Carleton Scholarships, Bursaries & Tuition: 2027 Guide
Carleton separates automatic entrance scholarships, competitive Prestige Scholarships, need-based bursaries, OSAP, and international-student awards. This guide compares the current award tables and 2026–2027 tuition with the Fall 2027 dates Carleton has already confirmed, including the published threshold conflict applicants should verify before relying on an estimate.
Updated September 1, 2026 · 2027 dates are labelled only where Carleton has published them
Key facts
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- OUAC Group A deadline (Ontario high-school students)January 15, 2027
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Entrance scholarships in detail: key facts, tables, questions and sources
Carleton entrance scholarships for Fall 2027
Reviewed October 9, 2026. Amounts and dates keep their published cycle.
Carleton considers you automatically for a renewable entrance scholarship when you're admitted with 85% or better.
- Published cycle
- Renewable Entrance Scholarships 2027 to 2028
- Average used
- The admission average from the grades your school sends with your application. Carleton doesn't reassess it on final grades.
- Renewal
- Renewable with an annual GPA of 10.0 (A- standing). Nursing (BScN) has its own three-year table with summer amounts.
- International applicants
- International high-school students admitted with 85% or better who meet the language requirements get the same table. International students paying international fees also get the President's Welcome Award, $2,000 to $5,000 in first year.
Automatic awards and average bands
Use the award's published average basis and applicant category.
| Campus or audience | Average or selection | First-year amount | Later payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-year honours degrees | 95% to 100% | $3,000 | $12,000 over four yearsCarleton automatic awards |
| Four-year honours degrees | 90% to 94.9% | $2,000 | $8,000 over four yearsCarleton automatic awards |
| Four-year honours degrees | 85% to 89.9% | $1,000 | $4,000 over four yearsCarleton automatic awards |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
Major awards that need action
An admission application doesn't complete these separate steps.
| Award | Published value | Who and how | Deadline status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige Scholarships | Chancellor $32,000; Lewar $21,500; Excellence/SHAD/Jay Woo $20,000; Riordon domestic-capped full tuition, over four years | Students entering from high school or CEGEP with 90% or better; extracurricular activity is assessed. | March 1, 2027 (2027-28 competition; application opens October 2026). Fall 2027 date confirmedPrestige Scholarships |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
Carleton's 2027-28 renewable bands begin at 85%
Carleton's four-year honours entrance scholarship pays $3,000 a year at an admission average of 95% to 100%, $2,000 at 90% to 94.9% and $1,000 at 85% to 89.9%. The published 2027-28 maximum totals are $12,000, $8,000 and $4,000. Renewal requires an annual GPA of 10.0, described as A-minus standing. A four-year total assumes you meet the continuation conditions each year.
The automatic route is for fall entry from high school or CEGEP, with no previous postsecondary attendance. Canadian secondary-school applicants need the admission application and required grades received by June 15 for consideration. International secondary-school applicants also need the language requirements. Check the eligibility category on the offer before treating any admission average above 85% as a guaranteed award for a transfer or returning-student route.
The admission offer average isn't reassessed on final marks
Carleton says the scholarship is assessed using the grades submitted in support of admission and isn't assessed or reassessed using final high-school grades. This differs from schools that reconsider awards in the summer. Don't assume that a late improvement from 89% to 90% will automatically increase the scholarship after Carleton has calculated your offer. Contact Admissions if the record itself is wrong, rather than expecting routine final-grade reassessment.
Likewise, the top-six calculator is a planning tool and doesn't replace Carleton's admission calculation. The award still requires the registration and academic conditions in your notice. If you change your program or entry term, ask whether the existing offer remains valid. Keep the first-year amount and later possible renewals on different budget lines so a conditional maximum doesn't look like money available for the first tuition invoice.
Compressed Nursing has its own payment schedule
Carleton's Bachelor of Science in Nursing uses a three-year compressed honours schedule. The official entrance-awards page shows the same broad maximum totals but distributes money across academic years and the first two full-time summer semesters. Applying the four-year honours payment pattern to Nursing would produce the wrong term-by-term budget. Read the Nursing row and the summer-award conditions together.
