UBC International Scholars: Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award 2027

The Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award is one of four awards in the University of British Columbia’s International Scholars Program, which funds international students with outstanding grades, a record of leadership and significant financial need. The programme has supported more than 680 scholars from more than 111 countries since 2001. You do not apply for the McKellin award by name: you apply to the programme, and UBC considers you for every award in it you are eligible for.

Applications for September 2027 entry opened on 5 October 2026 and close on 15 November 2026 (checked 9 October 2026 on the official International Scholars page). You need a UBC admission application, a nomination from your school and a teacher reference before you can finish the award form, so the real deadline arrives sooner.

The four awards

UBC describes the McKellin award as recognising superior academic achievement and leadership that supports and empowers others through collaboration, empathy and active listening, shown through school and community projects and achievement in other academic or extra-curricular areas. The other three awards look for something different:

• Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award: students from impoverished or war-torn areas who have excelled academically under hard conditions and could not attend university without significant help.
• International Impact Award: leadership and practical work on sustainability and climate, conservation, social justice, equity and inclusion, or health and wellbeing, with priority for first-generation students and those from diverse backgrounds.
• Vantage One Excellence Award: academically outstanding students who do not yet meet UBC’s English standard and start at UBC Vantage College.

What it pays

Item	What UBC states (checked 9 October 2026)
Award value	Set by UBC’s assessment of your financial need: the amount you would require to live and study at UBC after all your family’s resources are counted
Vantage One Excellence Award	Up to the full cost of the academic programme and living expenses
Support	Dedicated International Scholars advisors, skill-building workshops and retreats, and more than 200 hours of workshops and one-to-one support over a degree
Options	The option to take part in exchange and co-op

UBC does not publish a fixed dollar figure for the McKellin award on its programme page. Because the value follows assessed need, two scholars can receive different amounts. Its page does not set out renewal terms either, so read the conditions in any award letter carefully.

Who can apply

UBC says there are no exceptions to these requirements.

• An international student who will study in Canada on a Canadian study permit
• Entering UBC directly from an accredited secondary school, for a first undergraduate degree
• Graduating from high school no earlier than June 2026, for the 2027 Winter session
• Able to show significant financial need: studying at UBC would be impossible without meaningful help, and your family has no access to outside funding
• Meeting UBC's admission requirements, with superior results described as all As or equivalent
• Meeting UBC's English Language Admission Standard, or eligible for Vantage College
• Nominated by your high school, or by a registered non-profit in the circumstances UBC allows

Not every degree qualifies.

A high school or registered non-profit can nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver, including Vantage College, and one for UBC Okanagan. UBC accepts a non-profit nominator only where it stands in for a school, or runs education, leadership and mentoring for school leavers from poorer backgrounds; it says this is usually for applicants from war-torn, unstable or economically disadvantaged places where no other route exists.

Steps and dates for September 2027

1. Mid-September: choose your first-choice programme and campus. You are considered only for your first choice, though you must still list a second.
2. Late September: agree the nomination with your school. You need a nominator, such as a counsellor or principal, and a separate teacher referee who knows your work in your chosen field.
3. Early October: submit your UBC admission application. The award form asks you to confirm it.
4. Early October: create your International Scholars account and invite your nominator and referee. You cannot complete your own form until both of theirs are in.
5. Mid-October: gather your financial information and complete your sections: annual income and expenses, family wealth and assets, dependants and school fees, sources of support, activities, awards and four essays of about 150 to 250 words each.
6. 15 November 2026: submit. UBC recommends doing so well ahead in case of technical problems, and warns that applications started close to the deadline are less likely to succeed.
7. By 31 January 2027: send the admission documents UBC asks for and meet the English standard. This date replaces the one in UBC’s “Next Steps” email for programme applicants.
8. January to March 2027: some applicants are invited to a recorded video interview, with one week to complete it online.
9. February to April 2027: results are released on a rolling basis, and everyone hears by early to mid-April. UBC asks scholars to wait for its decision before applying for housing, which closes on 1 May.

Writing the four essays

The essays are short, so each answer needs one concrete example rather than a list of qualities. For the McKellin award in particular, UBC’s description rewards leadership that helps other people succeed: a project you organised with others, what you changed, and how you know it worked. Our guide to writing a motivation letter covers the same skill at greater length, and the guide to recommendation letters helps when you approach your teacher referee.

Comparing it with Pearson

The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto also depends on a school nomination, but it has no financial need test and its 2026 nomination window has already closed. UBC’s closing date falls later, on 15 November, and a school may nominate up to two students for Vancouver. The study cost calculator can help you estimate what your family can contribute before you fill in the financial section. Confirm every requirement on the official UBC page before applying.