Entrance scholarships

Entrance scholarships are available if you're starting full-time first-year degree studies and, in September 2020, are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time.

Scholarships and bursaries are awarded starting in early May once we receive updated grades from Ontario high schools.

Most scholarships do not require an application, but there are some exceptions. Below is a summary of entrance scholarships available to first-year students. Some are open to students in any program, while others are faculty/program specific. Visit our awards website to search the full list of entrance scholarships, awards, and bursaries.

Available to students in any program (no application required)

These scholarships are available to students in all programs. Once you’ve applied for admission, we’ll automatically consider you for these awards.

If you’ve been admitted to the Faculty of Arts and choose Renison University College or St. Jerome’s University as your academic home (by co-registering), any scholarships will be awarded by Renison or St. Jerome’s.

	Value	Criteria
President’s Scholarship of Distinction	$2,000 Entrance Scholarship; $1,500 International Experience Award* or; $1,500 Research Award*, or both	Early May admission average of 95%+ Available to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at Waterloo and who are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time in September. Visit the President's Scholarship web page for full details. *Note: The International Experience Award and/or Research Award are available in your upper years if you choose to claim them and if you complete your first year with at least an 80% average.
President’s Scholarship	$2,000 Entrance Scholarship	Early May admission average of 90% to 94.9% Available to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at Waterloo and who are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time in September. Visit the President's Scholarship web page for full details.
Merit Scholarship	$1,000 Entrance Scholarship	Early May admission average of 85% to 89.9% Available to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at Waterloo and who are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time in September. Visit the President's Scholarship web page for full details.
Entrance scholarships sponsored by alumni and donors	Several at $1,000 - $5,000	Academic performance
International Student Entrance Scholarships	Several at $10,000 each	Available to international students admitted to first year of a full-time undergraduate degree program Academic performance (minimum 90% admission average) Admission Information Form Mathematics and Computer Science applicants only: Results of Euclid Mathematics Contest and/or Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest Accounting and Financial Management applicants only: Results of the Accounting and Financial Management Admissions Assignment

Scholarships which require an application

	Value	Criteria
Schulich Leader Scholarship	Up to five scholarships of $80,000 over eight academic terms for science, technology, or math programs. Up to five scholarships of $100,000 over eight academic terms for engineering programs.	Awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates enrolling in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) program. Based on academic excellence and leadership in community, entrepreneurial, or business endeavours. Financial need may also be considered. Must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident. To be considered, students must be nominated by their high school or Cégep. The high school nomination deadline is January 29, 2020. Visit the Schulich Leader Scholarship website for additional details.
Entrance scholarships sponsored by alumni or other donors	Several at $1,000 – $5,000	Based on academic performance as well as specific criteria: Deer Ridge Entrance Award (students from Waterloo Region, financial need, community involvement) Hong Kong Alumni Association Entrance Award (students from or previously from Hong Kong, community involvement) Serbian Education Fund Entrance Award (cultural contributions to Serbian community) UW – China Hong Kong Entrance Scholarship (students from or previously from China or Hong Kong, community involvement)

Value

Criteria

Schulich Leader Scholarship

Up to five scholarships of $80,000 over eight academic terms for science, technology, or math programs.

Up to five scholarships of $100,000 over eight academic terms for engineering programs.

Awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates enrolling in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) program.

Based on academic excellence and leadership in community, entrepreneurial, or business endeavours. Financial need may also be considered.

Must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.

To be considered, students must be nominated by their high school or Cégep. The high school nomination deadline is January 29, 2020.

Visit the Schulich Leader Scholarship website for additional details.

Entrance scholarships sponsored by alumni or other donors

Several at $1,000 – $5,000

Based on academic performance as well as specific criteria:

Deer Ridge Entrance Award (students from Waterloo Region, financial need, community involvement)

Hong Kong Alumni Association Entrance Award (students from or previously from Hong Kong, community involvement)

Serbian Education Fund Entrance Award (cultural contributions to Serbian community)

UW – China Hong Kong Entrance Scholarship (students from or previously from China or Hong Kong, community involvement)

Did you know? If you're in a co-op program, you can earn $42,000 to $90,000 to help pay for your education.

Additional scholarships awarded by faculty/program

Not sure which faculty offers your program of interest? View programs listed by faculty.

If you receive an offer of admission, you'll be considered for the following scholarships along with those listed in the available to any student section above. An application is not required for most of these scholarships.

Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

Programs: Health Studies, Kinesiology, Public Health, Recreation and Leisure Studies (including Recreation and Sport Business, Therapeutic Recreation, and Tourism Development)

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences entrance scholarship	All AHS programs	$500 for one year	Early May admission average of 80 to 84.9%. Students with averages of 85% or above will receive a President's Scholarship or Merit Scholarship. Open to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at Waterloo who are beginning post-secondary studies for the first time in September. An application is not required.
Other entrance scholarships	All AHS programs	Several ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 for one year	Academic performance Community leadership and good citizenship as indicated on the Admission Information Form. An application is not required.

Faculty of Arts

Programs: Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business, Global Business and Digital Arts

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Various entrance scholarships	Honours Arts Honours Arts and Business Global Business and Digital Arts	Four at $10,000 over eight academic terms One at $5,000 over eight academic terms One at $3,000 over four academic terms Several ranging between $1,000 and $3,000	Academic performance An application is not required

Eligible programs

Value

Criteria

Various entrance scholarships

Honours Arts

Honours Arts and Business

Global Business and Digital Arts

Four at $10,000 over eight academic terms

One at $5,000 over eight academic terms

One at $3,000 over four academic terms

Several ranging between $1,000 and $3,000

Academic performance

An application is not required

Accounting and Financial Management

	Value	Criteria
Various entrance scholarships	One at approximately $57,000 over eight academic terms Several ranging between $1,000 - $7,500	Academic performance Admission Information Form AFM Admissions Assessment An application is not required.
School of Accounting and Finance Fellowships	Several at $9,000 over eight academic terms	AFM Admissions Assessment An application is not required Visit the Accounting and Financial Management website for details.
Karen Cheng Memorial Entrance Scholarship	One at $3,000	Academic performance Community involvement Students from or previously from Hong Kong An application is required by April 15

Value

Criteria

Various entrance scholarships

One at approximately $57,000 over eight academic terms

Several ranging between $1,000 - $7,500

Academic performance

Admission Information Form

AFM Admissions Assessment

An application is not required.

School of Accounting and Finance Fellowships

Several at $9,000 over eight academic terms

AFM Admissions Assessment

An application is not required

Visit the Accounting and Financial Management website for details.

Karen Cheng Memorial Entrance Scholarship

One at $3,000

Academic performance

Community involvement
Students from or previously from Hong Kong

An application is required by April 15

Faculty of Engineering

Programs: all Engineering programs, Software Engineering, and Architecture

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Various entrance scholarships	Architecture	Several at $1,000 - $2,500	Academic performance, interview, portfolio review An application is not required.
Various entrance scholarships	All Engineering programs	One at $8,000 Several at $10,000 over eight academic terms Several at $1,000 to $5,000 for one year	Academic performance Admission Information Form An application is not required.
Entrance scholarships for international students	All Engineering programs	Several at $10,000 for one year	International students admitted to full-time, first-year studies in Architecture, Engineering, and Software Engineering who are studying on an international study permit. An application is not required.
Other entrance scholarships	All Engineering programs	One at $18,250	Academic performance Admission Information Form Demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship An application is not required.
Various entrance scholarships	Software Engineering	One at $15,000 over eight academic terms Several at $4,000 for one year	Academic performance Admission Information Form An application is not required.

Faculty of Environment

Programs: Environment and Business; Environment, Resources and Sustainability; Geography and Aviation, Geography and Environmental Management; Geomatics; International Development; Knowledge Integration; Planning

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Dean of Environment’s Scholarship for Excellence	All programs	Several at $7,500 for one year	Academic performance (minimum 85% admission average) Demonstrated interest and/or passion for environmental issues. An application is required by early April.
Faculty of Environment Entrance Scholarships	All programs	$2,000 for one year plus President’s Scholarship of Distinction valued at $2,000	Early May admission average of 95.0% or above An application is not required.
Faculty of Environment Entrance Scholarships	All programs	$1,000 for one year plus President’s Scholarship valued at $2,000	Early May admission average of 90.0% to 94.9% An application is not required.
Faculty of Environment Student Engagement Award	All programs	Up to 25 valued at $2,000 for one year	Academic performance (minimum 85% admission average) Demonstrated interest in sustainability-related activities in your community. An application is required by early April.
Other entrance scholarships	All programs	Several from $500 to $3,000	Academic performance Admission Information Form
St. Paul’s International Development Continuing Scholarship	International Development	Four awards of $10,000 over eight academic terms	Academic performance Application form Admission Information Form

Faculty of Mathematics

Programs: Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo), Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo), Computer Science, Mathematics, Mathematics/Business Administration, Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy, Mathematics/Financial Analysis and Risk Management

In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak, participation in the Euclid Mathematics Contest will NOT be a mandatory part of a scholarship or admission decisions for fall 2020. You will not be penalised in any way for not participating in the Euclid this year.

