McGill University scholarships for new international undergraduates are worth CAD 3,000 to 10,000 a year. A one-year CAD 3,000 award is given automatically to admitted students with top grades. Major entrance scholarships of CAD 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 a year, renewable for up to four years, need a separate application. McGill also runs a need-based Entrance Bursary Program that international students can apply to.
Many sites label McGill’s awards “fully funded.” The entrance scholarships cover only part of tuition, which runs from roughly CAD 32,000 to over CAD 70,000 a year for international undergraduates, depending on the faculty. For September 2027, the major scholarship application has been open since 1 October 2026. If you attend school outside Canada, McGill’s current instructions give 15 January for admission and 21 January for the scholarship file.
McGill University scholarships for international undergraduates
| Award | Value (CAD) | How you get it | Open to international students? |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year entrance scholarship | 3,000, not renewable | Automatic if you meet the academic minimum | Yes |
| Major entrance scholarship | 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 a year, renewable up to 4 years | Separate application in the Applicant Portal | Yes |
| Major entrance scholarship, top tier | 12,000 a year (48,000 total) | Separate application | No, Canadian citizens and permanent residents only |
| Award for Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong applicants | 10,000, one year | Separate application by the scholarship deadline | Only Chinese citizens or Hong Kong permanent residents applying from there |
| Entrance Bursary Program | Varies with need and tuition rate | Application in Minerva after admission | Yes, with a CSS Profile |
If you apply for a major scholarship and miss out, McGill considers you for the one-year CAD 3,000 award automatically. Transfer, mature, diploma, exchange, visiting and part-time students cannot receive entrance scholarships. They are for first-time, full-time degree students only.
Grades McGill expects for an entrance scholarship
McGill publishes estimated minimums based on past winners. Meeting them does not guarantee an award, and the cut-off moves with the size of the pool.
| Curriculum | Estimated minimum |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate | 41 subject points, bonus points excluded (predicted or final) |
| A-Levels, CAPE, Pre-U | At least four subjects at A*A*A*A, or AAAA where the board does not award A* |
| US high school | A or 4.00 unweighted over the last two years; SAT 730 in each section or ACT 33 if you submit tests |
| French Baccalaureate | 18 overall, at least 15 in each course |
| Other overseas high schools (WAEC, national exams and others) | A average, about 97%, over the last two years and/or top 1% of the class |
Class rank matters at McGill. If your school ranks students, ask it for a signed statement with your rank and class size, because the scholarship committee expects to see top 1%.
How to apply for a McGill major entrance scholarship
- Apply for admission first: submit your McGill undergraduate application online. Schools outside Canada have a 15 January deadline, with supporting documents due by 1 March in the last published cycle.
- Open the scholarship form: it appears in the Undergraduate Admissions Applicant Portal from 1 October.
- List your activities: a factual list of school, community, volunteer, sports and arts activities for the last three academic years.
- Write the essay: on a contemporary or historical figure who inspired you, or an event that changed how you see life.
- Write about yourself in the third person: a one-page letter of reference you write as if someone else were describing you.
- Get two referees: one academic and one from an activity. Each uploads a signed letter on letterhead as a PDF. McGill no longer accepts letters by post, email or courier.
- Add a school statement: showing class size and rank, if your transcript does not already show it.
- Submit by the deadline: 21 January for schools outside Canada, by midnight Montreal time. Finalists may be interviewed.
For help with the two references, our recommendation letter samples show what a referee should cover.
| Where you go to school | Admission deadline | Major scholarship deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Canada | 15 January | 21 January |
| Ontario and the rest of Canada | 1 February | 7 February |
| Quebec CEGEP | 1 March | 7 March |
Dates for September 2027 entry
Schools outside Canada: admission by 15 January 2027 and the major scholarship file by 21 January 2027, at midnight Montreal time (05:00 GMT the next day). These follow McGill’s current instructions and its 2026-27 leaflet (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).
McGill Entrance Bursary Program for students with financial need
The bursary is McGill’s main need-based aid for new first-degree undergraduates, and McGill says financial need is considered for international students too. Amounts depend on your family’s need compared with other applicants and on whether you pay the Quebec, Canadian or international tuition rate. A limited number of bursaries renew for up to four years.
- Apply in Minerva under Financial Aid/Awards after you are admitted. US and international applicants must also submit a CSS Financial Aid Profile.
- The last window ran from 15 November 2025 to 30 June 2026. For 2027 entry, plan on 15 November 2026 to 30 June 2027, the same dates one year on.
- Money is given out on a rolling basis until it runs out, so McGill advises applying within 30 days of your offer. Decisions start in February.
