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Scholarships and awards overview

Our scholarship program is one of the most generous in the country. A scholarship is awarded for academic achievements while a bursary is awarded based on financial need.

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How to apply

You can apply for scholarship and bursaries as soon as you've applied to the University of Ottawa and have received your uoAccess ID and password.
See our simple steps to applying for scholarships and awards

General eligibility criteria for an admission scholarship or bursary

  • Meet the admission requirements of the program you have been admitted to;
  • Be enrolled full time for the first time in a university undergraduate program;
  • Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or have protected person or refugee status (unless otherwise indicated)

Required averages to keep or renew a scholarship are rounded to two decimal places. For example, a student with an average of 8.49 would not be eligible for a scholarship that requires an 8.50 average. See academic regulation A-3.3 for more information on calculating averages.

Note: Mature applicants and university transfers are not eligible for certain admission scholarships. Please review eligibility criteria carefully.

The Financial Aid and Awards Service reserves the right to change scholarship, bursary and financial aid details and requirements without notice. In cases where differences occur between scholarship and bursary information printed in publications or online, the information on our website is the most accurate and up to date.

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2024 Programs and admissions brochure

See this year's brochure to find out more about our scholarships and awards offering.
2024 Viewbook (PDF, 3.62 MB)

Undergraduate Admission Scholarships

$1,000 to $3,000 for your first year at university

With the University of Ottawa’s automatic scholarship program, if you’ve had very good grades in high school, CEGEP or college, you start off with an Admission Scholarship for your first year of university. 

Admission average Scholarship
95% to 100% $3,000
90% to 94.9% $2,000
85% to 89.9% $1,000

Updated: September 5, 2023

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Graduate and postdoctoral students

If you’re pursuing studies at the graduate level and are looking for financial support, see the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Graduate funding and financing
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