What Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award – UBC actually covers.
The Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award is one of the University of British Columbia's most prestigious and generous scholarships for international undergraduate students. It recognises students who combine stellar academic performance with demonstrated leadership that uplifts and empowers communities through empathy, collaboration, and active listening — qualities increasingly valued in today's globally connected world. The award covers the full cost of a student's degree program at UBC's Vancouver campus, including tuition and mandatory fees, as well as living expenses, and is renewable for up to three additional years provided recipients maintain strong academic standing. For African students aspiring to study in Canada's top-ranked research university, this award removes the financial barrier entirely. Applicants must be entering UBC from a recognised secondary school or transferring from first-year post-secondary study, applying for their first undergraduate degree. A critical eligibility requirement is demonstrated financial need — the scholarship is designed specifically to bring talented students to UBC who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Nominations must come through the applicant's school or a non-profit organisation, alongside a reference from an academic referee. UBC's International Scholars Program, under which this award falls, has a long tradition of bringing exceptional students from every corner of the world to contribute to campus life, research, and the wider community. African students are warmly encouraged to approach their school counsellors early to initiate the nomination process.
Who can apply.
Open to undergraduate applicants seeking to study in Canada. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
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Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
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Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set — transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
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Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before January 15, 2027 · 187 days left.
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Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device — they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award – UBC has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.