University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship 2026/2027 in Canada

If you’re an international student with your sights set on Canada and a track record of stepping up as a leader in your school, your community, or wherever you’ve chosen to put in the extra effort, the University of Winnipeg wants to know about you before you even set foot on campus.

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The President’s Scholarship for World Leaders is the university’s flagship award for exactly this kind of applicant, and it’s worth understanding properly because it isn’t a single annual snapshot with one closing date. Winnipeg actually runs two separate entry windows each year, one for students starting in the Fall and another for those starting in Winter, and where you land in that calendar changes everything about your timeline.

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The Fall 2026 round has already closed, but if you’re aiming for a Winter 2027 start, the door is still open, and this guide walks through everything you need to know to make the most of it, from what the university is genuinely looking for to exactly how to put your application together.

About the University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship

The University of Winnipeg traces its roots back to 1938, when it was founded as United College, and it has grown since then into a public research university known for something a lot of larger institutions struggle to offer: genuinely small class sizes paired with an unusually strong sense of community, sitting right in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It’s a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and it holds a reputation for turning out graduates who find work quickly; more than 95% of its alumni are employed within two years of finishing their degree. Academically, it distinguishes itself with programs you won’t find replicated everywhere, including a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and a Master’s in Development Practice with a specific focus on Indigenous Development, alongside a strong institutional commitment to Indigenous inclusion more broadly.

Students get access to facilities like the Richardson College for the Environment & Science Complex, where climate and environmental health research happens in earnest, and the Axworthy Health and RecPlex, which blends research space with sport and community life. The President’s Scholarship for World Leaders sits within this identity deliberately; it isn’t just rewarding grades; it’s specifically looking for students who’ve already shown they can lead, because that’s the kind of campus culture the university is trying to build.

The University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship for World Leaders supports international students who are beginning a full undergraduate or graduate program at the university. Applicants must have a minimum admission average of 80% or equivalent and must demonstrate exceptional leadership through extracurricular or volunteer activities. Students entering a Qualifying Year or Pre-Master’s program are not eligible for this scholarship.

University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship Summary

What This Scholarship Gets You

The most visible benefit is the money, but it’s worth understanding the full picture of what this award actually opens up:

• A one-time award of up to $5,000, applied toward your studies at the University of Winnipeg.
• Entry into a scholarship community that the university explicitly builds around leadership, meaning your fellow recipients tend to be similarly engaged, community-minded students a genuine networking upside beyond the funding itself.
• Access to leadership-focused extracurricular opportunities on campus designed to build on the very qualities that got you the scholarship in the first place.
• A closer connection to a university that actively invests in global citizenship and Indigenous inclusion, giving recipients a campus culture that extends well past the classroom.
• Because the award is granted alongside your admission process, it also gives you a head start on feeling embedded in the university community before classes even begin.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be an international student entering any University of Winnipeg division, Undergraduate, Graduate, Collegiate, PACE, or ELP for the very first time.
• You need the equivalent of an 80% Canadian grade average, based on the Grade 12 academic courses used for your admission (UWinnipeg’s credential evaluators handle the conversion for international grading systems).
• PACE applicants are instead assessed on their post-secondary transcripts.
• Graduate applicants must be entering their first graduate program at the university, not a Qualifying Year or Pre-Master’s program, which don’t qualify.
• Only graduate students starting in Fall or Winter are eligible; other graduate entry points fall outside this scholarship.
• You need to demonstrate genuine leadership through extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or community impact, not just academic achievement alone.
• Your admission application must be fully complete, including all fees paid and supporting documents received, by the scholarship deadline. An incomplete admission file means your scholarship application won’t be considered, regardless of how strong your scholarship documents are.
• This award cannot be held alongside the International Special Entrance Scholarship — you’ll need to weigh which one better fits your situation if you’d otherwise qualify for both.

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Required Documents

• A completed application form specifically for the President’s Scholarship for World Leaders.
• A personal statement, 250 to 500 words, laying out your leadership activities and where you want to take them next.
• A current CV or resume.
• Two reference letters from people who can speak directly to your extracurricular or volunteer leadership, not general academic references, but people who’ve actually seen you lead.
• If any of your documents are in a language other than English, they need to be translated before submission.

How to Apply for the Winter 2027 Intake

1. Start your admission application to the University of Winnipeg first; the scholarship application only becomes valid once you’re actively applying for admission, and you’ll be issued a UWinnipeg student number in the process.
2. Prepare your scholarship package in parallel: your personal statement, CV, and two leadership-focused reference letters. Give your referees real lead time, since strong, specific letters take longer to write well than a rushed one does.
3. Scan your complete package into a single PDF file; a phone scanning app works fine if you don’t have access to a scanner.
4. Submit the scanned package directly to [email protected], alongside completing the web application form.
5. Make sure your admission application is fully paid and complete, fees settled, and all documents received by 1st October 2026, since an incomplete admission file disqualifies your scholarship application regardless of how strong your package is.
6. Submit only one application; the university reviews complete packages, and duplicates or incomplete submissions won’t be considered.

Application Deadline

The Fall 2026 entry deadline was 1st June 2026, and that round has closed. If you’re aiming for Winter 2027 entry instead, your deadline is 1st October 2026, and that application window remains open as of this writing. Keep in mind that deadlines are set to align with UWinnipeg’s international admissions calendar and can shift, so it’s worth checking the official page periodically as your deadline approaches rather than relying on a single check months in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship still open right now?

For Fall 2026 entry, no, that deadline was 1st June 2026. For the Winter 2027 entry, yes, the deadline is 1st October 2026 and remains open.

Can Nigerian or other African students apply for this scholarship?

Yes. The scholarship is open to international students from any country, provided you meet the grade average, leadership, and admission completeness requirements.

Can graduate students apply for the Winter 2027 intake?

Yes, but only if you’re starting in Fall or Winter — those are the only two graduate entry points this scholarship covers. Other graduate start terms fall outside the scholarship’s eligibility.

Can I apply for this scholarship and the International Special Entrance Scholarship at the same time?

You can apply for both, but you can’t hold them simultaneously. If you’re offered both, you’ll need to choose one, so it’s worth researching each award’s value and terms before deciding which to prioritise.

What happens if my admission application isn’t complete by the scholarship deadline?

Your scholarship application won’t be considered. The admission application only counts as complete once all fees and supporting documents have been received by the admissions office, so build in buffer time rather than submitting at the very last moment.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice, and deadlines may shift to align with the university’s international admissions calendar. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official University of Winnipeg President’s Scholarship for World Leaders page before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the University of Winnipeg.

Official Application Portal