The University of Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson overseas Scholarships offer a unique opportunity for excellent overseas students to study at one of the world’s greatest universities in one of the world’s most multicultural cities. The scholarship program is designed to celebrate students who have demonstrated great academic achievement and innovation, as well as who are recognized as school leaders. A strong emphasis is placed on the student’s impact on the life of their school and community, as well as their future potential to positively contribute to the global community.
These annual awards honor excellent students from around the world, including overseas students enrolled in Canadian high schools. This is the University of Toronto’s most renowned and competitive international student scholarship. For four years, the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarships will cover tuition, books, incidental fees, and full residence assistance. The grant is exclusively available for first-year undergraduate programs at the University of Toronto. Lester B. Pearson Scholars will be named each year to roughly 37 students.
Type: Undergraduate
Application Opens: September 2023
Eligible Countries: International Countries
Application Process: The 2024 Competition opens in September 2023. To apply, you will need to:
- Receive a nomination from your school. High schools not already contacted/verified are asked to submit an application to participate in our program, available here in September.(external link) High schools who have participated in a previous year will receive their nomination access starting in early September.
- Apply to study at the University of Toronto(external link) to begin your studies in September 2024 and complete your application for admission by the appropriate deadlines(external link). Please be advised that you will be considered for the Pearson Scholarship for your first choice of program at U of T. You may apply for several programs and may receive admission to them all; however, the Pearson Scholarship, if awarded to you, would be restricted to your first choice of program at U of T at the time our scholarship decisions are made.
- Once we’ve received a nomination and you’ve applied to the university, you can complete the online Lester B. Pearson Scholarship application. You will receive a private link to the scholarship application when you are successfully nominated by your school.
Pearson Scholarship Deadlines
- School nomination deadline: November 30, 2023
- Student OUAC admission application deadline: December 15, 2023 (Please note this is the final date to submit an application to the OUAC; although you can apply up to December 15 2023, it is recommended you apply for admission through the OUAC as soon as possible. The recommended date to apply for admission is before November 7, 2023 as spaces in programs fill-up quickly and popular programs may close early.)
- Student scholarship application deadline: January 15, 2024
Eligibility: To be eligible to apply to the Pearson International Scholarship, you must be:
- an international student (i.e. a non-Canadian requiring a study permit);
- currently in your final year of secondary school or have graduated no earlier than June 2023
- beginning your studies at the University of Toronto in September 2024 (students already attending post-secondary studies cannot be considered; students starting their studies in January 2024 at another post-secondary institution cannot be considered).
How To Apply: Application opens by September 2023 and will be available here
