Financial Support

Effective Date: June 20, 2023, superceding previous regulation
Approval Authority: Graduate Education Council; Senate (for information)


At Western, supporting our student researchers is a top priority.  By offering funding packages to help offset the expenses associated with full-time graduate study, we help our full-time students in PhD programs and in many research-based Master’s programs to devote more time to their studies and research. Based on recommendations by the admitting graduate program, students in research-based programs are offered competitive funding support packages.

 

1. Funding For Students in Research-Based Programs

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies distinguishes between research-based programs and professionally-oriented programs to determine eligibility for student support.

Eligible students in the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance program (DMA), all PhD programs and some research-based Master’s programs will be offered a financial support package which may include funds from the Faculty or graduate program, such as internal or external scholarship support, or part-time employment.

The funding support package can come from a variety of sources and can differ from student to student. The sources include: supervisor research grant support (e.g. Graduate Fellowship); external scholarships and fellowships from the federal Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and from the Province of Ontario (OGS/QEII-GSST); Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA); internal support (e.g. WGRS, awards from donations and endowments); and employment other than GTA. The support package can change, for example when a student receives an external scholarship, or in response to a student’s change in residency; such as, becoming a permanent resident under the Immigration Act of Canada.

Band funding received by Indigenous students must not reduce the funding package.  Programs must not enquire about band funding.  OSAP is excluded in the calculation of the funding package.

The components of a student’s funding package must normally be communicated to them via a Funding Plan (i.e., an annual funding support document) in advance of the first term of study. This Funding Plan must be updated each year hereafter, during the student's fundable period. The Funding Plan outlines the projected sources, amounts and payment schedule of the student’s annual funding.

The Funding Plan document must be available as an on-going and annual reference for the student and for those responsible for addressing student enquiries. Additionally, the annual Funding Plans provides a tool for checking a student’s support against the cohort-specific support commitment.

It is expected that programs will use the Mercury funding portal to catalog program/faculty funding models and to communicate funding expectations, amounts and sources to students registered in funding-eligible programs. The Mercury system maintains this detailed funding information over a student’s period of study and records any updates and changes throughout this time.

The student may decline all or part of the funding package. Where the student declines all or part of the package, the program must submit a written statement to SGPS, signed by the student and grad chair/director, waiving the graduate program’s responsibility to provide the declined funding during the student’s program.

2. Academic Requirements and Eligibility For a Student Funding Support Package

To be eligible for funding support package a student must:
  • be registered full-time
  • meet program progression requirements

3. Program Duration and Eligibility For Financial Support

Students in funding-eligible programs receive financial support for the normal duration of their program. Note that there are three terms in one year:
  • The normal duration for Master's programs varies from three terms to six terms , depending on the program. Consult the program's regulations for details.
  • The normal duration for Doctoral programs is twelve terms.
  • Students who transfer from a Master's program to a Doctoral program are eligible for financial support for fifteen consecutive full-time terms of registration. This includes both programs.
  • Students who enter the Doctoral program directly from the Bachelor’s are eligible for financial support for up to fifteen terms of full-time registration.
  • During their fundable period, graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply for external awards for which they are eligible, such as, federal Tri-Agency (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) and Ontario government awards (OGS/QEII-GSST).

4. Minimum Annual Funding Package for Doctoral Students

Incoming Doctoral students and continuing Doctoral students who meet the usual eligibility criteria (see Sections 5.02 and 5.03 above), must be offered an annual financial package (i.e., three terms commencing with the initial term of admission) of at least the annual cost of full-time tuition (Office of the Registrar - Fees & Refunds) plus $17,000, with the following caveats:
  • The financial support package can come from a variety of sources and can differ from student to student. The sources include: supervisor research grant support (e.g. Graduate Fellowship); external scholarships and fellowships from the federal Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and from the Province of Ontario (OGS/QEII-GSST); Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA); internal support (e.g. WGRS, awards from donations and endowments); and employment other than GTA. The support package can change, for example when a student receives an external scholarship, or in response to a student’s change in residency; such as, becoming a permanent resident under the Immigration Act of Canada.
  • OSAP is excluded in the calculation of the financial package.
  • The student may decline all or part of the funding package. Where the student declines all or part of the package, the program must submit a written statement to SGPS, signed by the student and grad chair/director, waiving the graduate program’s responsibility to provide the declined funding during the student’s program.

5. Completion of the Student’s Program

When a student completes the program or withdraws without completing while receiving financial support, the support may be subject to repayment or pro-rating for the remainder of the term. It is important for a student to consult with the graduate program and/or the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for details.

The University of Western Ontario and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies reserves the right to modify and/or discontinue the financial support packages.

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website provides complete information on Financial Support available at The University of Western Ontario.