McMaster Financial Aid 2027: Scholarships & Bursaries
McMaster entrance scholarships for September 2027 include automatic awards from $500 to $3,000, depending on your faculty and final admission average.
Reviewed August 25, 2026 · Automatic award table checked October 1, 2026 · 2027 dates are labelled only where McMaster has published them
Key facts
These need no separate application. Compare the faculty bands below, then follow the separate AwardSpring steps for application-based awards and bursaries.
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- OUAC Group A deadline (Ontario high-school students)January 15, 2027
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Build the McMaster funding plan in layers
1. Apply to McMaster
Receive the MacID and faculty assessment.
2. Check automatic awards
Use the exact faculty threshold without rounding.
3. Complete AwardSpring
Finish the General Application and every matched follow-up.
4. Apply for aid
Add the entrance bursary, OSAP, or another eligible route.
5. Close the gap
Compare confirmed funding with the full cost plan.
Do not treat one entrance scholarship as the complete budget. Check each funding route separately, then compare the result with current tuition and living costs.
Entrance scholarships in detail: key facts, tables, questions and sources
McMaster entrance scholarships for Fall 2027
Reviewed October 9, 2026. Amounts and dates keep their published cycle.
McMaster sets a different automatic-award threshold for each faculty. You receive either the McMaster University Entrance Award or a Faculty-specific Achievement Award, not both.
- Published cycle
- Students entering in September 2027 (2027 to 2028 averages)
- Average used
- The final admission average your faculty calculates. McMaster says admission averages are not rounded.
- Renewal
- The McMaster University Entrance Award and the Faculty-specific Achievement Awards are one-time first-year awards.
- International applicants
- These automatic awards cover students admitted full-time from high school. International (visa) students can also receive faculty international awards from $7,500 to $200,000; you lose them if your fees change to domestic.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Science | 98.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| BTech | 90.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| DeGroote School of Business | 92.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Engineering | 97.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Computer Science | 97.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| iBioMed | 98.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Health Sciences | 98.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $1,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Health Sciences | 93.00% to 97.99%. Faculty-specific Achievement Award (Honours Health Sciences Program) | $500 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Nursing | 93.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $1,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Nursing | 91.00% to 92.99%. Faculty-specific Achievement Award | $500 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Midwifery | 93.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $1,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Midwifery | 91.00% to 92.99%. Faculty-specific Achievement Award | $500 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Humanities | 94.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Humanities | 90.00% to 93.99%. Faculty-specific Achievement Award | $1,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Science | 97.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Social Sciences | 94.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Social Sciences | 91.00% to 93.99%. Faculty-specific Achievement Award | $1,000 | One-time awardMcMaster automatic awards |
| Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement | 95.00% and above. McMaster University Entrance Award | $3,000 | One-time awardMcMaster 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Award | Up to $20,000 a year, renewable for up to 4 years, plus one guaranteed McMaster work experience | Academically qualified students from equity-deserving groups in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe. | AwardSpring, February 19, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fall 2027 date confirmedAccess Award |
| Undergraduate Entrance Bursary | $1,000 to $5,000 | Incoming Level 1 Canadian citizens, permanent residents or refugees with financial need. | AwardSpring, February 19, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fall 2027 date confirmedUndergraduate Entrance Bursary |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
McMaster's average bands depend on the faculty
For September 2027 entry, McMaster publishes faculty-specific thresholds rather than a single university-wide automatic scholarship cutoff. The main Entrance Award is $3,000 in many faculties but $1,000 in Health Sciences, Nursing and Midwifery. Engineering and Computer Science use 97%, while Arts & Science and iBioMed use 98%. Business and BTech have different bands. Match your actual program to the table instead of applying the engineering threshold to every McMaster offer.
Faculty-specific Achievement Awards provide lower-band awards in some areas. McMaster says you receive either the University Entrance Award or the relevant Achievement Award, not both. The university also states that admission averages aren't rounded. A result just below the stated threshold isn't the next tier because a calculator displays a rounded whole number. Your final faculty-calculated average and received OUAC grades control the award.