Carleton says BScN entrants who meet the course-load and GPA renewal requirements receive the Nursing award in the first two summer semesters of full-time enrolment. The published average bands remain tied to the admission calculation. Ask Awards and Financial Aid to explain the payment schedule on your offer if you're unsure which summer is covered. A compressed degree doesn't turn a four-year headline total into four annual September payments.
Prestige applications close March 1, 2027
Carleton's current Prestige Scholarships page explicitly labels the 2027-28 competition and gives March 1, 2027 as the submission deadline. One application is used for the prestige awards. The page says to download the form, complete it using Adobe and submit by email to Awards and Financial Aid, following the submission instructions. Saving a form on your own device isn't a submitted application.
The awards require a minimum 90% admission average and extracurricular activities through secondary school. Named examples include Chancellor's at $32,000, Richard Lewar at $21,500 and Scholarships of Excellence at $20,000. The Riordon award covers tuition under the stated cap. Don't describe all prestige awards as the same value. The page says tuition-based awards are capped at the Canadian domestic tuition amount, which matters to international-fee applicants.
International and need-based entrance support
Carleton's 2027 entry page lists a President's Welcome Award for international students of $2,000 to $5,000, based on grades at admission. It is a first-year award for eligible students entering directly from high school and paying international fees, in addition to other entrance scholarships. The range doesn't tell you which amount your offer will receive. Check the named package and fee status in your admission communication.
Entrance bursaries are a separate financial-need route with their own requirements and dates. Use Carleton's entrance-bursary page rather than treating the Prestige Scholarship form as a universal aid application. If you need both merit and need-based support, keep both processes on your checklist. Your marks can establish an entrance band without showing the financial need needed for a bursary.
Renewal, notices and OSAP timing
Carleton's prestige page also gives the annual GPA of 10.0 for renewable prestige awards. The award notice and current university regulations provide the remaining course-load and payment terms. Ask about a reduced load or interruption before relying on next year's payment. A school-average improvement after admission doesn't replace the university GPA needed for a later renewal.
Carleton's financial-aid dates page distinguishes tuition due dates, enrolment confirmation and final OSAP deadlines. For example, a tuition invoice can be due before the final OSAP application deadline. Use the school's processing and payment instructions so you're not left with unpaid fees while an application is incomplete. The OSAP school table includes Carleton's published 2026-27 term deadlines; those calendar dates aren't projected into Fall 2027.
Apply through the Carleton process
Apply for fall entry. Carleton needs your complete application and grades by June 15.
Entrance scholarships are automatic and offered at admission.
For a Prestige Scholarship, submit the application and a reference letter by March 1.
Entrance scholarship questions
Will Carleton raise my entrance award after final grades arrive?
The current scholarship guidance says the award is not reassessed on final grades. Use the admission average and timing specified by Carleton, not a later personal calculation. The June 15 admission-application condition also matters, so meeting an average threshold alone is not the entire automatic-award eligibility test.
Does compressed Nursing receive four normal annual scholarship payments?
Carleton distinguishes the compressed three-year Nursing schedule from a standard four-year undergraduate pattern. Summer study and program sequencing affect the published scholarship payment schedule. Read the Nursing-specific instructions and your offer before dividing a four-year advertised total into instalments for a degree with a different structure.
How do I submit the Prestige Scholarship application?
The checked instructions require the current application form and submission process, with March 1, 2027 as the deadline. Read the Adobe-form and email requirements rather than assuming an admissions portal upload is equivalent. The Prestige competition uses academic and activity evidence and is selected separately from automatic grade-band awards.
What average is required to renew a Carleton entrance scholarship?
Carleton publishes a 10.0 GPA renewal condition for the renewable entrance scholarship. University GPA is not the same scale as your high-school percentage. Record the eligible course load and annual assessment instructions from the offer, and contact Awards before a registration change that may affect the renewal calculation.
