The Harmonized Student Stipend is structured as a living allowance plus tuition and incidental fees. This makes students’ stipends independent of tuition fee increases. In general, the stipend is paid from the supervisor's research grant, an award to the student (a source either internal or external to the University, such as a University of Toronto Fellowship or CIHR, NSERC or OGS award, respectively), or a combination of both.

With the exception of the merit bonus - associated with winning a competitive award (described below in section 4) - and various needs-based awards/bursaries, the stipend amount cannot be supplemented. This holds for all students, regardless of their geographical location (i.e. the University campus or the hospital research institutes). This policy is in accordance with that implemented by the Faculty of Medicine aimed at the harmonization of student stipends for all graduate students in the Faculty.

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2. Duration of Stipend Support

Students will typically receive full continuous stipend support from the date of entry into the program through to the day that the final corrected thesis is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. Examples of exceptions to this rule include students who are on a leave of absence or students who are in violation of the terms and conditions of registration in the department and/or the School of Graduate Studies.

An M.Sc. student is normally expected to complete and defend his/her thesis within two to three years, while a Ph.D. student is expected to complete and defend his/her thesis within four to six years. Funding is guaranteed for a minimum of two years for M.Sc. students and five years for Ph.D. students. Stipend support may also be withdrawn from students who do not complete the final thesis submission to the School of Graduate Studies within the recommended time frame for completion (i.e. four months for M.Sc. students and eight months for Ph.D. students from the time they are given permission to write their theses).

See the Time Frame section under the M.Sc. and Ph.D. Thesis and Oral Defense sections.

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3. Awards

Below is a list of awards that students should apply for if eligible. Students should discuss other possible awards they may be eligible for with their supervisors.

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4. Merit Bonuses

A. A student who takes up a competitive, external award of $15,000 or more will first have the amount of the award supplemented to equal the living allowance and will then receive a merit bonus of $3,000 from his/her supervisor. For awards that are not listed in the table above in section 3, awardees should consult with the Graduate Coordinator to determine whether their award qualifies for a merit bonus. If the competitive award is greater than the living allowance, see point B below.

B. In some instances a student may receive a competitive award that is greater than the living allowance. In this case, the merit bonus of $3,000 is added to the value of the award, not to the value of the living allowance.

C. Students who receive an award of greater value than the total harmonized stipend plus $3,000 (e.g., Doctoral or Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships) will be ineligible for a further merit bonus.

D. A Ph.D. student that has held such eligible competitive funding for the FULL DURATION of their eligibility (i.e., for four consecutive years) will be eligible for the merit bonus for one year beyond the duration of the award.

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5. Departmental Policy Regarding Holding a U of T Fellowship in Conjunction with Other Awards

If a U of T Fellowship awardee receives another scholarship worth more than the U of T award, then he/she must accept this other scholarship, inform the department, and decline, or return, the U of T Fellowship. The student is responsible for returning any U of T Fellowship money retroactive to the commencement date of the other award.

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6. Departmental Policy Regarding Holding Two Awards at Once

If a student who has already taken up one award is subsequently awarded a second scholarship the following rules apply:

A. The rules of the awarding agencies regarding holding a second award must be followed.

B. A student who takes up a second award must inform his/her supervisor, business officer, and the department via Carrie Harber, the Graduate Program Administrator (carrie.harber@utoronto.ca). The amount of the second award will be subtracted from the supplement that is provided to the student from his/her supervisor.

C. If the sum of the two awards is greater than the living allowance, the awardee must consult with the Graduate Coordinator who can advise the student to ensure all of the above guidelines are met.

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7. Students' Responsibilites

A. Students who do not have multi-year awards are expected to apply each year for all scholarships for which they are eligible. Students who have multi-year awards should ensure that, as appropriate, they complete any necessary requirements/paperwork to allow continuation of their awards.

B. On taking up an award of any kind, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he/she abides by the rules and regulations of the awarding agency.

C. Every student must inform his/her supervisor, business officer, and the department via Carrie Harber, the Graduate Program Administrator (carrie.harber@utoronto.ca) of all awards and stipends that he/she is receiving. Include the following information: type of award; start date; end date; whether the award is renewable; amount of award. The student should mail, or deliver, a copy of the award notice to the Graduate Program Administrator.

D. Students must read the fine print: most awards can be held only for the first two years of an M.Sc. program and for the first five years of a Ph.D. program.

E. If at any time an error leads to an incorrect payment being made to the student, he/she must report this to his/her supervisor and as appropriate to the business officer/SGS/awarding agency so that the appropriate correction can be made.

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8. Teaching Assistant (TA) Compensation

There are a limited number of Teaching Assistant (TA) positions, which allow students to gain teaching experience while supplementing their stipend income. Money earned from TA positions is income that can be added to their stipend. Students may work a maximum of 10 hours per week out of a 40 hour school week. This limit is to ensure that graduate students devote sufficient time to their thesis work.

Approximately 35 % of graduate students hold some type of TA position. These positions range from marking and invigilating exams, to running tutorial sessions and laboratory courses. The department will notify students via email and bulletin board postings as TA positions become available.

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9. Financial Assistance: Completion Grants and Emergency Funding

All graduate students who encounter an unanticipated serious financial emergency can make an appointment with the SGS Financial Counsellor (416-946-0808) whether or not they believe they are eligible for emergency grant assistance. Students may also view the information on SGS Emergency Loans which may be appropriate depending on their situation.

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