The Fall 2027 table differs from the older year
McMaster's official table places 2026-27 and 2027-28 figures side by side. Social Sciences changes to 94% for the $3,000 University Entrance Award and 91% to 93.99% for its $1,000 Achievement Award in the 2027-28 column. Reading the prior-year column would give the wrong answer for September 2027 entry. The table here uses the newer column and retains the faculty name on each row.
Offer-letter scholarships can be projected before your final marks arrive. A projected amount isn't confirmation that final grades can't lower or remove it. Check the conditions in the offer and the final calculation. Faculty-administered awards also exist outside the central table, including Business and Wilson College awards. Read those separately and ask about combination rules; their presence doesn't make the central Entrance and Achievement awards stackable.
AwardSpring needs a completed follow-up application
Activate your MacID after applying for admission, sign into AwardSpring and complete its General Application. The matching system can identify award opportunities, but a match isn't a submitted application. Some awards require follow-up essays, supporting documents or references. Open each matched award and check what remains incomplete. Don't stop after saving the General Application and assume every separate award has been submitted.
McMaster's AwardSpring enquiries page provides a route for account and application problems. Ask for help while a deadline is still open. Save submission confirmations and check the email associated with your application for document requests. Applicants can prepare factual activity notes and gather references before admission decisions arrive, but they should use the actual award prompt once it is available. Admissions supplements and scholarship follow-ups are different submissions.
Access Award and entrance bursary dates
For the 2027 intake, the Access Award and Undergraduate Entrance Bursary are due through AwardSpring on February 19, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Access provides up to $20,000 a year in aid and award funding, renewable for up to four years, plus one guaranteed McMaster work experience. It's aimed at academically qualified applicants from equity-deserving groups in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe. It isn't a general award for any applicant above a percentage.
The entrance bursary lists $1,000 to $5,000 for eligible incoming Level 1 Canadian citizens, permanent residents or refugees demonstrating financial need and entering their first baccalaureate degree. The official page excludes the Mohawk McMaster route from that bursary. A separate Indigenous Marjorie Anderson award lists April 30, 2027, showing why the February deadline shouldn't be copied to every McMaster entrance award.
Engineering and international awards need their own checks
McMaster Engineering's official scholarship page provides faculty-specific awards and application information. Its eligibility can differ by program and applicant group. International entrance awards on the central page span a wide advertised range, but the range describes multiple awards, not a guarantee that an international admission offer receives the maximum. Find the named award and its duration before comparing values with another school.
McMaster notes that international awards may be lost when your fees change to domestic. If citizenship or residency status changes during your degree, ask the university how the award and tuition interact. Don't use a lower domestic fee estimate while retaining an international-only scholarship in the same budget without confirmation. Keep renewable international awards separate from the one-time central Entrance and Achievement awards.
Plan for first-year payments and future bursaries
The central automatic scholarships are one-time first-year awards. Maintaining a strong university GPA doesn't make them renew automatically. Later scholarships and the general bursary operate through the continuing-student financial-support process. Read the annual application instructions and set reminders for the new year's competition. A first-year award notice isn't an ongoing financial-aid application.
McMaster's OSAP guidance separates government assessments from the university's scholarship decisions. Staff can help review whether your application is complete and whether an appeal route applies, but they can't simply change the government's assessment. Combine confirmed award payments with OSAP and family resources in a term-by-term budget. If your courses, study period or income change, contact the Registrar before relying on the previous estimate. The OSAP guide explains school processing steps and provincial deadline rules.
Apply through the McMaster process
Apply to McMaster. Automatic awards need no application, and offers are projected from your average when you apply.
Activate your MacID, sign in to AwardSpring, and complete the General Application.
Finish every follow-up (essays, references) for each award you match.
Entrance scholarship questions
Do I submit the same AwardSpring application for every McMaster award?