Official sources and cycle status
- Carleton entrance scholarships (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Carleton scholarships and bursaries (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Carleton awards dates and deadlines (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Carleton Prestige Scholarships (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Carleton awards database (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Carleton entrance bursaries (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Applying for OSAP at Carleton (opens in a new tab)
Figures and dates keep their published cycle. Details with no year given need confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
2026–2027 tuition and Fall 2027 award dates
Carleton University scholarships, tuition, and financial aid
A Carleton funding plan should keep tuition, automatic entrance scholarships, competitive Prestige Scholarships, need-based bursaries, OSAP, co-op cash flow, and living costs separate. The official fee tables vary materially by program and residency.
Automatic scholarship
$1,000–$3,000/year
The 2027–2028 table starts at an 85% admission average and renews for up to four years.
Prestige deadline
March 1, 2027
Current eligibility starts at 90% plus leadership and extracurricular involvement.
International welcome award
$2,000–$5,000
Automatic and additive for eligible international high-school applicants entering in September 2027.
Carleton tuition and compulsory fees for 2026–2027
These published first-year, full-time fall-and-winter totals include compulsory miscellaneous fees and the U-Pass. They are not a complete cost of attendance. Housing, food, books, supplies, travel, and personal spending are separate.
Carleton tuition and compulsory fees for 2026–2027 (table)
| First-year program | Ontario resident | International |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | $7,624.02 | $41,383.68 |
| Commerce | $11,920.48 | $47,608.68 |
| Computer Science | $10,772.94 | $57,397.12 |
| Architectural Studies | $11,316.96 | $57,458.68 |
Other-Canadian rates use a separate table. The student's Carleton Central “Calculate Amount to Pay” result and account statement are authoritative after registration.
Automatic renewable entrance scholarships
Carleton's 2027–2028 table applies to students entering a four-year honours degree directly from high school or CEGEP with an admission average of 85% or better. Carleton assesses the marks submitted for admission; the offer is not reassessed on final high-school grades, and your complete application and grades must arrive by June 15. Nursing (BScN) uses a separate three-year table with summer amounts. Checked October 1, 2026.
| Admission average | Annual value | Four-year maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 95%–100% | $3,000 | $12,000 |
| 90%–94.9% | $2,000 | $8,000 |
| 85%–89.9% | $1,000 | $4,000 |
Carleton Prestige Scholarships
Carleton has confirmed the March 1, 2027 deadline, but its detailed public value table still describes 2026–2027. Use these as the latest planning values and verify the Fall 2027 application before submission. A single application covers the Prestige awards.
Carleton Prestige Scholarships (table)
| Award | Number | Latest published value |
|---|---|---|
| Chancellor’s Scholarships | 10 | $32,000 |
| Richard Lewar Entrance Scholarships | 7 | $21,500 |
| Scholarships of Excellence | 3 | $20,000 |
| SHAD Scholarships | 2 | $20,000 |
| Jay Woo and CAA Scholarship | 1 | $20,000 |
| Riordon and Collins Prestige Scholarships | 1 each | Canadian domestic full tuition |
Funding checklist
- 1.Use the exact fee table for the student's program, residency category, year, and course load.
- 2.Separate tuition and compulsory fees from residence, meal plans, books, travel, winter clothing, and personal costs.
- 3.Submit the admission application and all required grades by June 15 for automatic entrance-scholarship consideration.
- 4.Apply separately for the March 1 Prestige Scholarship, May 1 Leadership Entrance Bursary, and June 30 Entrance Bursary when eligible.
- 5.Use OSAP or the student's home-province aid process separately; scholarships do not replace a government-aid application.
Official Carleton tuition and financial-aid sources
- 2026–2027 Ontario undergraduate fee table
- 2026–2027 international undergraduate fee table
- Renewable entrance-scholarship tiers and rules
- Prestige Scholarship values and latest published rules
- Scholarships and bursaries for incoming students
- Entrance and Leadership Entrance Bursaries
- Carleton OSAP application guidance
- Carleton awards database
- 2026–2027 Awards and Financial Aid dates