Lester B. Pearson Scholarship 2027: Four Paid Years at U of T, If Your School Puts You Forward
The University of Toronto’s most prestigious award for international undergraduates covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence for four years. About 37 students win it each year — and you cannot apply unless your high school nominates you by 9 October 2026.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
4 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship is the University of Toronto’s flagship award for students from outside Canada. U of T’s Centre for International Experience calls it “U of T’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship for international students”. Its official page lists the value plainly: tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years. Roughly 37 scholars are named each year.
It is also one of the few big undergraduate scholarships you cannot simply apply for. Your secondary school has to nominate you first, and each school can nominate only one student per year. For students starting in September 2027, that nomination is due on 9 October 2026 — three days after this guide was last updated.
What the Pearson Scholarship is
The award is named after Lester B. Pearson, the former Canadian prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner. U of T says it recognises students who show “exceptional academic achievement, creativity, and potential to contribute positively to the global community”. The Centre for International Experience adds that scholars should be “recognized as leaders within their school”.
The scholarship is tied to U of T. It is tenable only for a first-entry undergraduate program at the University of Toronto, across its three campuses (St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough). You cannot take it to another university, and it does not fund a master’s.
Figures on the official page: 37 scholars annually, “$12M+ funding in 2024” and “188 countries represented”. U of T does not publish applicant numbers or an acceptance rate, so this guide does not quote one.
Three steps, three deadlines
How to apply →Getting into the Pearson pool is a relay. Each runner has a different deadline, and missing any one of them ends your Pearson chances for this cycle.
- 1By 9 October 2026Your school nominates you
A counsellor, principal or head of school submits a secure nomination form. Schools that have never taken part must first apply to join by noon (ET) on 9 October.
- 2By 16 October 2026You apply for admission to U of T
At least one undergraduate program, starting September 2027. This is three months earlier than U of T’s normal 15 January deadline.
- 3By 6 November 2026You complete the Pearson application
A private link arrives after nomination; you can only finish it once your U of T admission application is in. All required documents are due the same day.
What it pays for
What’s covered →The official list is short: tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support, for four years. To put that in numbers, U of T’s 2026–27 fee schedule charges a first-year international Arts & Science student a program fee of $66,110 (CAD), plus about $2,100 in incidental and system access fees. Engineering is $72,860. St. George residence fees for 2026–27 range from $9,000 to about $34,000 depending on the building and room.
U of T is publicly funded and states that it “cannot offer financial aid to international students”. That is what makes Pearson so valuable — and so contested.
Who it is for
You must be an international student (a non-Canadian who needs a study permit), in your final year of secondary school in 2026/27 or graduated no earlier than June 2026, and starting at U of T in September 2027. International students at Canadian high schools are eligible too. Anyone already in post-secondary study, or starting in January 2027, is not.
U of T warns of fraudulent emails offering help with Pearson applications. The program “does not interact with agencies or educational agents”. Only your current secondary school can nominate you, through U of T’s online process.
Where to go next
The four published conditions and a quick checker.
How your school joins, nominates and what to bring your counsellor.
What the private form tests and how to prepare without AI.
Criteria, top-choice program rule and when you hear back.
UBC, York and U of T’s own automatic awards.
Start on the official site
This is an independent guide. Dates and rules change each cycle. Treat U of T’s Pearson Scholarship page as the source of truth, and send questions through the Pearson inquiry form.