What McGill costs international undergraduates
McGill’s 2026-27 fee sheets for new international undergraduates put annual tuition at about CAD 32,000 in the lower-priced faculties and about CAD 72,000 in the Desautels Faculty of Management, with Arts and Engineering tuition both above CAD 54,000. Compulsory health insurance was CAD 1,155 at the 2025-26 rate. Ancillary fees, housing and food come on top.
Set those figures against a CAD 10,000 major scholarship and the gap is clear. If you need a full undergraduate award in Canada, the University of Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson Scholarship covers tuition, books, fees and residence, though it works by school nomination and the 2027 nominations have closed.
Funding for McGill master’s and PhD students
Graduate funding is arranged mostly by departments and supervisors. Three schemes matter most to international applicants.
| Scheme | What it gives | Who | Status for 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differential Fee Waiver | Cuts international tuition to the Quebec rate: CAD 16,045.20 a year (PhD) or CAD 18,231 (thesis master’s) in 2026/27 | International PhD students in years 1 to 3, and some thesis master’s students, nominated by their unit | No application; ask your department |
| McCall MacBain Scholarship | Full scholarship for a master’s or professional degree | Graduates of any nationality | 2027 round closed. Deadlines: 19 August 2027 (most international applicants) and 23 September 2027 (Canada, US), with applications opening 1 June 2027 |
| Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program | Graduate scholarship; applicants who pass pre-screening get an admission application fee waiver | Citizens living in an African country with a bachelor’s degree who have never started a master’s | Fall 2027 cohort closed; McGill says check back in spring 2027 |
Graduate application deadlines differ by programme, so check your department’s page. If you are an undergraduate who wants a taste of research in Canada first, the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship funds 12-week research placements at Canadian universities for undergraduates from partner countries.
English requirements and exemptions
| Test | Minimum for most undergraduate programmes |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each part (One Skill Retake not accepted) |
| TOEFL (1 to 6 scale, from 21 January 2026) | 4.5 (5.0 for Management and TESL) |
| TOEFL iBT (120-point scale, older tests) | 90, 21 in each section (100 for Management and TESL) |
| Duolingo English Test | 125 (130 for BCom and BEd TESL) |
| PTE Academic | 65 overall, 60 in each part |
| CAEL | 70 overall, 60 in each part |
| Cambridge | C1 Advanced grade B or C2 Proficiency grade C |
You are exempt if you lived and studied for at least four consecutive years in a country where English is the main language, or if you have IGCSE/GCSE/O-Level English at B (or 5) or better, A-Level English at C or better, or IB English A at 5 or better. WAEC English is not named on the list, so applicants from West Africa without four years in an English-primary country should check with admissions or plan for a test.
Studying in Quebec: the CAQ and proof of funds
McGill is in Quebec, which adds one step. Before the study permit, you need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) from the province. From 1 January 2026 Quebec asks a single adult student to show CAD 24,617 a year for living costs, on top of tuition and transport. The CAQ also serves as the provincial attestation that undergraduates need for the federal permit. Master’s and doctoral students at public institutions have been exempt from the attestation since 1 January 2026, but they still need the CAQ.
FAQs about McGill University scholarships
Does McGill offer full scholarships to international students?
Not through its entrance scholarships, which top out at CAD 10,000 a year for international students. The full scholarship on offer is the McCall MacBain Scholarship for master’s and professional study, and African graduates can also look at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Do I need a separate application for McGill scholarships?
Only for the major entrance scholarships and the bursary. The one-year CAD 3,000 award is automatic once you are admitted with the required grades.
What is the McGill scholarship deadline for 2027?
For students at schools outside Canada, the major entrance scholarship file is due 21 January 2027, a week after the 15 January 2027 admission deadline, both at midnight Montreal time.
What grades do I need for a McGill entrance scholarship?
Roughly the top 1% of your class: about 97% for most overseas high schools, 41 IB points, or A*A*A*A at A-Level. These are estimates from past awards, not guarantees.
Sources and updates
Award values, eligibility and the 1 October opening come from McGill Scholarships and Student Aid’s entrance scholarships page, its estimated minimum requirements and application instructions pages, and the Entrance Bursary Program page, all read on 24 October 2026. Deadlines also draw on McGill’s 2026-27 leaflet for applicants from high schools outside Canada. Fees are from McGill Student Accounts’ 2026-27 tables for new international undergraduates, English scores from McGill Undergraduate Admissions, the fee waiver values from Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and the McCall MacBain and Mastercard Foundation details from McGill’s own pages for those programmes. The Quebec CAD 24,617 figure is Quebec’s 2026 financial capacity rule as reported by immigration law firms and CIC News. This page will be updated when McGill confirms the 2027 dates.
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.
