University of Waterloo Scholarships & Financial Aid: 2027 Guide
Waterloo financial aid includes automatic entrance scholarships from an 85% admission average, need-based bursaries and government aid. For Fall 2027 planning, compare the award bands below and complete each required bursary or faculty-award form separately. Co-op funding has its own term rules.
Reviewed August 25, 2026 · Fall 2027 dates are labelled only where Waterloo has published them
Key facts
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- Waterloo Engineering (except Architecture)January 15, 2027
- Waterloo, most programs other than EngineeringFebruary 1, 2027
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Entrance scholarships in detail: key facts, tables, questions and sources
Waterloo entrance scholarships for Fall 2027
Reviewed October 9, 2026. Amounts and dates keep their published cycle.
Waterloo's President's and Merit Scholarships start at an 85% admission average. No application is needed.
- Published cycle
- Current table on the page that lists 2027 award deadlines
- Average used
- Your top six Grade 12 courses or equivalents, including the required courses for the program. Waterloo uses your early May average, and awards it later if your final June or July average reaches 85%.
- Renewal
- The entrance amounts are one time. Distinction scholars can claim the upper-year awards after finishing first year with at least 80%.
- International applicants
- International students can receive the President's and Merit Scholarships too. Waterloo also lists a $10,000 International Student Entrance Scholarship. A few faculty awards are for citizens or permanent residents only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | 95% or higher. President's Scholarship of Distinction, plus a $1,500 International Experience Award and/or a $1,500 Research Award you can claim in upper years | $2,000 | One-time awardWaterloo automatic awards |
| Waterloo | 90% to 94.9%. President's Scholarship | $2,000 | One-time awardWaterloo automatic awards |
| Waterloo | 85% to 89.9%. Merit Scholarship | $1,000 | One-time awardWaterloo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Mathematics Olympiad Scholarship | Up to $50,000 ($6,250 a term for up to 8 terms) | Students entering Mathematics who medalled at an International Olympiad contest. | March 5, 2027. Fall 2027 date confirmedFaculty of Mathematics Olympiad Scholarship |
| Faculty of Environment scholarships by application | Up to $7,500 for one year | Students entering Environment programs with at least an 85% admission average. | April 1, 2027. Fall 2027 date confirmedFaculty of Environment scholarships by application |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
Your Waterloo average is tied to your offered program
Waterloo's automatic Merit Scholarship starts at an 85% admission average. The President's Scholarship begins at 90%, and the President's Scholarship of Distinction at 95%. The average includes the required courses for the program for which you've received and accepted an offer. Two Waterloo programs can therefore produce different award averages from the same school transcript. Removing a lower prerequisite from your personal top six doesn't remove it from Waterloo's scholarship calculation.
Waterloo uses the early May average for the normal award assessment. The official page also explains later consideration if final June or July results reach the required level. This is different from universities that freeze the scholarship at the first offer. Check the offer and final award communication rather than assuming a calculator result updates your account automatically. The published entrance awards apply to eligible full-time first-year September entrants.
Distinction has upper-year opportunities, not annual renewal
The $2,000 Distinction entrance scholarship isn't a $2,000 payment in every year of your degree. The additional $1,500 International Experience Award and $1,500 Research Award are separate opportunities in upper years. Waterloo says Distinction scholars must complete first year with at least an 80% average to claim them. You also need the qualifying experience or research activity described in the award conditions.
The International Experience Award supports an international study or work experience. The Research Award supports work with a Waterloo professor, including a qualifying research-based co-op position at the university. Don't count either amount as guaranteed second-year tuition funding if you haven't planned an eligible activity. Your entrance scholarship, co-op earnings and later experience awards belong on different lines of a cash-flow plan.
Faculty awards can include the President's amount
Waterloo's faculty tables are important for engineering, mathematics and environment applicants. Several awards are automatic, while others need an application through the applicant portal. A faculty package can include the President's Scholarship rather than stack above it. The Environment table, for example, identifies total first-year values that include the applicable President's award. Adding both advertised totals would count the same money twice.
