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

Canada Applications open Closes 26 January 2027

Schulich Leader Scholarships

Founded in 2012 by Canadian philanthropist Seymour Schulich with a CAD 150 million endowment, the Schulich Leader Scholarships are now Canada's most coveted undergraduate STEM awards. Each year 100 scholarships are awarded: 50 at CAD 100,000 for engineering students and 50 at CAD 80,000 for science, technology, or maths students. The award is distributed across 20 partner Canadian universities (Toronto, UBC, McGill, Waterloo, McMaster, Western, Queen's, etc.). Sri Lankan applicants are eligible at universities that accept international nominations — but candidates MUST be nominated by their school, not self-apply. Schools worldwide are issued 1-3 nominations per year via the Schulich portal.

2027 entry: school nominations close 26 January 2027; university applications align with each school's UG admission deadlines

Schulich Foundation

External Organization-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

CAD 80,000 - CAD 100,000 (4 yrs)

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Focus

STEM Undergraduate Only

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Awards

100 per Year (50 Eng + 50 STEM)

info How this award actually works

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This is a separate, highly competitive application

Awards from external organisations like this one run their own selection round against applicants from across the world, and success rates are usually in the low single digits. Lanka Scholar does not administer it and cannot submit it for you. Treat it as a bonus on top of a funded study plan — never as the plan itself.

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Who awards it

Schulich Foundation — 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 a separate application round run by the funder, with its own forms, deadlines and shortlisting. You submit it yourself — it is not part of a university admission application.

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What it covers

CAD 100,000 (Engineering) or CAD 80,000 (STEM). Read the terms carefully: even fully-funded awards rarely cover every cost, and any shortfall is yours to fund.

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Where we come in

We help you judge whether this award is worth your time, and build a realistic admission plan that works whether or not you win it.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Entering STEM Undergraduate Programme

You must be applying to an undergraduate STEM programme (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) at one of the 20 Schulich Leader partner universities in Canada. Business, arts, and non-STEM undergraduates are not eligible.

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School Nomination Required

You cannot self-apply. Your high school must nominate you via the Schulich Leaders portal. Each high school globally is allocated 1-3 nominations per year. Sri Lankan applicants should ask their school's careers/counselling office to register on the Schulich portal.

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Top Academic + Leadership Profile

Schulich Leaders are typically top 1-2% of their school cohort academically AND demonstrate substantial leadership — student council president, captain of major sports teams, founder of community initiatives, top-ranked Olympiad performance, or social entrepreneurship.

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International Eligibility Varies

Not all 20 Schulich partner universities accept international Schulich Leaders. The University of Toronto, McGill, Waterloo, UBC, and McMaster are among the universities that DO accept international Schulich Leaders. Check each university's policy before applying.

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Request your school's nomination

Approach your high school's principal or careers counsellor in October-November 2026. They must register on the Schulich Leaders portal (schulichleaders.com) to nominate you. Each school worldwide nominates 1-3 candidates.

School submits nomination by 26 January

Your school completes your nomination on the Schulich portal — academic record, leadership evidence, and supporting documentation. Nominees are then visible to the partner universities.

Apply to Schulich partner universities

Independently apply to one or more Schulich partner universities for your STEM programme by their UG admission deadlines (typically January for Toronto/McGill; rolling for many others). Indicate Schulich Leader nomination status.

University-led selection

Each Schulich partner university selects its Schulich Leaders from the nominated applicants admitted to its STEM programmes. Final selections are made by April-May. The award is disbursed over four years against tuition and living expenses.

Why Schulich Leader?

Schulich Leader is Canada's most prestigious undergraduate STEM scholarship — explicitly designed to keep top STEM talent in Canada. The partner-university network covers all of Canada's top engineering and science schools, giving recipients flexibility in choice of institution. Alumni include early-stage founders of Canadian unicorns, NSERC Postgrad scholars, and clinical researchers across Canada and the US.

100

Scholarships per Year

20

Canadian Partner Universities

CAD 150M

Endowment Value

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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