The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship pays tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years of undergraduate study at the University of Toronto. About 37 international students win it each year. You cannot apply on your own: your secondary school must nominate you, and each school may nominate one student a year. For September 2027 entry, the school nomination deadline (9 October 2026) and the U of T admission deadline (16 October 2026) have passed. If you were nominated and applied, the scholarship application is still open until 6 November 2026.
If you missed this round and will still be in your final school year or within the graduation window next year, the next cycle is for September 2028 entry. U of T has not published those dates. In this cycle, returning schools got the nomination form in early July and the deadlines fell in October and early November, so plan for a similar calendar. Below are the eligibility rules, what nominees must finish before 6 November, and how to get your school ready for the next round.
Lester B. Pearson Scholarship 2027: quick summary
- Scholarship name: Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarship
- University: University of Toronto (St. George, Scarborough and Mississauga)
- Awards: about 37 a year
- Covers: tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years
- Who can apply: international students needing a study permit, in their final school year in 2026/27 or graduated no earlier than June 2026
- Route: school nomination only, one student per school
- Still open: scholarship application for nominees, due 6 November 2026
- Next cycle: September 2028 entry; dates not yet published
Lester B. Pearson Scholarship deadlines for 2027 entry
| Stage | What happens | Date | Status on 24 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination form released | Schools already verified by U of T get a secure nomination form by email | 6 July 2026 | Done |
| New schools apply to take part | Schools that have never nominated must apply to participate | By noon (Toronto time), 9 October 2026 | Closed |
| School nomination | Your school submits its one nominee | 9 October 2026 | Closed |
| U of T admission application (OUAC) | You apply to at least one undergraduate programme | 16 October 2026 | Closed |
| Pearson scholarship application | Nominees complete the scholarship form and submit every supporting document | 6 November 2026 | Open for nominees |
| Results | In the last cycle, winners heard from late January and all nominees by April | 2027 dates not stated | Pending |
Toronto is on Eastern Time: four hours behind GMT until 1 November 2026, and five hours behind after that. Allow for the gap if you submit from Africa, Europe or Asia.
Nominees: 6 November 2026
Your scholarship application and all documents are due by 6 November 2026. U of T bans generative AI for writing application content and disqualifies applicants who use it.
Who is eligible for the Pearson Scholarship?
| Requirement | Rule for 2027 entry |
|---|---|
| Status | International student, meaning a non-Canadian who needs a study permit. Canadian citizens and permanent residents cannot apply |
| School year | Final year of secondary school in 2026/27, or graduated no earlier than June 2026 |
| Start date | Begin at U of T in September 2027 |
| No prior university | Not already in post-secondary studies, and not starting any in January 2027 at U of T or elsewhere |
| Nomination | Nominated by your school; one nominee per school per year |
| Admission | Apply to at least one U of T undergraduate programme (up to three choices) |
| Calibre | Outstanding academics, creativity and recognised leadership in your school |
The June 2026 cut-off means a gap-year student who finished school in mid-2026 still qualifies. Someone who finished in 2025 does not. Anyone who has started at any university is out, wherever they enrolled.
English requirement
Pearson nominees must meet U of T’s normal admission English rules unless exempt. On U of T Mississauga’s page, IELTS Academic needs 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0. TOEFL iBT changed scale in 2026: tests from 21 January 2026 need 4.5 overall, 4.0 in Speaking and 4.5 in Writing. Older tests need 89 total with 22 in Speaking and Writing. Some programmes ask for more, so check your programme page. Several listing sites still quote “TOEFL 100”, which is out of date.
What the Pearson Scholarship pays
The award covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years. It is held only at U of T and only for first-entry undergraduate programmes, and it renews if your grades stay satisfactory. You can list up to three programmes on your admission application, but the scholarship goes to your top choice. Put the programme you actually want, and can realistically get into, at number one.
Many sites put a value of CAD 65,000 to 83,000 a year on it. U of T does not publish a figure, and the real cost depends on your programme’s tuition and your residence. I would treat those numbers as rough estimates.
How to apply for the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship
- Get your school on board: ask your principal or counsellor whether the school is verified with U of T. If not, it must apply to take part before the nomination deadline.
- Make your case for nomination: give the person deciding your results, leadership roles and things you built or ran.
- School nominates you: by the nomination deadline (9 October in 2026). You can be nominated before you apply to U of T.
- Apply to U of T through OUAC: by the admission deadline (16 October in 2026), with your top choice set carefully.
- Complete the Pearson application: through the link U of T sends you, with all documents, by the scholarship deadline (6 November in 2026).
- Wait for the decision: in the last cycle, winners heard from late January and every nominee by April.
Every nominee already has top grades, so the essays and references decide most cases. Write about specific leadership: what you started or changed, who it helped, and what still exists because of you. Give referees the criteria (academic excellence, creativity, leadership) so they write to them. For referee wording, see my recommendation letter guide.
U of T says it does not use agents or third parties to recruit students or award scholarships. Anyone asking you for a fee to “secure” a Pearson nomination or place is not working for the university.
If your school missed the 2027 Pearson nomination
If you are in your final year now and your school did not nominate you, the Pearson is closed for 2027 entry. Your U of T admission application still stands if you submitted it, and U of T has other entrance awards for international students. If you are a year younger, use the gap: show your school the official page in early 2027, so it can register in time for the next cycle. For another Canadian route aimed at undergraduates, see the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship.
FAQ: Lester B. Pearson Scholarship
Can I apply for the Pearson Scholarship without a school nomination?
No. U of T only accepts nominated students, and each school may nominate one student a year.
Is the Pearson Scholarship 2027 still open?
Only for students already nominated who applied to U of T by 16 October 2026. They must finish the scholarship application by 6 November 2026.
When is the Pearson Scholarship deadline for 2028 entry?
U of T has not published it. In this cycle, nominations closed on 9 October and scholarship applications on 6 November, so expect a similar autumn 2027 calendar.
Can I get the Pearson Scholarship if I am already at university?
No. Students already in post-secondary study, or starting it in January 2027 anywhere, are not eligible.
Sources and updates
Checked on 24 October 2026 against the University of Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Student Scholarships page at future.utoronto.ca/pearson and the English language requirements page of U of T Mississauga. This post was first published in July 2026 and revised in October 2026 after the nomination and admission deadlines passed. I will add the 2028 entry dates once U of T publishes them.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
