UBC Tuition 2026–27: Scholarships & Aid
Vancouver, British Columbia
Compare UBC's 2026–27 domestic and international tuition by program, the application fee, and entrance scholarships before budgeting your University of British Columbia costs.
The short answer
- UBC Vancouver 2026–27 domestic tuition is $6,200.70 for Arts, Science and first-year Commerce.
- New international students pay $51,530.40–$53,082.00 for those programs, or $66,199.66 for first-year Engineering.
- Presidential Scholars Awards give Canadian citizens and permanent residents about $5,000 once, or renewable awards up to $80,000 over four years at Vancouver.
- The UBC Bursary Program opens August 14, 2026 and closes September 15, 2026 for the 2026/27 Winter Session.
- Ontario residents can check the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), Ontario's student grants and loans, alongside UBC's rules.
Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
International Scholars dates checked . Official UBC calendar
University of British Columbia tuition fees 2026–27: Vancouver and Okanagan costs, scholarships, and bursaries
UBC does not charge one tuition figure for the whole university. Fees are set by program and by campus. Every table below separates domestic rates from international rates. The examples here are UBC Vancouver full-course-load tuition. The Board of Governors approved them on December 4, 2025, and they take effect on May 1, 2026. They are not complete cost-of-attendance totals. You must add student fees, residence or rent, meals, books, travel, health coverage, and a contingency amount. Read every figure with its academic year and applicant type.
UBC Okanagan tuition follows the same per-program, domestic-versus-international structure as Vancouver. But it is published on its own fee schedule. Use UBC's official tuition and fee schedule below to look up the exact Okanagan program rate. Do not assume the Vancouver figures below transfer unchanged.
| Vancouver program example | Domestic tuition | New international tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Arts / Science / first-year Commerce | $6,200.70 | $51,530.40–$53,082.00 |
| Applied Science (Engineering), first year | $7,647.53 | $66,199.66 |
| Commerce (UBC Sauder) | $6,200.70 in Year 1; $9,188.40 in Years 2–4 | $66,678.30 |
| International Economics | $9,921.30 | $62,337.60 |
2027–28 tuition status
2027–28 pending · 2027–28
Not yet published. UBC fees are approved annually by the Board of Governors; the 2026/27 schedule was approved on December 4, 2025 and took effect May 1, 2026.
Budget with labelled 2026–27 rates and re-check after the next Board approval; do not treat current figures as a 2027–28 quote.
Applies to: All applicants
UBC Student Services: 2026/27 undergraduate tuition, approved December 4, 2025 · Verified August 13, 2026
Entrance scholarships with their published values
Values are quoted exactly as UBC currently publishes them; where UBC publishes no dollar value, none is invented here.
| Award | Who it is for | Current published value | Key action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholars Awards | Canadian citizens and permanent residents | One-time awards of about $5,000 plus renewable awards up to $80,000 (Vancouver) or $40,000 (Okanagan) over four years | Submit the complete UBC application and opt in to awards by December 1, 2026. Most winners are contacted by April 27. |
| Centennial Scholars Entrance Award | Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons with financial need | Need-based; the current UBC page publishes no fixed dollar value | Submit the UBC application plus the separate entrance-award forms by December 1. Recipients are contacted by May 15. |
| International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) | International students entering from secondary school | $10,000–$25,000 per year for 2026/27, renewable for up to three additional years | You are considered automatically when you apply by the admission deadline. Decisions run mid-February to the end of April. |
| Outstanding International Student Award | International secondary or post-secondary entrants | One-time $10,000–$25,000; the current page still shows 2025/26 values | Automatic consideration when you apply by the admission deadline. |
| International Scholars Program | Nominated international students with significant financial need | Four need-and-merit awards, including the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow and Donald A. Wehrung awards | Both admission and award applications by November 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST; supporting documents by January 31, 2027. |
| UBC Okanagan Global Elevation Award | Every new international undergraduate at UBC Okanagan | $8,000 per year as a tuition credit, renewable for up to three additional years | It is applied automatically after you accept an Okanagan offer. It is paid as $4,000 in each winter term. |
| UBC Okanagan International Welcome Award | International applicants with an Okanagan degree as first choice | One-time $5,000 first-year tuition credit | You get it automatically when you enrol in your first-choice Okanagan degree with a 24-credit course load. |
UBC Bursary Program window
2026–27 · Published for this period
For the 2026/27 Winter Session the application opens August 14, 2026 and closes September 15, 2026. Applicants must hold full-time Canadian government student loans for a study period of at least 12 consecutive weeks. Bursaries are non-repayable but do not guarantee full funding.
