University of Toronto St George campus quad in autumn with stone academic buildings.

Canada Applications open Closes 1 February 2027

McMaster International Excellence Award

The McMaster International Excellence Award is McMaster University's entrance scholarship for high-achieving international undergraduates — a one-time entrance award of up to CAD 7,500 (approximately LKR 1.8M) credited toward first-year tuition. Awards are tiered by admission average: typically CAD 2,500 for 85-89%, CAD 5,000 for 90-94%, and CAD 7,500 for 95%+. All admitted international students with a 85%+ admission average are automatically considered — no separate application. McMaster is one of Canada's leading research universities, particularly strong in health sciences, engineering, business, and the arts. Sri Lankan applicants with strong A/L results in three relevant subjects are the typical profile.

Fall 2027 entry: applications close 1 February 2027 (OUAC 105); awards confirmed by mid-April

McMaster University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

CAD 2,500 - CAD 7,500 (One-Time)

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Duration

First Year Only

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Application

Automatic at Admission

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

McMaster University — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

Up to CAD 7,500 (Entrance Award). This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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First-Year Undergraduate

Open to first-year undergraduate applicants entering McMaster in Fall 2027. Transfer students from other universities are not eligible (they apply through separate transfer awards).

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90%+ Admission Average

Top award tier (CAD 7,500) requires a 90%+ admission average. For Sri Lankan A/L students, this typically means 3 As (which McMaster converts to ~93-95% on its international scale). Lower tiers from 85-89%.

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International Fee Status

Open only to international students requiring a Canadian Study Permit. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons apply via separate McMaster domestic awards.

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Apply by 1 February

To be considered, your full McMaster application must be submitted via the OUAC 105 (Ontario Universities Application Centre) by 1 February 2027. Applications after this date are still considered for admission but may miss scholarship eligibility.

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Apply via OUAC 105 by 1 February

Submit your application to McMaster via the OUAC 105 (the centralised application for Ontario universities). The application fee is CAD 156. There is no separate scholarship application required.

Forward transcripts directly

Have your school send official A/L statement of results, predicted grades (if final results aren't out), and IELTS/TOEFL scores directly to McMaster's International Admissions office by 1 March.

Automatic award consideration

McMaster's admissions team automatically reviews applications for the International Excellence Award based on admission average. There is no interview or additional documentation required.

Offer letter includes award

Successful applicants receive their McMaster admission letter, which specifies the entrance award amount if applicable. Awards are credited to first-year tuition. Accept the offer and arrange your Canadian Study Permit at the High Commission Colombo.

Why McMaster?

McMaster is a U15 research-intensive Canadian university located in Hamilton, Ontario — approximately 1 hour from Toronto. It is consistently ranked top 5 in Canada and top 100 globally, with particularly strong reputations in health sciences (the medical school is world-renowned), engineering, and the DeGroote School of Business. McMaster has a sizable Sri Lankan international student community.

#176

QS World Ranking 2026

Top 5

in Canada

U15

Research University Member

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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