Studying in Canada is expensive. International tuition at Queen’s University can exceed CAD $50,000 a year in several undergraduate programs, and living in Kingston adds housing, food, insurance, and books on top of that. The question most applicants ask is simple: is there real funding, or only a few tiny awards that look good in a brochure?
Queens University scholarships for international students are more substantial than many people expect, especially at the undergraduate level. The university automatically considers eligible first-year international applicants for renewable faculty awards that can reach CAD $25,000 a year, or CAD $100,000 over four years. Graduate funding works differently: it is usually a package of departmental support, assistantships, and external competitions rather than one giant “full ride.”
This guide explains what is actually available, who can get it, and which official pages you should use before you apply.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Country: Canada
- Host University: Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario)
- Scholarship Type: Undergraduate Scholarships/MSC Scholarships/PhD Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: All Countries
- Scholarship Benefits: Partial tuition fee, etc.
Why Queen’s University Attracts International Applicants
Queen’s is a research-intensive university in Kingston, Ontario, with a compact campus, a strong undergraduate culture, and well-known programs in arts and science, Smith Engineering, Smith Commerce, health sciences, law, and graduate research. Official materials highlight thousands of international students from more than 100 countries, residence support for first-year students, study-permit assistance, and eligibility for Canada’s Post-Graduation Work Permit after a qualifying program.
Funding will not cover every cost for every student. It can, however, change the math for high-achieving applicants who apply on time and understand which awards are automatic and which require a separate file.
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Undergraduate Queens University Scholarships for International Students
This is the strongest part of the funding story. Most first-entry undergraduate awards for international students require no extra essay and no separate scholarship form. When you apply for admission, Queen’s assesses your grades and considers you for the awards you qualify for.
You generally must:
- Be an international student paying international fees (Canadian citizens, dual citizens, and permanent residents use the domestic award stream)
- Be entering the first year of post-secondary study for the first time
- Meet the faculty and program eligibility rules for each award
Queen’s calculates an awards average from the same kind of grades used for admission. Final grades can still change an award after you accept an offer.
1. Dean’s International Award Program (renewable faculty awards)
This is the headline package. It is awarded on academic achievement to international students entering first year in:
- Faculty of Arts and Science
- Stephen J. R. Smith Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
- Smith School of Business (Bachelor of Commerce)
- Faculty of Health Sciences (Bachelor of Health Sciences only; Nursing is not eligible for this particular award)
Published annual values include CAD $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, and $25,000, depending on faculty and standing. Commerce awards start higher in the published ranges. If renewed for three additional years in a full-time program within the original faculty, the top tier can total CAD $100,000.
That is partial tuition support, not a full-cost package. It is still one of the more competitive automatic international awards among Canadian universities.
Details: Queen’s international student awards
2. Principal’s Scholarship
Principal’s Scholarships go to students in the top 3 percent of the competitive admission average for each first-entry undergraduate program. The published value is CAD $7,000 for one year. International students can be considered. It is not renewable.
3. Queen’s University International Admission Scholarship and named awards
Queen’s also uses automatic one-year awards to widen access. Public descriptions include a CAD $9,000 International Admission Scholarship for selected first-year students across programs. Named awards include:
- Mehran Bibi Sheikh Memorial Entrance Scholarship: CAD $1,500 for one year; two awards, with preference for Pakistani citizens
- Killam American Scholarship: CAD $9,000 for one year; one award for U.S. citizens or permanent residents
- Principal Wallace Freedom of Opportunity Award: academic award for international first-year students, with preference for a refugee student, otherwise international students from developing countries with financial need; renewable if granted on admission
- Principal’s Global Scholars Undergraduate Award: for students entering through the Global Scholars pathway for forcibly displaced students; renewable if conditions are met
These awards are smaller than the Dean’s International Award, but they stack with the fact that Queen’s assesses you automatically when you apply.
4. Awards that usually are not for international fee-payers
Major Admission Awards such as the Chancellor’s Scholarship are aimed at Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or protected persons, even if they study at an international high school. Do not assume every prestigious Queen’s award on a ranking website is open to study-permit students.
Graduate and PhD Funding for International Students
Queen’s does not advertise a single university-wide full scholarship that covers every master’s and PhD student from abroad. International graduate funding is assembled from several sources.
1. Departmental funding and assistantships
Research-based master’s and PhD students are often considered for a funding package that can include a Queen’s Graduate Award, research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or supervisor support. Values vary by faculty and program. Taught professional master’s programs are less likely to include a guaranteed stipend.
Start with the program page and the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.
2. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
A limited number of OGS awards may go to student visa holders. The published value is CAD $5,000 per term for two or three consecutive terms (CAD $10,000–$15,000). Apply through Queen’s, not as a standalone national form only.
3. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
Vanier awards are among Canada’s most competitive doctoral scholarships and are open through NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR. They are nationally adjudicated and require a strong research record plus a Queen’s nomination process.