Applies to students enrolled for 2026/27; Fall 2027 entrants should re-check this page after admission.
Applies to: Ontario high school, Other Canadian, Transfer, Mature
UBC Student Services: UBC Bursary Program and 2026/27 application window · Verified August 13, 2026
Loans and provincial aid
Domestic students apply for government aid through their home province, and UBC's bursary assessment builds on that government-loan assessment. Ontario residents should review the current OSAP guide alongside UBC's rules. International students should note that OIS and IMES are merit-based and do not consider financial need. The need-based route is the nomination-driven International Scholars Program.
Official UBC cost and award sources
UBC entrance scholarships for Fall 2027
Reviewed October 9, 2026. Amounts and dates keep their published cycle.
UBC doesn't publish an automatic entrance scholarship by average. Its largest awards for Canadian students, the Presidential Scholars Awards, need you to opt in on the UBC application.
- Published cycle
- Current UBC award pages
- Average used
- UBC assesses your first-choice degree on your academic and personal profile. There is no published average threshold.
- Renewal
- Presidential Scholars Awards include a one-time award of about $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $80,000 at Vancouver or $40,000 at Okanagan, paid over four years.
- International applicants
- Presidential Scholars Awards are for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. International students apply for UBC's separate International Scholars program.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UBC | UBC assesses your first-choice degree on your academic and personal profile. There is no published average threshold. | UBC doesn't publish an automatic entrance scholarship by average. Its largest awards for Canadian students, the Presidential Scholars Awards, need you to opt in on the UBC application. | Presidential Scholars Awards include a one-time award of about $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $80,000 at Vancouver or $40,000 at Okanagan, paid over four years.UBC award criteria |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholars Awards | About $5,000 one time, or up to $80,000 (Vancouver) or $40,000 (Okanagan) over four years | Canadian citizens and permanent residents in high school or CEGEP. | Complete UBC application by December 1. Latest available; confirm Fall 2027 with the universityPresidential Scholars Awards |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
UBC doesn't publish a guaranteed average-to-dollar ladder
UBC's Presidential Scholars Awards are competitive. There isn't an official table saying that 90%, 95% or 98% guarantees a particular amount for every admitted student. The university evaluates the academic and personal profiles for your first-choice degree. A calculator can help you organize high-school marks, but it can't reproduce UBC's scholarship assessment or assign an award amount from one percentage.
The Presidential Scholars page lists a one-time award of approximately $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $80,000 at Vancouver or $40,000 at Okanagan over four years. These are different award outcomes. A one-time $5,000 award shouldn't be described as four annual payments, and the Vancouver maximum shouldn't be applied to an Okanagan offer. Use the campus and named award on the actual notice.
Presidential Scholars requires a deliberate opt-in
Eligible high-school and CEGEP applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents must complete the UBC application by December 1 and indicate that they want award consideration. High-school applicants answer “Yes” in the Awards section. All parts of the online application, including payment of the admission fee, must be complete. Starting a draft before December 1 doesn't meet the published instruction.
The Presidential Scholars award page gives December 1 without a year. UBC's admission dates page separately covers the current admissions cycle. Because the award page itself doesn't label December 1 as 2026, we identify it as the latest published award instruction and advise you to confirm the Fall 2027 date in the application. We don't use the regular admission deadline as a substitute for the earlier scholarship consideration step.
First-choice degree and personal profile affect consideration
UBC says Presidential Scholars consideration is based on your first-choice degree and doesn't evaluate the second-choice degree for this award. That matters if you're using the second choice as a different campus or program option. Choose admission preferences for academic fit and check the scholarship implications before changing them. A scholarship cannot be assumed to follow a switch to the second choice.
The published criteria recognize academic and leadership achievements across arts, community, athletics and school. UBC's personal-profile guidance explains how to describe what you did and what you learned. It doesn't require that every applicant hold the same formal leadership position. Use accurate examples you can discuss and explain your own contribution. The Presidential Scholars guide separates the award conditions from general admission and other UBC funding routes.