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Various entrance scholarships	All Math programs (excluding Software Engineering)	Several at $15,000 over eight academic terms Several at $8,000 over eight academic terms Several at $1,000 to $5,000 for one year	Academic performance Admission Information Form Performance in the Euclid Mathematics Contest and/or the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest An application is not required
National and Global Scholarships	All Math programs (excluding Computing and Financial Management and Software Engineering)	Up to 30 awards at $10,000 to $25,000 over eight academic terms	Distinguished academic performance Distinguished results from Mathematics or Computer Science competitions from previous years Participation in mathematics or computer science beyond standard course requirements, including mathematics or computer science clubs, enriched mathematics studies, employment or volunteer experience, or hobbies An application is required by February
Mathematics Olympiad Scholarship	All Math programs (excluding Software Engineering, Computing and Financial Management, Math and Business Administration - Double Degree or ELAS: English Language for Academic Studies)	Up to four scholarships covering full costs over eight academic terms	Recipient of a medal in the IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics) or IMO (International Mathematics Olympiad) contest before their final year of high school Academic performance An application is required by February 3
CIBC National Scholarship	Computer Science Co-op, Mathematics/ Business Administration	$25,000 over eight academic terms	Same criteria as for National and Global Scholarships Must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada An application is required by February

Note: For more information visit the Mathematics Scholarships website.

Faculty of Science

Programs: Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy, Biotechnology/Economics, Environmental Science, Honours Science, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Science and Aviation, Science and Business

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Various entrance scholarships	All programs	Several at $1,000 - $5,000 for one year	Academic performance An application is not required.
Various entrance scholarships – Physics	Science program leading to a Physics major	Several at up to $5,000 for one year	Academic performance Results from the Sir Isaac Newton Physics Exam An application is not required.
View details of the entrance scholarships offered by the Faculty of Science.
Optometry, Pharmacy	Entrance scholarships are not available.

Computing and Financial Management

	Value	Criteria
Computing and Financial Management entrance scholarships	Several at $3,000 - $4,000 for one year	Academic performance Admission Information Form An application is not required.

Value

Criteria

Computing and Financial Management entrance scholarships

Several at $3,000 - $4,000 for one year

Academic performance

Admission Information Form

An application is not required.

Conrad Grebel University College

	Program	Value	Criteria
Vic and Rita Krueger Family PACS Award	Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS)	Two awards of approximately $1,000	An application is required. Contact PACS advisor Rachel Reist for details.
Entrance awards for first-year residents	First-year students living in residence at Grebel	Various at $500 to $1,000	First-year students living in residence at Grebel. Details on the Conrad Grebel University College website. An application is not required.

Additional scholarships for students living at Grebel (worth more than $6,000) are also available.

Renison University College

If you receive an offer of admission to Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business, or Social Development Studies, you can choose Renison University College as your academic home base.

	Value	Criteria
President’s Scholarship for Excellence	$2,000	The top two students achieving 90%+ will receive an additional $2,000.
President’s Scholarship	$2,000	Students with an admission average of 90.0% or higher.
Entrance scholarships	$1,500	Admission average of 87%-89.9%.
	$1,000	Admission average of 82%-86.9%
	$500	Admission average of 80%-81.9%

An application is not required for these scholarships. For more information, visit the Renison University College scholarships website.

St. Jerome's University

If you receive an offer of admission to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, you can choose St. Jerome's University as your academic home base.

	Eligible programs	Value	Criteria
Board of Governor's Scholarship	Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business	$3,000 in first year $2,000 available in upper years	Academic performance An application is not required.
President's Scholarship of Distinction	Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business	$2,000 Entrance Scholarship; $1,500 International Experience Award and/or; $1,500 Research Award	Open to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at St. Jerome’s University, who are beginning in fall 2019 post-secondary studies for the first time. Early May admission average of 95%+ This scholarship President's Scholarship web page for complete eligibility details An application is not required.
President's Scholarship	Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business	$2,000	Open to students admitted to full-time first-year degree studies at St. Jerome’s University, who are beginning in fall 2019 post-secondary studies for the first time. Early May admission average of 90%+
Entrance scholarships	Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business	$1,000	For students with averages between 85% and 89.9%. An application is not required.
Founder's Scholarship	Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business	$1,000	One student each from selected Catholic schools in Brantford, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, and North Bay. This may be awarded in addition to a St. Jerome's entrance scholarship. Academic performance An application is not required.
Application-based awards	All	$1,000 - $2,500	Awarded to one or more students who demonstrate academic achievement and/or financial need and who are co-registered at St. Jerome's University (SJU), living in the SJU residence, or have another connection to the SJU community.