AwardSpring's general application can match you to opportunities, but some awards require a separate follow-up. Read the task list for each matched award, submit the requested material and check its status. Completing a general profile alone is not proof that an Access Award, Anderson Award or other separate competition has been submitted.
Can I combine the entrance award and the achievement award?
McMaster states that entrance and achievement scholarships are mutually exclusive. The applicable award depends on your average, faculty and other conditions. Compare the offer's total rather than adding two mutually exclusive rows from a table. Where an additional donor or application award is involved, check its own holding rules.
Does Engineering use the same threshold as iBioMed?
No. The current faculty table distinguishes Engineering and Computer Science from the Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program. Use the row for the actual offered program and retain the admission average's decimal precision. A faculty label in a search result is not enough to determine which threshold applies.
What should an Access Award applicant prepare before February 19, 2027?
Read the financial-need and eligibility conditions, complete the AwardSpring steps and identify any required follow-up evidence before the published 11:59 p.m. Eastern deadline. The award is selected, not automatic. Do not treat its maximum annual value as approved funding until McMaster sends an award offer and explains renewal.
Official sources and cycle status
- McMaster entrance 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.
- McMaster undergraduate fees (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.
- McMaster tuition fee schedule (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.
- McMaster 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.
- McMaster AwardSpring technical inquiries (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.
- McMaster Engineering 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.
- McMaster guide to OSAP (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.
- McMaster financial support for international students (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.
September 2027 scholarships and confirmed award deadlines
McMaster University scholarships, bursaries, and financial aid
Main AwardSpring deadline
February 19, 2027
Entrance awards and the entrance bursary are due at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applications open November 1, 2026.
Automatic awards
$500–$3,000
Published faculty thresholds include the University Entrance Award and lower Faculty-specific Achievement Award bands.
Extended-care tuition bursary
Up to $8,500 yearly
You may be an eligible incoming former youth in extended society care. If so, apply by June 1, 2027. Then you get equal consideration.
Yes. McMaster offers automatic and application-based scholarships for domestic and international undergraduates. Published September 2027 automatic entrance awards range from $500 to $3,000 by faculty. The domestic Access Award provides up to $20,000 per year, and the Marjorie Anderson Financial Award is worth $80,000 over four years. McMaster also lists international entrance awards from $7,500 to $200,000. Automatic awards need no application. Most application-based scholarships and bursaries use AwardSpring after an applicant receives a MacID.
McMaster automatic entrance scholarships for 2027
The McMaster University Entrance Award is for eligible students admitted full-time from high school into Level 1 of a first baccalaureate degree. The final admission average is calculated by the admitting faculty, the award does not require an application, and averages are not rounded. The September 2027 thresholds are:
The average each McMaster faculty needs for its automatic award
September 2027 thresholds, from the final average your faculty calculates (not rounded). The thin bar is a faculty's lower Achievement Award band.
A student receives either the University Entrance Award or a Faculty-specific Achievement Award, not both.
Source: McMaster entrance scholarships and bursaries (checked October 1, 2026). September 2027 entry.
Automatic award and final average for every faculty (table)
| Faculty or program | Final admission average | Automatic award |
|---|---|---|
| Arts & Science | 98.00%+ | $3,000 |
| BTech | 90.00%+ | $3,000 |
| DeGroote School of Business | 92.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Engineering | 97.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Computer Science | 97.00%+ | $3,000 |
| iBioMed | 98.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Health Sciences | 98.00%+ | $1,000 |
| Nursing | 93.00%+ | $1,000 |
| Midwifery | 93.00%+ | $1,000 |
| Humanities | 94.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Science | 97.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Social Sciences | 94.00%+ | $3,000 |
| Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement | 95.00%+ | $3,000 |
When the award is confirmed, and which one you get
An initial scholarship offer is conditional until McMaster receives final grades. McMaster recalculates admission averages in August. It can add, adjust, or cancel an award. A student can receive either the McMaster University Entrance Award or a Faculty-specific Achievement Award. They cannot receive both automatic awards.
