SchoolRegistry Pathways · Scholarships
Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
Funded by The University of Toronto
The most generous undergraduate award available to a Nigerian student anywhere, covering four years including accommodation. It is also one of the hardest, and the school nomination is a hard gate.
We do not run this scholarship, and our advice on it is free.
Apply for it directly through the official body below. If it does not come through, bring your situation to a free call and we will go through what your budget can actually reach.
What it covers, and who it is for
What it covers
Tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years.
Level
Undergraduate only, first-entry programmes
Where it sends you
Canada
Who qualifies
- You must be nominated by your secondary school, which is the step most applicants never complete
- Final year of secondary school, or graduated no earlier than the stated cut-off
- Beginning your first undergraduate degree
Deadlines
Your school nominates you first, and that deadline falls earlier than the student application. Start with your school, not with the form.
We do not print a date on this page on purpose. Scholarship deadlines move every year, and a stale date on somebody else's blog is how people miss them. Go to the official page and check.
If you do not get it
We place into Canada, though not into the University of Toronto's undergraduate programmes. Canada also now asks you to show over CAD 23,000 in living costs on top of tuition, so it is worth checking the whole number before building a plan around it.
Worth saying plainly: most people who apply for a fully funded award do not get one. That is not a reflection on you, it is the number of places. The families who still travel are the ones who had a second plan ready before the intake closed. That is a thirty-minute conversation and it costs nothing.
How Pathways is paid, and what we never promise
Placement is free to families. Universities pay SchoolRegistry a fee when a student we place enrols. It never changes your fee and it never changes which programme we recommend: the shortlist is ordered by fit, then refusal risk, then cost to you, and that rule is printed with every list. We do not promise admission or a visa, to anyone. Pathways is operated by Academic Support Services NG Ltd (RC 9416237), Ikeja, Lagos; write to pathway@schoolregistry.ng.
Questions about the Lester B. Pearson scholarship
Who can apply for the Lester B. Pearson scholarship?
You must be nominated by your secondary school, which is the step most applicants never complete. Final year of secondary school, or graduated no earlier than the stated cut-off. Beginning your first undergraduate degree.
What does the Lester B. Pearson scholarship cover?
Tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years.
What level of study is the Lester B. Pearson scholarship for?
Undergraduate only, first-entry programmes. It covers study in Canada.
When is the Lester B. Pearson deadline?
Your school nominates you first, and that deadline falls earlier than the student application. Start with your school, not with the form. We deliberately do not print a date here, because these move every year and a stale one could cost you the application. The official source is https://future.utoronto.ca/pearson/.
What if I do not get the Lester B. Pearson scholarship?
We place into Canada, though not into the University of Toronto's undergraduate programmes. Canada also now asks you to show over CAD 23,000 in living costs on top of tuition, so it is worth checking the whole number before building a plan around it. Most people who apply for any fully funded award do not get it, which is not a reflection on them. Having a second plan ready before the intake closes is the difference between going a year later and not going at all.
Does SchoolRegistry Pathways charge for this advice?
No. We are paid by universities when a student we place enrols, so our guidance on scholarships is free and we earn nothing from you applying for one. We do not administer or award any scholarship on this page.
Other scholarships Nigerians apply for
- PTDF Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship
- DAAD Scholarships for Germany
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program
- Chevening Scholarship
- Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship
- NNPC and joint venture scholarships
- Commonwealth Scholarships
- All scholarships
Checked on 5 October 2026. SchoolRegistry Pathways does not administer, award or influence any scholarship listed here.