Engineering awards can consider the admission file and required supplementary information. Mathematics awards can consider contest performance. Read the row for your exact program: Architecture, Software Engineering and the Faculty of Mathematics don't necessarily use the same award criteria. Competitive faculty figures are award values offered to selected recipients, not the return from entering an average into a calculator. The university, not an adviser, selects recipients.
Application deadlines for the 2027 intake
The Faculty of Mathematics Olympiad Scholarship currently lists March 5, 2027 for its separate application. The official scholarship table describes up to $50,000, paid as $6,250 per academic term for up to eight terms, for eligible entering Mathematics students with qualifying international Olympiad achievements. Check which competitions and medal levels count before treating school contest participation as the same credential.
Environment's Jean Andrey leadership scholarship lists April 1, 2027 and a minimum 85% admission average. The published value is up to $7,500 for one year, and the source asks for evidence of interest in environmental issues. Other faculty entries show dates without a year, including some April 15 dates. Confirm the cycle in your applicant portal instead of silently converting every April date with no year given into a confirmed Fall 2027 deadline.
International scholarships and bursaries answer different needs
International applicants can qualify for the President's and Merit awards as well as the specific international entrance opportunities Waterloo lists. Check your faculty and citizenship requirements carefully: some faculty awards are restricted to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The general international scholarships page is a starting point, but your offer and the individual award conditions decide what you receive.
Bursaries assess financial need rather than rewarding the same grade thresholds. Waterloo's bursary guidance explains where to apply and what financial information is needed. A bursary application doesn't replace an entrance-award application. If family resources don't cover the published tuition and living budget, explore both routes early. For Ontario residents, government aid can be another part of the plan, with documents and course-load rules separate from scholarship selection.
- Waterloo entrance scholarships (opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo scholarships for international students (opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo entrance bursaries for Ontario students (opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo OSAP deadlines and important dates (opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo finances (opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo first-year tuition fees (opens in a new tab)
Coordinate your awards with Waterloo term dates
Waterloo programs often alternate study and co-op work terms. The OSAP deadlines page publishes different study and work-period dates and warns that some programs have different periods. That distinction matters when you need funds for an academic term, a work term or a later international experience. Use the OSAP school table to distinguish early processing targets from the final application deadline.
Before registration, save the automatic-award offer and ask Student Awards and Financial Aid how it will appear on your account. Record the first-year payment separately from any later conditional instalments. If you change programs, campus arrangements or your study sequence, ask whether the faculty award and automatic average assessment still apply. A scholarship attached to one offered program shouldn't be assumed to follow every program change.
Apply through the Waterloo process
Accept a full-time first-year offer and start in September. The President's and Merit Scholarships are automatic.
Your average must include the program's required courses, so it can differ between two programs you were offered.
Faculty scholarships that need an application are in the applicant portal under Awards and financial aid.
Entrance scholarship questions
Can Waterloo scholarship averages differ between my program choices?
Yes. Required courses for the offered and accepted program are part of Waterloo's admission-average calculation. A prerequisite with a lower mark still matters for that program even if you have six higher elective marks. Use the exact program requirements and the university's award communication when comparing possible automatic awards.
Are the Distinction research and international amounts paid automatically in second year?
No. The two $1,500 opportunities require an eligible research or international experience as well as the stated first-year average condition. A student who has the $2,000 entrance award but does not arrange a qualifying activity should not assume an extra $3,000 will arrive for ordinary second-year tuition.
Does the Environment award add on top of the President award?
Read the faculty table carefully. Waterloo identifies some Environment packages as total values that include the relevant President's Scholarship. Counting the package and the President's amount separately would overstate funding. The award letter should show which components are included and whether another faculty award can be held with them.
Is an April 15 faculty deadline confirmed for 2027?
Not when the source only prints April 15 without a year. The Olympiad and Jean Andrey entries explicitly publish their 2027 dates, but a row with no year given needs confirmation in the applicant portal or from the awarding faculty. Record that distinction before asking a referee to work toward a particular date.
Official sources and cycle status
- Waterloo 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.
- Waterloo scholarships 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.
- Waterloo entrance bursaries for Ontario 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.
- Waterloo OSAP deadlines and important dates (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.
- Waterloo finances (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.
- Waterloo first-year tuition 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.
2026–2027 cost and funding update
University of Waterloo scholarships and financial aid
Waterloo financial aid comes from many sources. These include automatic entrance scholarships and application-based faculty and program awards. They also include need-based bursaries, OSAP or other government aid, work-study, and co-op earnings. No single financial-aid application covers every source. Applicants should use the Waterloo applicant portal for entrance awards and bursaries. After enrolment, use Quest and Student Awards and Financial Aid.
Automatic entrance award
Starts at an 85% average
Eligible first-time, full-time students are automatically considered for Waterloo's Merit and President's scholarships.
Ontario entrance bursary
$1,000–$5,000
Eligible Ontario students with financial need apply in the applicant portal by the current April 15 deadline.
First-year living costs
$16,950–$24,480
Waterloo's current estimate combines $8,250–$10,980 for residence and $4,400–$9,200 for a meal plan. It also includes $4,300 for personal expenses. This is before tuition and books.
Waterloo first-year tuition estimates for September 2026
Waterloo publishes program-specific estimates for two academic terms, or eight months of full-time study. The figures below include tuition and incidental fees but list books and supplies separately. They are current estimates for students starting in September 2026—not guaranteed Fall 2027 prices. Exact charges appear in Quest roughly one month before each term.
Waterloo first-year tuition estimates for September 2026 (table)
| Program or faculty | Ontario domestic | International | Books and supplies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts | $9,000 | $58,000 | $1,500 |
| Computer Science | $16,000 | $73,000 | $1,500 |
| Engineering and Software Engineering | $19,000 | $75,000 | $1,500 |
| Environment, Health, or Science | $9,000 | $51,000–$54,000 | $1,500 |
| Mathematics majors | $9,000 | $62,000 | $1,500 |
Canadian citizens and permanent residents living outside Ontario have a separate domestic fee schedule. Architecture has higher supplies costs. Aviation students must add flight training. Accounting and finance tuition can rise in upper years. Use Waterloo's official table. Do not treat one row as a university-wide price.
Automatic Waterloo entrance scholarships
Waterloo automatically considers students admitted to a full-time, first-year degree program. These students must be beginning university or college for the first time. The admission average includes the required courses for the accepted program. So a student with multiple Waterloo offers can have a different scholarship result for each program. Awards are normally confirmed after early-May grades are reviewed.
Automatic Waterloo entrance scholarships (table)
| Admission average | Automatic scholarship | Current value |
|---|---|---|
| 95% or higher | President’s Scholarship of Distinction | $2,000 entrance scholarship plus a $1,500 International Experience Award and/or a $1,500 Research Award, subject to award conditions |
| 90% to 94.9% | President’s Scholarship | $2,000 one-time entrance scholarship |
| 85% to 89.9% | Merit Scholarship | $1,000 one-time entrance scholarship |
Faculty and program awards can sometimes be combined with a President's or Merit Scholarship. Waterloo currently lists Engineering awards worth up to $25,000. It lists Mathematics awards worth up to $50,000. It lists Science international awards worth up to $80,000. But eligibility and application rules differ. Read the exact program row. Do not assume that every large award is automatic.
Waterloo scholarship deadlines for Fall 2027
Waterloo has started to publish application dates for students who will begin in 2027. The cycle label is not yet attached to every award page. Treat an explicitly dated 2027 deadline differently from a recurring month-and-day deadline. Confirm the live form after the applicant portal opens.
Waterloo scholarship deadlines for Fall 2027 (table)
| Published deadline | Opportunity | Fall 2027 status |
|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2027 | Faculty of Environment leadership, excellence, engagement, and other application-based entrance awards | Explicitly published for students beginning in 2027 |
| April 15 | Ontario entrance bursary for eligible first-time, full-time students | Current Waterloo deadline; the bursary page does not yet attach a Fall 2027 year label |
| April 15 | Selected Engineering, Health, Black, and Indigenous entrance awards | Current central-page deadline; confirm the Fall 2027 form in the applicant portal |
Do not reuse the February 13, 2026 Science international-scholarship deadline or the March 6, 2026 Mathematics Olympiad Scholarship deadline for Fall 2027. Waterloo has not yet published their 2027 replacements on those faculty forms.
Waterloo entrance bursary for Ontario students
Waterloo's entrance bursary is need-based and does not need to be repaid. It is currently worth $1,000 to $5,000 and is intended for eligible Ontario residents entering full-time university or college for the first time. Waterloo says approximately 1,000 first-year students may receive one.
More about Waterloo entrance bursary for Ontario students
The form opens February 1 under Awards and financial aid in the applicant portal and currently closes April 15. Applicants need the prior year's income and tax information for parents, guardians, or a spouse. This form is separate from an admission application and separate from OSAP.
OSAP and Waterloo bursaries after enrolment
OSAP is an Ontario government assessment that can provide grants and repayable loans. It is not a Waterloo scholarship. Current domestic students applying for a Waterloo bursary may need a completed OSAP or other provincial-aid assessment first. Waterloo's Fall 2026 current-student bursary window runs from July 27 to October 16, and the Winter 2027 window runs from November 23 to February 19.
More about OSAP and Waterloo bursaries after enrolment
Waterloo currently lists a maximum full-time bursary of $3,000 per term for Ontario domestic students. It also lists $1,200 per term for out-of-province domestic undergraduates. These bursaries cover a modest assessed shortfall. They are not available during a co-op work term. For 2026–2027 rule changes, documents, course-load definitions and deadlines, use the current OSAP guide.
How OSAP works during Waterloo co-op
You can apply for full-time OSAP for living costs on an official Waterloo co-op work term. You do not need to take an academic course. Waterloo tells students to report the official work term as a 100% course load. It also tells them to report co-op earnings as study-period income. If you have a processed application for the same academic year, you can ask for an extension. If not, you need a new application.
More about how OSAP works during Waterloo co-op
Waterloo's current first-year fee page lists an $836 co-op fee per academic term in which the fee is charged. Students do not pay regular tuition during co-op work terms, but the number of co-op-fee charges varies by program. Compare the full sequence—not just first-year tuition—using the Ontario co-op planning guide.
Waterloo scholarships for international students
Waterloo currently guarantees a $10,000 International Student Entrance Scholarship. It goes to eligible international fee-paying students who enter most full-time first-year programs in September 2026. No application is required. The amount is applied as $5,000 toward each of the first two term bills. It goes in late July for the first term and late November for the second. It can be combined with other eligible Waterloo entrance awards.
More about Waterloo scholarships for international students
Waterloo has not yet confirmed that this same universal award and value will apply to September 2027 entrants. The current page also lists exclusions. These include transfer students with transfer credit and several professional programs. Fall 2027 applicants should verify the international scholarship page and applicant-portal award. Do this before relying on the $10,000 in a financing plan.
Official Waterloo sources
- First-year tuition and co-op fees
- Living-cost estimates and cost calculator
- Entrance scholarships by faculty and program
- Ontario entrance bursary
- International student scholarships
- Waterloo OSAP guidance
- Co-op work term and OSAP
- Current-student bursary dates and eligibility
- 2026–2027 Waterloo OSAP dates
Reviewed August 13, 2026 · Verify Fall 2027 values and deadlines before making a financial commitment