Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program- Eligibility, Application, Selection

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program

The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program is offered by the University of Toronto to its international students in recognition of their academic performance, achievements, and creativity. The scholarship is awarded to incoming undergraduate students of the University of Toronto.

  • Every year, the university selects 37 Lester B. Pearson International Scholars.
  • Recipients will be notified regarding the award by the end of April 2023.
  • Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program is applicable for all the UToronto UG programs.
  • Applications must be made by the schools only. Each school can nominate only one student per year.
  • Selections are majorly based on the academic scores, references, and SOP submitted by the applicants.
  • Preference will be given to the applicants who show leadership qualities at their school.

For international students, Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program is one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships awarded by the U of T. It will cover the cost of attendance and cost of living in Canada including other expenses like books, incidental fees, and others.


Highlights

Scholarship TypeCollege-Specific, Merit-Based
Offered byInstitution
OrganizationUniversity of Toronto
Application Deadline Jan 16 ,2023
Number of Scholarships37
AmountVariable Amount
RenewabilityNo
International Student EligibleYes
Scholarship Website Linkhttps://future.utoronto.ca/pearson/about/

Eligibility Criteria

Only students who are freshmen and applying to UG programs at the university will be eligible for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program. Along with this, applicants must fulfill certain eligibility criteria listed below:

  • An international student (i.e. a non-Canadian) with a Canadian student visa.
  • Display a certain level of originality of thoughts and creativity in school and community
  • Academic achievements and participation in creative pursuits
  • Display enthusiasm towards learning and acquisition of new skills
  • Demonstration of leadership qualities
  • In the final year of higher secondary school at the time of application OR
    • Graduated not before June 2022
  • Intend to begin the chosen UG program at the university in September 2023

Students NOT Eligible for Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program:

  • Studying post-secondary education in Canada.
  • Commencing post-secondary education, in January 2023, at another university in Canada.

Note: If a student is already attending post-secondary studies or will be starting their studies in January prior to the start of studies at U of T in another post-secondary institution, then they cannot be considered for the scholarship.


Application Process

Students, who meet the eligibility criteria, have to complete the application process for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program. Prospective candidates must follow the below-mentioned steps to apply for the scholarship provided by the University of Toronto:

  1. Nomination: Get nominated by your school for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program at the U of T.
    • Some schools are not verified by the university, so they must submit an application for participating in the scholarship program.
  2. Admission Application Form: Submit an application for admission at UToronto to begin studying in the year 2023.
    • Only applications completed before the deadline will be considered.
  3. Completion of Scholarship Application: After submitting the application for admission at the U of T and receiving a nomination from the scholarship, you must complete your Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program application.

Documents Required

Scholarship Deadlines

The important deadlines by which each step of the application process must be complete have been mentioned in the table below:

Particulars Deadline
School nomination November 30, 2022
Submission of admission application December 14, 2022
Submission of scholarship application January 16, 2023

Note: The above-mentioned date is the final date to submit an application to the OUAC; however, it is recommended that students apply for admission through the OUAC before November 7, 2022, as spaces in programs fill-up quickly and popular programs may close early.


Selection Process

Approximately 37 incoming students of the UToronto UG program are awarded under Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program. Recipients are majorly selected based on the:

  • Scholarship application
  • High school nomination
  • Fulfillment of eligibility criteria

Any scholarships awarded will be valid and acceptable only at the University of Toronto.

Note: If students apply for more than one program and get admission to all of them then, the scholarship will be applicable only for the first choice of program and not the subsequent ones.


Grant Details

Students who have applied for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program can expect to get a reply regarding the University’s decision by the end of April 2023. The grant details of the scholarship have been presented in a tabular form below:

Study-Level Undergraduate
Eligible Candidates International students across the world
Number of Scholarships 37
Study-Length 4 years
Scholarship Award Tuition fees
Award Distributed Annually

This scholarship is awarded in the name of the father of modern peacekeeping i.e. Lester B. Pearson. He was one of the greatest prime ministers of Canada and only Canadian to win a Nobel Prize for peace.

The scholarship targets to reduce the financial pressure of students who have leadership qualities and can contribute in various fields of development. The University of Toronto can be one of the best options for students to study in Canada as it is one of the best Canadian universities for higher studies

For any further information kindly contact the university at pearson.scholarship@utoronto.ca

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