Faculty-specific Achievement Award bands for 2027
McMaster also publishes lower automatic bands for five faculties or programs. These awards require no separate application. They cannot be combined with the University Entrance Award.
| Faculty or program | Final admission average | Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|
| Honours Health Sciences Program | 93.00%–97.99% | $500 |
| Nursing | 91.00%–92.99% | $500 |
| Midwifery | 91.00%–92.99% | $500 |
| Humanities | 90.00%–93.99% | $1,000 |
| Social Sciences | 91.00%–93.99% | $1,000 |
McMaster entrance awards and bursaries by application
McMaster funding checklist
- 1.Match the exact faculty and program to the September 2027 automatic-award table. McMaster does not use one university-wide entrance-scholarship average.
- 2.Do not round an admission average. McMaster explicitly says the automatic scholarship thresholds use the final faculty-calculated average without rounding.
- 3.Activate the MacID after applying, sign in to AwardSpring, complete the General Application, and finish every matched follow-up such as an essay or reference.
- 4.Submit the main AwardSpring entrance-award and entrance-bursary applications by February 19, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET; do not assume every specialized award shares that deadline.
- 5.Treat the entrance bursary, application-based entrance awards, automatic award, and later general bursary as separate funding routes with separate eligibility rules.
- 6.McMaster's Registrar now publishes the official 2026–2027 undergraduate fee schedule. Use the exact program and residency row in the linked schedule; Fall 2027 and 2027–2028 tuition remain pending.
Application-based entrance awards use AwardSpring. Applicants first apply to McMaster. Then they activate the MacID using the barcode and Student (Person) ID Number in the acknowledgement letter. McMaster says a new applicant's profile can take a few business days to connect. This is after the applicant uses OUAC (Ontario's university application site) and signs in to Mosaic for the first time. Sign in to AwardSpring with the McMaster email address and MacID password. Complete the General Application. Then finish the follow-up requirements for each matched opportunity.
The entrance bursary, Access Award and Marjorie Anderson award, and their dates
The 2027 Undergraduate Entrance Bursary is worth $1,000 to $5,000. It is for eligible incoming Level 1 Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or refugees. They must be entering their first undergraduate degree and show financial need. The current Access Award can give up to $20,000 per year for four years. It also gives one guaranteed McMaster work experience. It is for eligible applicants from equity-deserving groups in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe. The Marjorie Anderson Financial Award for Indigenous students is valued at $80,000 over four years.
AwardSpring applications open November 1, 2026. The entrance award, entrance bursary, and Access Award are due February 19, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Marjorie Anderson Financial Award is due April 30, 2027. Specialized faculty and external awards can use different dates, so applicants should confirm every matched opportunity.
How to read your McMaster AwardSpring status
AwardSpring workflow reviewed September 13, 2026
Completing the General Application does not finish every matched award. Check the Dashboard for follow-ups such as references or essays, then use the Scholarships tab to confirm each opportunity:
- Applied
- McMaster says the application is complete and submitted.
- Complete Follow-Up
- More requirements remain. Open the opportunity from the Dashboard and complete them by its own deadline.
- Closed
- The deadline has passed. If you already applied, check the Dashboard for that submission's specific status.
- Awarded ($1)—General Bursary
- This means the application is undergoing final assessment. It does not guarantee General Bursary funding or show the final amount.
Confirm or edit a submission
Open Scholarships and filter for Applied. McMaster says this status means the application was received by the deadline and remains eligible for further review. If a change is needed before the deadline, open the submitted application from that filtered list, revise it, and resubmit it. After the deadline, a scholarship can display Closed even when an application was submitted; use the Dashboard to find that application's own status.
Find the General Bursary
In the General Application's Financial Information section, answer Yes to the first question. That question is about aid that requires demonstrated financial need. Then answer every financial question. Submit the General Application. If the application shows need, McMaster says the student is applied automatically. Find it under Scholarships by filtering for Applied. Automatic application does not guarantee funding.
