Types of Graduate Funding
| Type |
Amount |
Repayment |
| Major scholarships (Vanier, CGS-M) |
$17,500-50,000/year |
No |
| Departmental funding |
$10,000-25,000/year |
No |
| Teaching assistantship (TA) |
$5,000-15,000/year |
No (taxable income) |
| Research assistantship (RA) |
$5,000-20,000+/year |
No (taxable income) |
| Canada Student Loans |
Up to ~$350/week |
Yes |
| Provincial grants |
Varies |
No |
| Bursaries |
Varies |
No |
Major National Scholarships
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
| Feature |
Details |
| Value |
$50,000/year |
| Duration |
3 years |
| Eligibility |
PhD students only |
| Criteria |
Academic excellence, research potential, leadership |
| Competition |
Highly competitive (~150-170 awarded annually) |
| Funding agencies |
NSERC (science), SSHRC (humanities), CIHR (health) |
Canada Graduate Scholarships — Master’s (CGS-M)
| Feature |
Details |
| Value |
$17,500 |
| Duration |
1 year (12 months) |
| Eligibility |
Master’s or first year of PhD |
| Competition |
~3,000 awarded annually |
Canada Graduate Scholarships — Doctoral (CGS-D)
| Feature |
Details |
| Value |
$35,000/year |
| Duration |
3 years |
| Eligibility |
Doctoral students |
| Competition |
~700 awarded annually |
Provincial Scholarships — Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
| Feature |
Details |
| Value |
$15,000/year |
| Duration |
1 year (renewable) |
| Match |
2:1 provincial/university split |
| Eligibility |
Master’s or PhD in Ontario |
Other provinces have similar programs (e.g., BC Graduate Scholarship, Alberta Graduate Student Scholarship).
University Funding Packages
Typical PhD Funding
| Component |
Typical Amount |
| Base scholarship |
$10,000-18,000/year |
| Teaching assistantship |
$5,000-12,000/year |
| Research assistantship |
$5,000-10,000/year |
| Total package |
$20,000-35,000/year |
Funded vs Unfunded Programs
| Program Type |
Characteristics |
| Funded |
Guaranteed minimum income, TAship, tuition waiver |
| Unfunded |
No guaranteed income, must find own funding |
| Professional |
Often unfunded (MBA, JD, MD) |
| Research |
Usually funded (PhD, research-based Masters) |
Student Loans for Graduate Students
Canada Student Loans
| Feature |
Details |
| Weekly maximum |
~$350/week |
| Full-time requirement |
60%+ course load (or 40% with disability) |
| Interest during school |
Accrues but no payment required |
| Interest rate |
Canada prime |
| Repayment Assistance |
Available after graduation |
OSAP for Graduate Students
| Factor |
Details |
| Maximum funding |
Similar to undergraduate limits |
| Assessment |
Based on income, assets, family |
| Living allowance |
Included in calculation |
| Tuition coverage |
Included in calculation |
Strategies to Fund Graduate School
Maximize Free Money First
| Priority |
Source |
| 1 |
Major scholarships (apply early!) |
| 2 |
Departmental funding/guaranteed packages |
| 3 |
TAships and RAships |
| 4 |
Provincial grants (non-repayable portion) |
| 5 |
External scholarships (foundations, industry) |
| 6 |
Student loans (last resort) |
Reduce Costs
| Strategy |
Savings |
| Choose funded program |
$20,000-35,000/year |
| Live with roommates |
$500-1,000/month |
| University housing |
Often cheaper than market |
| Tuition waivers |
$6,000-15,000/year |
| Health plan opt-out (if covered elsewhere) |
$500-1,000/year |
Increase Funding
| Action |
Potential |
| Apply to ALL scholarships |
Every application matters |
| Strong supervisor relationship |
More RA funding |
| TA more sections |
$5,000-15,000 extra |
| Summer research |
Continuous funding |
| Conference funding |
Travel grants available |
External Scholarships
Industry and Foundation Scholarships
| Scholarship |
Field |
Value |
| Trudeau Scholarship |
Humanities/Social Sciences |
$40,000 + $20,000 travel |
| Killam Scholarships |
Any |
Up to $35,000/year |
| Professional associations |
Varies |
$1,000-10,000 |
| Industry partnerships |
STEM |
$15,000-25,000+ |
Scholarship Databases
| Resource |
Details |
| Universities Canada |
Comprehensive database |
| Scholarship Portal |
Canadian focus |
| Your university |
Internal scholarship office |
| Professional associations |
Field-specific |
Tax Considerations
Taxable vs Non-Taxable
| Income Type |
Tax Treatment |
| Scholarships (enrolled full-time) |
Non-taxable |
| TAship income |
Taxable |
| RAship income |
Taxable |
| Student loans |
Not income |
Tax Credits
| Credit |
Details |
| Tuition tax credit |
15% federal (carry forward unused) |
| Student loan interest |
15% credit on interest paid |
| Moving expenses |
If moving 40km+ for school |
Timeline
Before Applying to Graduate School
| When |
Action |
| 1-2 years before |
Research funding packages |
| Fall |
Apply to major scholarships (many October-December deadlines) |
| December-January |
Apply to programs |
| March-April |
Receive offers with funding packages |
| April 15 |
Standard acceptance deadline |
During Graduate School
| When |
Action |
| Annually |
Reapply for competitive scholarships |
| Each term |
Apply for TAships |
| Semester before funding ends |
Seek additional funding |