Centennial Scholars is a need-based route
UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards serve eligible Canadian applicants with financial need. That page has its own application instructions and documents; checking the Presidential Scholars box doesn't replace the Centennial application. Your academic profile may be relevant to both routes, but financial circumstances and required evidence distinguish the need-based process. Read the current application rather than assuming every entrance award is assessed from the personal profile alone.
The university's Canadian-scholarships page also links Indigenous awards, Beyond Tomorrow, Loran and Schulich Leader. Those routes have separate eligibility and processes. A UBC admission application doesn't nominate you for Schulich or submit a Loran application. Match each possible award to its owner and required action, then record the deadline without projecting a previous competition's date into September 2027.
International Scholars isn't Presidential Scholars
Presidential Scholars is for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. International students should consult UBC's international award pages. The International Scholars Program assesses substantial financial need as well as academic achievement and leadership, with school nomination and teacher reference requirements. UBC says applicants can be considered for either the merit-based or financial-need-based international award route, so understand that choice before assuming every international scholarship is stackable.
For the September 2027 International Scholars intake, the current page requires an admission application before beginning the award application and describes additional documents and a possible video interview. Some degree programs aren't eligible. Don't treat the $80,000 Presidential Vancouver maximum as the International Scholars value or eligibility rule. Your citizenship, fee status and chosen degree determine which official route you should read.
Renewal, notification and the cost of each campus
UBC says the majority of Presidential Scholars winners are contacted by the end of April 27, but the award page gives that date without a year and only successful applicants are contacted. Don't interpret silence as a guarantee that another award is coming. Keep application status, admission decisions and scholarship decisions separate. Ask UBC about your case if a competing university needs an acceptance decision first.
The renewable award page doesn't publish one universal GPA schedule for all Presidential award types. Read the award letter and request the campus-specific continuation terms before budgeting four annual payments. UBC's financial schedule and bursary guidance help plan deposits, government aid and unmet need. Vancouver and Okanagan housing and living costs differ, so compare the actual campus budget after confirmed awards rather than choosing solely on the largest advertised maximum.
Apply through the UBC process
Apply to UBC and finish every section, including the fee, by December 1.
Answer Yes in the Awards section of the application to be considered.
UBC contacts most winners by April 27; only successful applicants hear back.
Entrance scholarship questions
Is there a UBC scholarship guaranteed at a particular average?
The Presidential Scholars Program is competitive automatic consideration when the required opt-in and application steps are complete. UBC does not publish a universal average-to-dollar ladder for these awards. A high school average alone therefore cannot establish a guaranteed Presidential amount or your position among the selected recipients.
Does selecting Presidential consideration cover both campus choices?
The published instructions connect consideration to your first-choice program and campus, and require the application fees to be paid by the stated deadline. Check that preference carefully before submission. Do not assume a first-choice Vancouver application automatically establishes identical consideration for a second-choice Okanagan program.
How do the Vancouver and Okanagan renewable totals differ?
UBC publishes renewable Presidential packages of $80,000 at Vancouver and $40,000 at Okanagan over four years, alongside one-time awards. Those totals belong to different campuses and selected offers. They do not show that every recipient receives the larger package, and they are not all paid before the first term.
Is December 1 a confirmed Fall 2027 Presidential date?
The official instruction checked states December 1 without a year. This guide preserves that as the latest available deadline rather than inserting a year that UBC has not stated in the cited material. Recheck the live admissions application and the award page for the 2027 cycle before submitting and paying fees.
Official sources and cycle status
- Scholarships awards canadian students (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC scholarships awards canadian students guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Presidential scholars (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC presidential scholars guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Scholarships awards international students (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC scholarships awards international students guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Entrance award (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC entrance award guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- International scholars (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC international scholars guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Financial schedule (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC financial schedule guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Personal profile (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC personal profile guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Dates deadlines (opens in a new tab)
Official UBC dates deadlines guidance. Figures and dates retain the source's published cycle; yearless details require confirmation for Fall 2027. Checked October 9, 2026.
University of British Columbia Costs & Financial Aid FAQs
Quick answers about costs & financial aid at University of British Columbia.
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology