University of Waterloo is a public research university based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1959 and is now one of the most significant higher education institutions in the entire country. The main campus is located in Uptown Waterloo, very close to Toronto. The university consists of six faculties, which contain a total of 13 schools.
The Waterloo’s main campus is in Ontario, covering around 1000 acres of land. It also operates three satellite campuses in Canada and four affiliated university colleges including Conrad Grebel University College, Renison University College, St. Jerome’s University, and St. Paul’s University College.
The university was originally founded as a school of engineering, to meet the growing demand for engineers and technicians in Canada after World War 2. Over the years, it grew dramatically and is now home to over 40,000 students from all over the world.
International Students Tuition Fee
Tuition fees for undergraduate studies range from $32,000 to $48,000 per year, depending on the faculty you’re applying for. Graduate/master’s studies cost around $6,000 per term.
You can find the exact tuition fee for each program here: undergraduate and graduate.
Admission Guide for International Students at the University of Waterloo
The admission process for all universities in Ontario is the same. To start the process, you need to create an Ontario Universities Account Center (OUAC) account online. You will then be guided through the process. At the end of your application, you will need to provide all of your documentation and wait for it to be reviewed by university staff. This can take a few weeks, after which you will be contacted by e-mail for any additional steps you may need to take. For more information, CLICK HERE
International Scholarships at the University of Waterloo
Undergraduate Scholarships
International Student Entrance Scholarship
- Scholarship Amount: $8,000
This University of Waterloo scholarship is awarded to 20 outstanding international students heading into their first year of studies at the University of Waterloo. Only students with an admission rate of over 90% are considered for this scholarship and will receive an $8,000 reduction in their tuition fees in the first year.
No application is required for this University of Waterloo scholarship, with the exception of mathematics, where the students with the best Euclid Math Contest results will be given an advantage in the selection process.
International first-year students with an admission rate better than 85%, also automatically qualify for one of the president’s scholarships. The only other requirement is that the student is attending a first-year degree for the first time. Depending on the admission rate percentage, students will get from $1000 to a $1,600 reduction in tuition fees by getting this scholarship at the University of Waterloo.
President’s Scholarship of Distinction
- Worth of scholarship: $2,000 Entrance Scholarship
- Early May admission average of 95%+
- Available to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at Waterloo and who are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time in September.
The International Experience Award and/or Research Award are available after the first year if you choose to claim them and if you complete your first year with at least an 80% average.
For more undergraduate scholarship, Click here
Graduate Scholarships
International Master’s (IMSA) and International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)
An IMSA or IDSA will be provided automatically to eligible international students registered full time in research-based graduate degree programs at the University of Waterloo. Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program, not have outstanding probationary admission requirements, and not be concurrently receiving tuition awards (e.g., PSI or Lazaridis Tuition Awards) or funding that exceeds the minimum Ph.D. funding value from any external awards, sponsorships, or self-funding.
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
The OGS program is funded by the provincial government to encourage excellence in graduate studies at the master’s and doctoral levels. It is a merit-based scholarship and awards are available to students in all disciplines of academic study. A small number of these awards are available to international students.
Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
The Trudeau Scholars Program grants up to fifteen new scholarships every year to outstanding doctoral candidates in the social sciences and humanities. The Foundation supports doctoral candidates pursuing research of compelling present-day concern, touching upon one or more of the four themes of the Foundation: human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada in the world, and people and their natural environment. Trudeau Scholars are actively engaged in their fields, in which they are expected to become leading national and international figures.
Trudeau Scholars are selected through a process that involves nomination by a university, an application supported by references and transcripts, internal and external review and selection panels, an interview, and the formal approval of the Board of Directors.