Financial Assistance
Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship
The University of Toronto has established the Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship Fund in honour of those who lost their lives in the crash of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, including eight members of the University of Toronto community. This endowed fund will provide needs-based awards to international undergraduate and graduate students from Iran who have been admitted to the U of T or students from any background studying Iranian studies at the U of T. The first of these needs-based awards were awarded in the Spring of 2020 for students studying at the U of T in the 2020-21 academic year.
OSOTF/OTSS Awards
OSOTF awards refer to a class of endowed awards first established in 1996 from Ontario government’s matching program called “Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund”. Under the program, every dollar of donation received was matched by the government as well as the University on a dollar-for-dollar basis, to set up permanent endowment funds to assist Ontario students with financial need. In other words, the donor provided 1/3 of the funding, matched by 1/3 from the Province, and the University provided a 1/3 to boost the overall endowed amounts.
The Provincial government held two matching program periods for OSOTF awards (the first in 1996, second in 2003), resulting in establishing OSOTF and OSOTF II awards.
In 2005, the Ontario government launched the Ontario Trust for Student Support (OTSS) program, which replaced the OSOTF program, and provided $50 million per year to match private and corporate cash donations. Smaller universities and colleges that received endowments averaging less than $1,000 a student had their donation amounts tripled by the government if they exceeded the historical level of fundraising attained by the school. The OTSS program was discontinued in 2012 when the Ontario government started providing a 30 per cent tuition rebate for eligible students under OSAP.
Although the matching programs have ended, the University continues to offer awards each year from the income generated from these endowments to domestic students who are residents of Ontario and demonstrate financial need.
References: OSOTF, OSOTF II, OTSS, OTSS discontinued.
SGS Accessibility Grant
The SGS Accessibility Grant supports significant educational expenses not normally covered by the student, the graduate unit, provincial, or federal agencies. We recognize that each student’s situation is unique and funding will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The grant was established to assist with accommodations necessary to meet unexpected needs arising from the particular demands of the graduate program.
SGS Bursaries for Junior Fellows at Massey College
The School of Graduate Studies is pleased to provide funding for bursaries, developed in collaboration with Massey College, which is a graduate students’ residential community affiliated with, but independent from, the University of Toronto. Designed for Black Canadian, Indigenous, and International graduate students, these bursaries create opportunities that can provide academic and personal enrichment for high-achieving candidates who would not be able to afford the Resident or Non-Resident fees associated with the Junior Fellowship.
In joining Massey College, recipients will be welcomed into a community of scholars and professionals from across Canada and around the world.
Please review Massey College’s Junior Fellows webpage for more information.
SGS Conference Grant
The SGS Conference Grant provides financial support to encourage eligible students to actively present their research at an academic conference during the course of their graduate studies. The grant will provide successful applicants with funds sufficient to cover the applicant’s minimum registration fee for the proposed conference. Students may apply for an SGS Conference Grant to support conference presentations occurring – either virtually or in-person.
SGS Emergency Grant
The SGS Emergency Grant program aims to provide short-term financial relief to students experiencing an immediate financial crisis. The Emergency Grant cannot serve as a continued funding source or make up for a shortage in OSAP and other graduate funding sources. Students are encouraged to meet with a member of the SGS Financial Advising Team to discuss available resources including government financial aid programs and review grant eligibility and may be asked to complete a financial need assessment.
SGS Emergency Loan
The SGS Emergency Loan alleviates temporary cash flow problems for students who are expecting the release of funds in the near future (i.e., 30 to 120 days) from employment (U of T internal), a major award instalment, OSAP (Ontario Students’ Assistance Program), teaching assistantship, or research assistantship payment, etc.
SGS Indigenous Graduate Travel Award
The SGS Indigenous Graduate Travel Award provides financial assistance to University of Toronto Indigenous graduate students to travel and participate in educational and experiential learning in Canada or abroad in activities specifically focused on Indigenous student or educational issues. Possible activities include Indigenous-focused events, workshops, meetings, field trips, competitions, and other educational-related activities, online or in-person, approved by the Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement group (SAGE) and First Nations House at the University of Toronto.
Ten (10) awards of up to $1,000 each, will be available annually, and applications will be considered on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Amounts are based on the recommendation of the S.A.G.E. Award committee, in conjunction with the Centre for Indigenous Studies.
SGS Master’s Completion Bursary (MCB)
The Master’s Completion Bursary (MCB) is a financial aid program that serves to assist master’s students who have experienced a delay in their program due to unanticipated factors beyond their control, and must therefore register as a full-time student beyond the program length to complete a small or minimal amount of work in order to graduate.
COVID-19 related delays: Students who were registered during or before the Winter 2020 session and whose academic progress has been significantly impeded due to COVID-19 related disruptions may be eligible for an SGS Tuition Fee Exemption. More information is available here: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/admissions/graduate-fees/#section_13
SGS Parental Grant
SGS Research Travel Grant
The SGS Research Travel Grant provides financial support to eligible students registered in the Humanities or Social Sciences who are pursuing research travel necessary for their PhD or SJD program. Travel for conference, exchange programs, courses, or seminars are not funded through this application process.
Funding for this competition is supported by the School of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), The Associates of the University of Toronto Travel Award, and The Edward W. Nuffield Graduate Travel Fellowship.
SGS Summer Gym Bursary
With an aim to foster health and wellness of graduate students, the SGS Summer Gym Bursary offers students a reimbursement for up to 100% of their campus summer athletic membership or program fees. The SGS Summer Gym Bursary is open to registered professional and research stream graduate students. Participating facilities include Hart House Fitness Centre and Sport & Rec athletic facilities (which include the Athletic Centre, Goldring Centre, Varsity Centre and Back Campus Fields).
With the SGS Summer Gym Bursary, students will receive a maximum reimbursement of $135.07 to apply towards the cost of their purchase to access either in-person or on-line programs through a campus athletic facility.
UTM or UTSC graduate students interested in accessing summer athletic programs and services are asked to inquire locally about possible bursaries. UTM students may contact anna.reale@utoronto.ca and UTSC students are asked to visit the UTSC Graduate Education website for information and direct questions to graduate-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca.