Scholarships and Awards¶
Last verified: October 2026.
The big recurring awards UofA CS students actually get, with every amount and deadline linked to its source. Amounts and dates change; click through before you plan around a number.
Awards Hub: apply every year¶
Awards Hub is the Registrar's single application for undergraduate scholarships. One application assesses you for awards based on academics, leadership, equity and need; UofA gives out over $50 million a year this way.
| Continuing students | Apply February 1 to March 31 (next cycle opens February 2027) |
| Entering from high school | October 1 to January 10 |
| Academic scholarships | Minimum 3.5 GPA on at least 24 credits over the most recent September-April |
| Leadership awards | Minimum 2.0 GPA on a full-time load |
| Results | All applicants notified by the end of September |
Meeting the minimum doesn't guarantee anything, but it's an hour of work. Apply every year.
Jason Lang and Louise McKinney (Alberta residents)¶
Funded by the Government of Alberta, applied for through Awards Hub (Registrar, Alberta Student Aid):
| Jason Lang | Louise McKinney | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | $1,000 | $2,500 (only a few available) |
| Who | Alberta residents (Canadian citizen, PR, or Protected Person), full-time, second year or later | Same, but transfer students aren't eligible |
| Grades | Minimum 3.5 GPA over the previous September-April, on at least 80% of a full load (24 units for most programs) | Same |
| Deadlines | Applications open August 4. Fall deadline September 15, winter deadline January 15 | Must apply by September 15 |
- You can get only one of the two per year; if you miss Louise McKinney you're automatically considered for Jason Lang.
- Lifetime maximum of three Jason Lang Scholarships.
- The GPA minimum rose from 3.2 to 3.5 starting Fall 2025. This is no longer "decent grades" territory.
- Missed September 15, 2026? You can still apply for Jason Lang by January 15, 2027.
Dean's Honor Roll¶
Not money, but worth listing on resumes and grad applications. The 2026-27 calendar's Faculty of Science regulations give First Class Standing (the Dean's Honor Roll) to students in Pre-Fall 2024 programs who complete at least 24 units of letter-graded courses in a Fall/Winter with at least a 3.5 GPA (12 units if you were on Study Abroad or the Science Internship Program for one of those terms). It's a GPA threshold, not a top-X% ranking.
Paid undergraduate research¶
All three run through the Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) with one February deadline (February 2027, exact date TBA; last year's was February 2) for projects starting the following Summer, Fall, or Winter. Each needs a confirmed supervisor before you apply (URI funding page).
| Award | Value | Who |
|---|---|---|
| NSERC USRA | $6,000 + at least $2,400 supervisor top-up = at least $8,400 for 16 weeks | Canadian citizens, PRs, Protected Persons; cumulative average normally at least B-; max three over your degree (NSERC) |
| URI Undergraduate Researcher Stipend | $7,500 for a 4-12 month project | Current UofA undergrads in their first degree, satisfactory standing; GPA not used in adjudication; once per lifetime; no citizenship requirement listed |
| Alberta Innovates Summer Research Studentship | $1,875/month for 2-4 months, May-August | Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; health research only (CS fits under "Digital Health + Data-Driven Systems") |
URI Stipend amount
Older URI documents (such as a 2017 program guide that is still online) list a smaller amount, and the USRA's $6,000 NSERC portion sometimes gets mixed up with it. The current figure on URI's detailed eligibility page is $7,500.
About 40% of streamlined applicants got an offer last cycle (URI). How to find a supervisor and what the timeline looks like: Getting Into Research.
Graduate funding (worth knowing early)¶
- UofA CS guarantees full-time thesis MSc students at least $30,800 and PhD students at least $31,800 (department), and the university guarantees PhD students at least $100,000 over four years (GPS).
- National awards: CGRS-M is $27,000 for 12 months, due December 1 (NSERC); CGRS-D is $40,000/year for 36 months (NSERC).
See Grad School.
Need-based aid¶
Loans and grants come through Alberta Student Aid. One application covers provincial and federal funding, including Canada Student Grants, which don't need to be repaid. It stacks with everything above.
Tips¶
- Keep your GPA at 3.5+ if you can. It's the line for Awards Hub academic scholarships, Jason Lang, Louise McKinney, and the Dean's Honor Roll.
- Start research conversations in October or November. Every research award above needs a supervisor before February.
- Give references and supervisors at least four weeks' notice, with your resume and the award details.