4. China Scholarship Council (CSC)
Queen’s has an agreement with the CSC for doctoral study. CSC typically covers travel and living costs; Queen’s departments are expected to provide funding at least equal to tuition. There are no CSC master’s scholarships under the published Queen’s notes. Applicants usually need a Queen’s offer first, then apply to CSC in the March or May windows.
5. Global Affairs Canada exchanges: ELAP, SEED, and Study in Canada
These are short-term study or research awards administered with Queen’s as host, not four-year degree scholarships. Published internal nomination dates for 2026 include 13 March (SEED-2) and 20 March (ELAP and Study in Canada). Values depend on level and length; undergraduate and graduate terms have been listed in the CAD $8,600–$15,900 range for several-month stays.
See Global Affairs Canada scholarships at Queen’s and EduCanada international scholarships.
Other graduate options
- Mitacs Globalink Research Awards and the Globalink Graduate Fellowship
- CALDO and partner-agency funding for some Latin American applicants
- Home-country government scholarships and loans
- Principal’s Global Scholars awards for eligible forcibly displaced graduate students, including a published one-time MBA award and smaller research-program awards
What These Scholarships Actually Cover
Be precise when you budget.
- Undergraduate Dean’s International Awards reduce tuition. They do not automatically pay residence, UHIP health insurance, flights, or personal expenses.
- One-year awards such as the Principal’s Scholarship or Killam American Scholarship are one-time tuition support.
- Graduate packages may include a living stipend plus teaching work. External awards such as OGS or Vanier can be combined with departmental rules, subject to stacking limits.
- Exchange awards from Global Affairs Canada are for defined short stays and often assume a tuition-waiver exchange unless you apply through a research stream.
International undergraduates should review Queen’s tuition and expenses and plan for UHIP. U.S. citizens may also use Direct Loans (federal school code G06679) or, where approved, VA education benefits.
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How to Apply for Queens University Scholarships for International Students and Important Deadlines
For most undergraduate Queens University scholarships for international students, the application is the admission application.
- Apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).
- Activate your Queen’s NetID and watch the SOLUS To-Do List for transcripts and any supplementary forms.
- Submit Commerce, Health Sciences, or Nursing files earlier; those programs have a tighter calendar and a supplementary application.
- Accept the offer and watch for award wording in the admission package. Final grades can still be reviewed.
Typical first-year dates on Queen’s official deadline page (confirm the cycle that matches your entry year):
- Applications open: 1 October
- Commerce, Health Sciences, Nursing applications: 1 February
- Supplementary applications for those programs: 15 February
- Other first-year programs: 1 March
- Supporting documents: often by 31 March
- Major Admission Award application (mostly domestic): early December, after you have SOLUS access
Graduate deadlines are program-specific. Many research programs expect applications months before September entry. External awards such as OGS, Vanier, and CSC have their own internal Queen’s cut-offs.
Admission: queensu.ca/admission
Dates: Undergraduate admission deadlines
How to Strengthen Your Chances
Automatic awards still reward a competitive file.
- Treat the admission average as the scholarship average. Weak predicted grades rarely become a $25,000 award.
- Apply to a faculty that actually offers the Dean’s International Award if funding is a deciding factor.
- Submit complete documents early. Rolling offers mean strong files are reviewed first.
- For graduate study, contact potential supervisors and ask how international students in that lab are funded.
- Do not ignore home-government scholarships. They often cover living costs that Queen’s awards leave untouched.
- Read renewal rules. Faculty awards usually require full-time registration in the original faculty and good academic standing.
Common Mistakes That Cost Money
- Assuming every award listed on third-party scholarship sites is open to international fee-payers
- Missing the Commerce, Health Sciences, or Nursing supplementary deadline
- Waiting for a separate “scholarship portal” that does not exist for automatic awards
- Budgeting as if a $10,000 award is a full scholarship
- Applying to a professional master’s program and expecting a PhD-style stipend
Final Checklist Before You Submit
- Confirm you are an international fee-paying applicant
- Choose the correct OUAC program codes
- Prepare transcripts the way Queen’s asks for your curriculum
- Bookmark the official international aid page rather than a summary blog
- Build a budget that includes tuition after the award, residence, UHIP, and living costs
- For graduate applicants, list OGS, Vanier, CSC, Mitacs, or home-country awards in the funding section of the application
Official starting points:
- International and U.S. Students financial aid
- Undergraduate admission
- Graduate funding for international students
- Undergraduate dates and deadlines
Queen’s University scholarships for international students will not make Kingston free. For high-performing undergraduates in Arts and Science, Engineering, Commerce, and Health Sciences, they can cut a large slice of tuition without a separate scholarship essay. Graduate students need a more strategic mix of departmental support and external competitions. Use the official Queen’s pages as the source of truth, apply early, and treat funding as part of the admission strategy rather than an afterthought.