A panel of researchers in conversation at a Canadian university roundtable event.

Canada September 2026 intake: entrance scholarships are tied to the admission average — apply early; some top awards have separate deadlines (often around February); check carleton.ca

Carleton Prestige Scholarship

Carleton University is a well-regarded public research university in Canada's capital, Ottawa, strong in engineering, journalism, public affairs, computer science, and international relations. Its Prestige and entrance scholarships reward high-achieving incoming first-year students — including international applicants — and are typically awarded automatically based on admission average, with renewable awards that can total roughly CAD 4,000–16,000 across a degree depending on the entering grade band (the top renewable awards are larger and very selective). They contribute toward tuition rather than covering it fully. For Sri Lankan school-leavers, Carleton is an accessible, reputable route into Canada with strong co-op and capital-city placement options: competitive applicants present good-to-strong A/L results (commonly A/B grades) above the program's entry average, or an equivalent IB/Cambridge profile. Confirm the exact grade bands, award amounts, and any deadline on the Carleton admissions and awards pages, as figures are set each year.

Carleton University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

~CAD 4,000–16,000 total (renewable, by grade band)

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Stage

First-year undergraduate entry

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Basis

Merit — largely automatic on admission average

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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International First-Year Applicant

Open to international students entering their first undergraduate year at Carleton. Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. Awards are merit-based and tiered by entering average.

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Strong Admission Average

Award value scales with your admission average. Competitive Sri Lankan applicants present good-to-strong A/L results (commonly A/B grades) above the program's entry score, or an equivalent IB/Cambridge profile. Higher averages move you into a larger renewable band.

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Admission to a Carleton Program

You must apply for and be admitted to an eligible Carleton undergraduate program. Standard entrance scholarships are usually automatic; some named/top awards require a separate application.

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English Proficiency

Typically IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0) or TOEFL iBT 86+, depending on program. Sri Lankan applicants from English-medium schooling may qualify for an exemption via prior English-medium study — confirm with Carleton admissions.

account_tree Application Process

Apply for admission to Carleton

Submit your undergraduate application via the Carleton/Ontario application route with transcripts, A/L results, and English evidence. Apply early — entrance scholarships favour timely, complete applications.

Automatic scholarship assessment

Carleton assesses standard entrance scholarships automatically from your admission average — no separate form for most. Top renewable/named awards may require a separate application by an early deadline.

Receive offer with scholarship terms

Your admission package states any entrance scholarship, its renewal conditions (a minimum CGPA each year), and net costs. Review these for your study-permit funding plan.

Accept and apply for the Canadian study permit

Accept your place and scholarship, obtain the provincial attestation/acceptance documents, then apply for the Canadian study permit, showing tuition, scholarship, and living-cost funds. Start early.

Why Carleton University?

Carleton is a respected public research university in Ottawa, with standout programs in journalism, public affairs, engineering, and computer science, and strong co-op placements with government and tech employers in the capital. Ottawa is a safe, bilingual, comparatively affordable student city.