StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
York University in Toronto, Canada, offers the President’s International Scholarship of Excellence (PISE) to international high-school applicants entering the first year of a four-year undergraduate degree in Fall 2027. Each award is worth $45,000 CAD per year — up to $180,000 CAD over four years — renewable for a further three years of full-time study if the recipient maintains good academic standing each year. Recipients are drawn from a variety of regions and are called President’s International Scholars.
Two things set this award apart. First, it is awarded on more than grades: you need a minimum 80% (A) final admission average, but also leadership skills and active involvement in volunteer work and extracurricular activities, and you must be officially nominated by a guidance counsellor, principal or senior school official — a maximum of two nominations per school per year. Second, the timing is forgiving in one respect and strict in another: no offer of admission is needed before you apply for the entrance award, but the scholarship form requires a 9-digit York reference number issued after your admission application, so you must apply for admission well ahead of the 27 January 2027 scholarship deadline. And be clear about the money: $45,000 a year is a very large award, but it is a partial scholarship, not full funding — York states plainly that international scholarships are limited.
Eligibility
- An international high-school applicant entering the first year of a four-year undergraduate degree at York in Fall 2027.
- Holds international student status and pays international tuition fees.
- Minimum final admission average of 80% (A) or equivalent.
- Strong academic performance, plus leadership skills and active involvement in volunteer work and extracurricular activities.
- Officially nominated by a guidance counsellor, principal or senior school official; a maximum of two nominations per school per year.
- Under York’s definition of a high-school applicant: under 21 by 31 December of the admission year, out of full-time high-school study for less than two years since graduation, and no studies attempted at an accredited college or university.
Benefits
- $45,000 CAD per year, up to $180,000 CAD over four years.
- Renewable for a further three years of full-time undergraduate study, subject to good academic standing each year.
- Recipients are named President’s International Scholars and drawn from a variety of regions.
- No offer of admission is needed before applying for the entrance award.
Documents to prepare
- Your York University reference number (9 digits), obtained by first applying for undergraduate admission — it takes about 5 business days to arrive.
- A personal statement, maximum 500 words, covering personal and professional goals, leadership, and volunteer/extracurricular commitment.
- A list of extracurricular activities and community involvement (maximum 3 entries).
- A list of previous awards (maximum 3 entries).
- Contact details for the nominating guidance counsellor, principal or senior school official.
- An optional additional reference letter highlighting community involvement.
- A financial profile showing the estimated total funding available to support study over the next three to four years.
- From the nominator: confirmation of the nomination plus a reference letter, signed and on the school’s official letterhead, covering academic achievement and extracurricular/community contributions.
- Note: a CV, transcripts or an English-proficiency certificate are listed by some aggregator sites for a generic "York University Scholarship", but they do not appear in the official PISE guide — they relate to admission generally and should not be presented as PISE application documents.
How to apply
- Apply for admission to an undergraduate programme at York University for Fall 2027.
- Receive your 9-digit York reference number (within about 5 business days of the admission application).
- When the scholarship application opens on 1 November 2026, log in with that reference number and complete the International Student Scholarship & Award Application, including the personal statement, activity and award lists, nominator contact details, optional extra reference letter and financial profile.
- Submit by 27 January 2027, 11:59 PM EST. No offer of admission is needed before applying for the entrance award.
- York emails the nominator a link to confirm the nomination and submit the reference letter, to be completed by 4 February 2027, 11:59 PM EST.
FAQs
The student application is due 27 January 2027 at 11:59 PM EST, and the nominator’s confirmation and reference letter are due 4 February 2027 at 11:59 PM EST. Applications open 1 November 2026. Apply for admission well ahead of 27 January, since the scholarship form needs the York reference number issued after the admission application.
$45,000 CAD per year for up to four years — $180,000 CAD in total — renewable subject to good academic standing. It is a substantial partial scholarship, not full funding of all study costs.
International high-school applicants entering the first year of a four-year undergraduate degree at York in Fall 2027, with a minimum 80% (A) final admission average, leadership skills and volunteer/extracurricular involvement, and nomination by a guidance counsellor, principal or senior school official (maximum two nominations per school per year).
No. No offer of admission is needed before applying for the entrance award. You do need the 9-digit York reference number, which is issued within about 5 business days of your admission application.
A maximum of 500 words on your personal and professional goals, leadership, and volunteer/extracurricular commitment.
On academic strength (minimum 80% average), leadership and community involvement, and the nomination. Recipients are drawn from a variety of regions and are called President’s International Scholars.
Not published in the official notification — York’s official pages say only "a select number". Secondary sites report 20 awards a year, but that figure was not confirmed on the official pages checked.
Your York reference number, a 500-word personal statement, lists of up to 3 extracurricular activities and up to 3 previous awards, your nominator’s contact details, an optional additional reference letter, and a financial profile. The nominator submits a confirmation and a reference letter on school letterhead. A CV, transcripts or an English-proficiency certificate do not appear in the official PISE guide.
Verified 28 Oct 2026 against York University's official Future Students pages (futurestudents.yorku.ca — President's International Scholarship of Excellence application guides, and Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries for Incoming Students): President's International Scholarship of Excellence, Fall 2027 entry — $45,000 CAD per year, up to $180,000 CAD over four years, renewable subject to good academic standing; international high-school applicants entering the first year of a four-year undergraduate degree in Fall 2027; international student status, pays international tuition fees; minimum 80% (A) final admission average; leadership and volunteer/extracurricular involvement; nomination by a guidance counsellor, principal or senior school official (max two nominations per school per year); high-school applicant definition — under 21 by 31 December of the admission year, out of full-time high-school study less than two years since graduation, no studies attempted at an accredited college or university; application opens 1 November 2026; student deadline 27 January 2027, 11:59 PM EST; nominator confirmation and reference letter due 4 February 2027, 11:59 PM EST; 9-digit York reference number issued within about 5 business days of the admission application; no offer of admission needed before applying for the entrance award; personal statement max 500 words (goals, leadership, volunteer/extracurricular commitment), up to 3 extracurricular activities, up to 3 previous awards, nominator contact details, optional extra reference letter, financial profile; nominator reference letter signed and on school letterhead. CONFLICTS: (1) 27 Jan vs 26 Jan 2027 — the dedicated PISE guide and the page header say 27 January 2027; one table row on the general page says 26 January alongside an obvious typo ("January 26, 2026" in its note). Resolved for 27 January 2027, also given by Collegedunia, 9Scholarships and Shiksha. (2) A 1 April 2027 deadline on ScholarshipRoar describes a different York continuing-student award, not PISE. (3) A 1 October 2026 deadline on one secondary site is inconsistent with the official 2027 cycle (opens 1 November 2026). (4) 24 March 2027 (GlobalScholarships) is an admission deadline, not the PISE deadline. (5) "20 awards per year" on secondary sites is NOT confirmed on the official pages — not stated. (6) Renewal: official pages say only "good academic standing each year" — a secondary source's 24 credits / 6.0 GPA condition is not confirmed officially. (7) "Fully funded" is rejected — $45,000/year against international tuition and living costs, and York warns international scholarships are limited. (8) A Canadian study permit is mentioned by secondary sources but was not stated in the official PISE guide checked — not presented as a PISE condition. (9) CV, transcripts and English-proficiency certificate do not appear in the official PISE guide — they relate to admission generally, not the PISE application.
