University of Winnipeg Scholarships for International Students: What Is Actually Available

The University of Winnipeg funds international students through a small set of named awards rather than one big “international scholarship”. Most are partial — they reduce tuition, they do not eliminate it — and the ones worth chasing are attached to admission rather than applied for separately. This guide explains which awards actually exist, who they are for, and how to avoid the two mistakes that cost most applicants their shot.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Award values and deadlines change every cycle, so we link you to the University of Winnipeg’s own pages rather than quoting figures that go stale.

The Short Answer

There is no single “University of Winnipeg international scholarship”. There are several streams, and which one applies to you depends entirely on whether you are entering an undergraduate programme, a graduate programme, or the Collegiate (high school) stream. The flagship name you will see repeated across blogs is the President’s Scholarship for World Leaders, which exists in more than one form — there is an entrance version for new undergraduates and a separate graduate version. They are not the same award, and applying for the wrong one is the most common wasted application.

Awards to Look At

• President’s Scholarship for World Leaders — the university’s headline award for international students, with separate undergraduate entrance and graduate streams.
• Entrance awards — automatically considered for most new undergraduates on the basis of admission average, with no separate application in many cases.
• University of Winnipeg Graduate Studies Scholarship (UWGSS) — internal graduate funding administered through the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
• President’s Distinguished Graduate Student Scholarship — a higher-value graduate award, nominated rather than openly applied for in most departments.
• Departmental assistantships — teaching and research work that, in practice, often outweighs the scholarship in total value over a two-year master’s.

Values and closing dates for every one of these are published on the University of Winnipeg’s awards and graduate studies pages and are revised each intake. Read the figure on the university’s page, not the figure in a listing post — including this one.

What These Awards Will NOT Do

They will not make Canada free. Almost everything on the list above is partial funding. International tuition at a Canadian university runs well into five figures a year, and a few thousand dollars off it is genuine help but not a full ride. If you need full funding, your realistic routes are a funded research master’s with an assistantship, or a national scheme such as the Vanier CGS at doctoral level — not an entrance scholarship.

They will not satisfy your study permit. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires proof of funds covering tuition plus living costs for your first year. A partial scholarship reduces the number you must prove; it does not replace the requirement. Budget for the proof-of-funds figure before you count the award.

They will not rescue a weak admission file. Every one of these awards is decided off the same academic record that decides admission. There is no separate scholarship competition that a borderline applicant can win their way into.

Who Is Competitive

• A strong admission average — the headline international awards sit in the 80%-and-above band or equivalent in your national grading system
• English proficiency met outright, not conditionally; a conditional language offer usually takes you out of award consideration
• Demonstrated leadership or community involvement that a referee can speak to specifically, for the World Leaders stream
• For graduate awards, a supervisor in the department who is willing to support your file

How to Apply, in Order

1. Identify your level first. Undergraduate entrance, graduate studies, and Collegiate each have a different awards page and a different office. Start on the right one.
2. Apply for admission early. Most award consideration is triggered by a complete admission file by a cut-off that falls well before the admission deadline itself. Late admission is the single most common reason a qualified applicant is never assessed.
3. Check whether a separate form exists. Some awards are automatic on admission; others need their own application. Do not assume either way.
4. For graduate applicants, contact a potential supervisor before applying. Internal graduate funding decisions run through departments, and a supportive supervisor changes the outcome more than the personal statement does.
5. Prepare referees properly. Give each referee your CV, the award name, and two or three concrete things you would like them to mention. Vague references sink leadership awards.
6. Confirm receipt. Email the relevant awards office to confirm your file is complete, and keep the reply.

Why Winnipeg Is Worth Considering Anyway

Even with only partial funding, Winnipeg is one of the more affordable Canadian cities for international students. Rent is materially lower than in Toronto or Vancouver, which changes the arithmetic more than a mid-sized scholarship does. Manitoba also runs its own provincial nominee stream, and graduates with local work experience have a route to permanent residence that does not depend on winning the federal Express Entry lottery. For students weighing total cost and post-study options rather than the headline award value, that combination often matters more than the scholarship itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the President’s Scholarship for World Leaders fully funded?

No. It is a substantial but partial award applied against tuition. You will still need to fund the remaining tuition and your living costs, and you must show proof of funds for your study permit regardless of the award.

What is the deadline?

It changes every cycle and differs between the undergraduate and graduate streams. Check the deadline on the University of Winnipeg awards page for your level, and work backwards from the admission cut-off rather than the scholarship one.

Do I need to apply for admission first?

Yes, in nearly every case. Award consideration is triggered by a complete admission application. Submitting a scholarship form without an admission file achieves nothing.

Can I get a full scholarship for a master’s at Winnipeg?

Rarely from a single award. The realistic route to something close to full funding is an internal graduate scholarship combined with a teaching or research assistantship arranged through your department and supervisor.

Is there an application fee for the scholarship?

No. There is an admission application fee paid to the university, but no fee for scholarship consideration. Anyone charging you for access to a University of Winnipeg award, or offering to “secure” one, is running a scam.

Your Next Step

Open the University of Winnipeg awards page for your study level, write down the current award value and the admission cut-off date, and build your timeline from the admission deadline backwards. Then look at whether a funded assistantship is available in your department — for most international graduate students, that is the part of the package that actually closes the gap.

Comparing routes? See our guides to Chevening for the UK, DAAD EPOS for Germany and Erasmus Mundus for Europe — all three are fully funded, which Canadian entrance awards generally are not.

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