Funding Your Graduate Education
The University's Commitment
The University of Toronto is committed to the financial support of graduate students in doctoral stream programs. The duration of the commitment varies among the graduate units, and we recommend that students consult our Graduate Funding Structure document below. Funding packages are arranged by faculties/graduate units and consist of an amount equal to the cost of academic tuition fees plus $15,000. The funding package may consist of UofT Fellowships, faculty or departmental grants, scholarships or bursaries, teaching and research assistantships, external awards, or any combination of the above.
The Graduate Funding Structure
The Graduate Funding Structures (PDF) document lists the duration and minimum amount of funding provided to Canadian students by each doctoral stream program (MA, MSc, MASc and PhD). This document also contains information about the teaching and research assistantships that may be included as part of the funding package and about how external scholarships may affect funding amounts. The programs are organized by administering faculty (e.g. Arts and Science, Medicine, etc.) in the document. Please note that flex-time PhD programs are not eligible for guaranteed funding.
If you require further information or have questions about a program's funding structures, please consult the program's website and/or contact the graduate unit directly.
How it Works
Students may receive their funding not only from a variety of sources, but also at different times throughout the year. Graduate units may determine the number of award instalments a student receives and when. Some awards may be provided in a lump sum to students at the beginning of the academic year; other awards may be divided into two or three instalments.
Students are responsible for paying their fees out of the funding they receive. Recognizing that students are receiving funding potentially from several different sources, it is possible to request to register without making the minimum payment, provided that the student's funding will cover the 65% minimum fee required to register.
Students may receive their funding in a variety of ways. Teaching and research assistantships result in monthly payments to the student. Students who receive teaching or research assistantships are considered employed for that portion of their funding. Students receiving external awards through the SGS will receive the September instalment of their funding in the form of a direct deposit to their bank account upon registering. The remaining two instalments are set against the student's fee invoice first; any residual amounts are considered to be credit and may be requested by the student. For awards received through the graduate units, students will need to consult their graduate unit to find out the payment schedule.