Minimum Financial Support
In accordance with the UTIAS Financial Support policy, MASc and PhD students who maintain good academic standing will receive financial support for a set period of registration as follows:
• for the first two years of MASc studies;
• for the first four years of the PhD studies;
• for the first five years of study for MASc to PhD transfers (direct entry PhD)
Funding packages are effective from September 1 to August 31 each year. External scholarships and fellowships will be considered to be part of the minimum financial support. All external awards, major or otherwise, must be disclosed to the UTIAS Graduate Office at the time of receipt of notification of the award.
Funding for the 2025-26 Academic Year effective September 1, 2025
The minimum financial support for the academic year 2025-26:
• MASc study - $24,000 plus tuition and fees;
• PhD study - $40,000 total including tuition and fees for PhD students (plus University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) for international students);
• PhD Flex students are not in the funded cohort
It is not necessary to be a teaching assistant in 2025-26 to qualify for this support. Any income earned from teaching assistantships is in addition to the minimum financial support.
The tables below summarize the minimum funding packages for full-time MASc & PhD students within their period of guaranteed funding for the period of Sep. 2025 to Aug. 2026.
The example packages on this page are based on registration for the entire academic year (i.e. the Fall, Winter & Summer sessions). If a student is registered for only one or two of the three sessions, or if their period of guaranteed funding ends partway through the academic year, their funding package will be prorated accordingly.
MASc Domestic Funding
| Scenario | UTIAS contribution - Student fellowship | Supervisor contribution - research fellowship* | External award amount | Total base package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No external award (base funding) | $11,000.00 | $21,351.54 | 0.00 | $32,351.54 |
| Holds NSERC CGS-M | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $27,000.00 | $39,000.00 |
| Holds OGS - 3 session | $12,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $39,000.00 |
| Other external awards equal to or greater than $15,000.00 | VALUE of ($39,000 minus scholarship value/2) | VALUE of ($39,000 minus scholarship value/2) | Scholarship value | $39,000.00 |
MASC International Funding
| Scenario | UTIAS contribution - Student fellowship | Supervisor contribution - research fellowship* | External award amount | Total base package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No external award (base funding) | $11,500.00 | $45,747.54 | 0.00 | $57,247.54 |
| Other external awards | At the discretion of the department | To be determined | Scholarship value | $57,247.54 |
PhD Domestic Funding
| Scenario | UTIAS contribution - Student fellowship | Supervisor contribution - research fellowship* | External award amount | Total base package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No external award (base funding) | $18,000.00 | $22,000.00 | 0.00 | $40,000.00 |
| Holds NSERC CGS-D/PGSD | $5,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $40,000.00 | $50,000.00 |
| Holds NSERC VANIER | $5,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $50,000.00 | $60,000.00 |
| Holds OGS - 3 session | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $45,000.00 |
| Other external awards equal to or greater than $15,000.00 | VALUE of ($45,000 minus scholarship value/2) | VALUE of ($45,000 minus scholarship value/2) | Scholarship value | $45,000.00 |
PhD International Funding
| Scenario | UTIAS contribution - Student fellowship | Supervisor contribution - research fellowship* | External award amount | Total base package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No external award (base funding) | $11,500.00 | $29,256.00 | 0.00 | $40,756.00 |
| Other external awards | At the discretion of the department | To be determined | Scholarship value | $40,756.00 |
*tuition for 2025-26 estimated on the basis of 2024-25 program fee and incidental fees
International students who have major external scholarships, such as their own government’s scholarship programs, may also receive supplemental financial support at the discretion of the institute. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships/fellowships. All external awards, major or otherwise, must be disclosed to the UTIAS Graduate Office at the time of receipt of notification of the award.
Students in years of study not covered by the financial support policy may receive financial assistance from their supervisors’ research grants/contracts.
Quick Funding FAQs
How will I be notified of my funding package?
At the outset of every academic year, students in the guaranteed funding period will receive a letter from the Graduate Office explaining the timing and amounts of funding for the upcoming year.
When can I expect to receive my funding, and how is it disbursed?
Stipend payments, which include both tuition support and a stipend to cover the cost of living, are disbursed in September, January and May. The September and January payments include one third of the annual stipend and half the tuition support. The May payment consists of one third of the annual stipend. Funding will be disbursed using ROSI for awards and HRIS for faculty stipends. Provided students maintain bank account information, an email address and both sessional and permanent mailing addresses, funds will be deposited directly to the student’s bank account.
NOTE: Students are responsible for paying their tuition and fees through the ACORN student account.
For how long will I be guaranteed funding?
MASc students are guaranteed funding for the first two years of full-time studies. PhD students who enter directly are guaranteed funding for the first four years (twelve sessions). PhD students who transfer directly from the MASc program after one year are guaranteed funding for the first five years in total (fifteen sessions), which includes the year spent in the MASc program. Following the guaranteed funding period, funding arrangements are to be determined in consultation with the supervisor.
Do I need to be a teaching assistant to receive my funding?
Any income earned from teaching assistantships in 2025-26 is supplementary to the base funding package.
Scholarships and Awards
At UTIAS, the Graduate Office will widely distribute information on some scholarships. These include national (NSERC) and provincial (OGS) scholarships, as well as a limited number of other scholarships.
Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships/ fellowships for which they are eligible. Not only will the external awards trigger a supplement for domestic students, they will also enhance the applicant’s curriculum vitae. Major Canadian scholarships include: NSERC, OGS and QEIIGSST.
NSERC and QEIIGSST are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, but the OGS is available to visa students. Visa students are strongly encouraged to apply for scholarships in their own countries for studies abroad.
The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships aim to address the urgent need to provide opportunities that encourage and support the pursuit of PhD graduate studies by equity-deserving groups traditionally underrepresented within STEM research. The IBET Momentum Fellowship, valued at $25,000 per year for four years, is for prospective domestic PhD applicants.
The School of Graduate Studies maintains a more detailed list of a variety of scholarships. The list contains only the most important awards and those directly administered by the University of Toronto. The list is NOT comprehensive. There are many other scholarships, awards and bursaries available to students.
| Scholarships and Awards | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| NSERC Graduate Scholarships Doctoral (PGSD) | TBA |
| NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral (CGSD) | TBA |
| NSERC Graduate Scholarships Master's (CGSM) | TBA |
| OGS (domestic) | TBA |
| OGS (visa) | TBA |
| Queen Elizabeth II GSST | TBA |