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 2026-27 Academic Year effective September 1, 2026
The minimum financial support for the academic year 2026-27:
• 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 2026-27 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. 2026 to Aug. 2027.
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
MASC International Funding
PhD Domestic Funding
PhD International Funding
*tuition for 2026-27 estimated on the basis of 2025-26 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 2026-27 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.
The NSERC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program and QEIIGSST are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The NSERC Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral Scholarship program is available for students enrolled in their doctoral program of study at an eligible Canadian institution by the award application deadline.
OGS is available to both visa and domestic 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.
Appendices
Please consult with the Appendices to Funding (PDF) document for research-stream students. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the Funding Terms and Conditions, policies and information provided in the appendices.