The scholarship program is intended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and creativity and who are recognized as leaders within their school. A special emphasis is placed on the impact the student has had on the life of their school and community, and their future potential to contribute positively to the global community.
Awarded annually, these scholarships recognize outstanding students from around the world, including international students studying at Canadian high schools.
This is U of T’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship for international students. The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarships will cover tuition, books, incidental fees, and full residence support for four years.
The scholarship is tenable only at the University of Toronto for first-entry, undergraduate programs. Each year approximately 37 students will be named Lester B. Pearson Scholars.
University of Toronto Information
Established in 1827, University of Toronto is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large city of Toronto (population range of 1,000,000-5,000,000 inhabitants), Ontario. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario, University of Toronto (UofT) is a very large (uniRank enrollment range: over-45,000 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of Toronto (UofT) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to apply for the scholarship, applicants must:
- an international student (i.e. a non-Canadian requiring a study permit);
- currently in your final year of secondary school or have graduated no earlier than June 2020
- beginning your studies at the University of Toronto in September 2021 (students already attending post-secondary studies cannot be considered; students starting their studies in January 2021 at another post-secondary institution cannot be considered)
Application Process
To apply, you will need to:
- Receive a nomination from your school (High schools not already contacted/verified are asked to submit an application to participate in our program, available here.)
- Apply to study at the University of Toronto to begin your studies in 2022 and complete your application for admission by the appropriate deadlines. Please be advised that you will be considered for the Pearson Scholarship for your first choice of program at U of T. You may apply for several programs and may receive admission to them all; however, the Pearson Scholarship, if awarded to you, would be restricted to your first choice of program at U of T at the time our scholarship decisions are made.
- Once we’ve received a nomination and you’ve applied to the university, you can complete the online Lester B. Pearson Scholarship application.