Award opportunities

Awards are competitive and based on merit, in addition to other criteria. You also must meet the eligibility criteria at the time the award is paid.

You must apply for awards

You are not automatically submitted. It is important to read the eligibility requirements and follow the application instructions for each award you are considering.

Learn more about eligibility

You do not need to be accepted into your program

You are encouraged to apply for awards when you have submitted your admissions application and received your University of Calgary student number (UCID). You are not required to meet the eligibility requirements in the terms of reference of an award when you apply, but if successful, you must meet the eligibility requirements at the time the award is paid.

Some awards are restricted by citizenship

International students are eligible for many awards. See the list of awards open to international students under Award Opportunities. You can also search the Awards Database and select International in the Citizenship category.

Awards Database

Government awards

Federal awards are often considered the most prestigious, requiring a very high standard of scholastic achievement and leadership. The Tri-Council and Vanier scholarships are managed through the university.
Provincial awards are funded by the Government of Alberta to support study in Alberta and are also very competitive. Some provincial awards are administered through the University of Calgary while others are managed by the Government of Alberta.

University awards

These are funded and administered through the University of Calgary and encompass a wide variety of awards with a broad range of eligibility requirements and values.

External awards

External awards are funded through outside agencies. Students will have to refer to the donor website for the most current information.

Indigenous Awards

Indigenous awards are part of an initiative to increase access and participation of aboriginal students in post-secondary learning. These awards are open to full-time students and who are Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Entrance Awards

The Faculty of Graduate Studies encourages graduate students to study at the University of Calgary by offering entrance and recruitment awards to exceptional students.

These awards are only open to new students. To be eligible, you cannot have started your doctoral program prior to the November 1 launch of this competition.

Other award opportunities

In addition to funding administered through the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) provides a number of funding opportunities for graduate students.

For questions about GSA funding opportunities, contact the GSA at awards.gsa@ucalgary.ca.