awards for school leavers are split into High School Prestige Awards and High School Entrance Awards. You get access to award applications within 24 hours after you submit your admission application, so the two processes are linked. Apply for admission first, then watch for the award applications to appear.
Some entrance awards, like the President's Admission Scholarship, are automatic once you meet the admission threshold. Others need a separate application.
Continuing undergraduate awards
Once you are enrolled, you can compete for continuing awards. To be considered you must:
- be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate bachelor's degree program at the University of Calgary
- have completed at least 9.00 academic units in each of the most recent Fall and Winter terms
- have a minimum GPA of 2.00 over all courses taken across both terms
Selection for continuing awards begins in late June. If you drop a course in one term to lighten your workload, check that you still clear the unit minimum. Plan your course load with this in mind.
Graduate students
Graduate awards are for current students in a graduate program at the University of Calgary who are in satisfactory academic standing. In other words, these come after admission, not before it. The listing covers Master's and PhD levels as well as the professional programs (Juris Doctor, Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), but the specific terms differ by award, so check the details for your program on the official site.
Paperwork the awards office may ask for
There is no single document list because each award sets its own rules. The documents that come up across the awards are:
- transcripts, for admission and award consideration
- supporting documentation for need-based bursaries
- documentation of Canadian Indigenous citizenship and membership (only for Indigenous awards)
- medical documentation with specific dates, if you are asking for an exemption
- death certificates or other legal documents, if applicable
- police reports, if applicable
For a Pakistani student, transcripts are the one that matters at entry. Get them in order early, and if you need them attested, read our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide. Financial need bursaries can ask for supporting evidence, so keep records of your family's income and your funding sources.
Applying through the Student Centre
All applications go through the My Financials section of the Student Centre. The process is:
- Log in to the Student Centre with your UCID and password.
- Go to the My Financials page.
- Under Awards and Scholarships, click Apply for Undergraduate Awards.
- Review the open applications and submit one for each awards competition you qualify for.
- Check back for status updates and payment details in the Student Centre.
The link to the awards application can fail silently if your browser blocks pop-ups. Enable pop-ups before you click it. Also add your direct deposit details under My Financials early, so refunds are not delayed.
When things happen during the year
The awards year does not follow one deadline. Deadlines vary by award, and the university keeps an Awards Calendar you should check regularly. The dates that are fixed in the published timeline are:
- late June: selection for undergraduate continuing awards begins
- July 1: Alberta Student Aid award applications open (residency rules apply)
- October 10: Fall term overpayments refunded by direct deposit
- February 10: Winter term overpayments refunded by direct deposit
The general cycle typically opens in July. Treat that as a guide and confirm the current dates on the official portal before you count on anything.
Where applicants go wrong
The most common mistake is treating the name "International Scholarships" as a promise. It is a catalogue of awards, and the international-friendly ones are the minority. Filter hard by eligibility.
The second is ignoring the GPA and unit rules until it is too late. Continuing awards look at your most recent Fall and Winter terms. A weak semester or a dropped course can knock you out before selection starts in late June, and there is nothing to appeal at that point.
The third is expecting a scholarship to fix your visa file. Awards are paid term by term against your student account, after you arrive and enrol. Your study permit application needs funds shown upfront. If you want to understand why files get refused, read our piece on student visa rejection reasons.
Finally, if Canada is only one of your options, compare it with others. Our list of all Canada scholarships covers fully funded routes that may suit you better.
Frequently asked questions
Is the University of Calgary scholarship fully funded?
Funding is listed as full or partial depending on the award. The individual entrance awards shown by the university range from $1,000 to up to $5,000, so most students should not expect complete coverage.
Do I need to apply for the President's Admission Scholarship?
No. It is awarded automatically if your final admission average is 95.00 percent or higher.
Can international students from Pakistan get these awards?
Yes, for awards that do not specify Canadian residency requirements. Alberta Student Aid awards such as the Jason Lang and Louise McKinney scholarships need Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or protected person status plus Alberta residency.
What GPA do I need for continuing awards?
The general minimum is a GPA of 2.00 across the most recent Fall and Winter terms, with at least 9.00 units in each term. Individual awards can set higher bars. The Jason Lang and Louise McKinney scholarships, for example, ask for a minimum GPA of 3.50 over at least 24.00 units.
How is the award money paid?
Payments are usually split equally between Fall and Winter and applied to your student account. Any overpayment is refunded by direct deposit on October 10 for Fall and February 10 for Winter.
Check the current awards and deadlines on the University of Calgary awards page, and keep our full University of Calgary scholarship page handy for the summary.