McMaster's General Bursary Program covers eligible students in undergraduate degree programs, excluding Mohawk McMaster Nursing and Conestoga McMaster Nursing. This program rule is separate from the other bursary eligibility and government-aid conditions below.
Follow McMaster's AwardSpring guideMcMaster tuition for 2026–2027
McMaster's Registrar now links the official 2026–2027 undergraduate and professional-program fee schedules. McMaster charges tuition by unit at a faculty- and residency-specific rate; use the exact row for the program rather than one campus-wide headline. Fall 2027 and the 2027–2028 schedule remain pending.
Other costs to add to tuition
Applicants should use the live fee schedule and cost estimator. Then add supplementary fees, residence or rent, a meal plan, books, transportation, health coverage, and program-specific charges. Fees are posted to student accounts in early August and remain subject to change.
Youth in Extended Society Care Tuition Bursary
McMaster's current incoming-undergraduate bursary can cover tuition and compulsory fees. It can cover up to $8,500 per year. It is renewable at the same value for up to four years. Eligible applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or refugees. They must have spent at least one year in Ontario extended society care in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. They must also meet McMaster's other admission, OSAP, documentation, and full-time enrolment conditions.
How and when to apply for it
Incoming students apply in AwardSpring by June 1, 2027 for equal consideration. McMaster says decisions will be communicated by June 15, 2027. Later decisions are possible only if funding remains.
McMaster bursaries after enrolment
McMaster's General Bursary Program is separate from the entrance bursary. Current students complete the AwardSpring General Application and matched follow-ups. McMaster normally uses an OSAP or other government-aid assessment to establish need. Students eligible for government aid are expected to apply. A need-based opportunity normally appears after the assessment shows at least $1 of entitlement.
Exceptions to the OSAP route, and when it opens
McMaster lists exceptions for applicants who cannot use the standard OSAP route. They include Indigenous and international students, students with certain government-aid restrictions, some students with disabilities on reduced course loads, out-of-province aid recipients, and students receiving social assistance. International undergraduates generally need to be in Level 2 or higher for the general bursary. The application becomes available in AwardSpring in August.
OSAP and government aid at McMaster
McMaster runs OSAP for eligible full-time and part-time Ontario students. General eligibility includes Ontario residency. It also includes eligible citizenship or immigration status. You need an approved program and course load. You need satisfactory academic progress and demonstrated financial need. You must be in good standing on prior student loans. McMaster sends eligible OSAP funding to the student account first for tuition and fees. Any amount left follows the government disbursement process.
Students from outside Ontario and U.S. citizens
Students from another Canadian province or territory use the government-aid program where they qualify. U.S. citizens may use eligible U.S. government or private loan options. They may do this rather than OSAP.
McMaster scholarships for international students
McMaster says it has more than $20 million in entrance awards. These are for international-fee-paying undergraduates. Current values range from $7,500 to $200,000. Eligible students can get one application-based award. They can also get one automatic award. They can get multiple financial awards too. This depends on full-time fall and winter enrolment. It also depends on final admission conditions. It also depends on continued international tuition status.
Faculty examples and the February 19 deadline
Faculty examples differ substantially. Current automatic DeGroote awards begin at $15,000 in first year and rise to $25,000 for students with a 95% or higher average, with renewable upper-year amounts. Humanities and Social Sciences currently list $10,000 in first year plus $5,000 in each eligible upper year for students entering with at least 85%. Science lists $10,000 in first year plus $7,500 in eligible upper years. Engineering lists several $10,000 one-time program awards.
The main AwardSpring application-based deadline is now February 19, 2027. International applicants should still inspect each matched award because faculty-administered and specialized opportunities can use different requirements or dates.
Use one McMaster funding plan, not one assumed scholarship
Build the plan from confirmed tuition and living costs. Then add the faculty's automatic threshold. Add eligible AwardSpring opportunities. Add the entrance bursary. Add OSAP or government aid. Add realistic family or employment resources. Students applying to a selective program can pair this section with the McMaster Health Sciences guide and the McMaster admission requirements.