Financial Support

All successful applicants to the direct-entry Doctoral program receive guaranteed financial support for five years or equivalent. Including academic fees, this guaranteed support will come to a minimum of just over $25,000 for domestic students and $33,000 for visa students (to cover their higher fees and health premiums). The intent of the minimum support levels is to ensure that students have approximately $20,000 to cover living expenses after payment of fees. This level has been set in discussion with current students.

This minimum support will come from different components. The bulk is shared between University and Departmental fellowships and the supervisor's research grant.  A part-time teaching assistantship (5 hrs per week for 28 weeks per year) makes up the small fraction of approximately $5,000 of the total minimum guarantee.  Over and above this basic support, all students awarded external fellowships (which will count towards their guarantee minimum living stipends) will receive a bonus award of 50% of the amount of their fellowship to a maximum of $3,000 (e.g., a student holding an external award of $1,000 would receive a bonus of $500). Entering students holding an NSERC or other major external Canadian fellowships receive an additional bonus of $2,000, or $1,000 respectively (in addition to the normal bonus).

First year students are supported entirely by University and Departmental fellowships and teaching assistantship, and do not require to obtain support from a research supervisor. This allows them the flexibility to hunt for a suitable supervisor and an interesting thesis project after entering the programme.

Our graduate students are partially supported in their research  (trip costs, conference and observing travel costs and page charges)  by the Reinhardt Endowment fund.

At the end of the guaranteed five years (of the direct-entry Doctoral program), the student is no longer eligible for University and Departmental Fellowships, and the supporting stipend is entirely based on agreements between the individual student and her/his supervisor. Note that the five-year guarantee is based on entry into the program on year one.  For those who entered into the Doctoral program at the equivalent of the second year (i.e.,  with an acceptable MSc degree), the guarantee is for four years.

While the support levels given are based on a full calendar year, payments are normally made in three installments in September, January and May. The issuance of any payment is, of course, contingent upon the student maintaining a level of performance which is acceptable to their supervisors and the department.

Important Notice: All students are required to apply for any significant external awards for which they are eligible. Canadian students from other provinces should note that the Ontario Graduate Scholarships (see below) are offered to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of all provinces. International students are encouraged to investigate the possibility that there are awards specifically offered to students wishing to study in Canada or overseas (see below). Some of the scholarships available are listed below. A more complete list is the External Award list by the School of Graduate Studies.

See also Graduate Student Support in Arts and Science.                                                           

The Reinhardt Endowment

The Department is very fortunate to have a significant endowment specifically designated for supporting graduate student research. The Reinhardt Fund provides partial travel support for graduate students for observing runs, attending conferences, and collaborative visits.The sharing of such travel costs with the student's supervisor greatly increases the opportunity for our students attending international conferences and conducting observing runs all over the world. The Fund also provides publication cost for papers published by students.

External Awards

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

NSERC is an agency of the Government of Canada that offers postgraduate awards of various types to assist students pursuing graduate degrees. Most, but not all, of the awards are restricted to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. All inquiries should be addressed to: The Scholarships Officer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6. You can also contact their web site for further information

Canadian Space Agency

Students who intend to work in the area of Space Astronomy and who are applying for NSERC support (see above) should be aware of the supplements offered by the Canadian Space agency. Further information is available through the CSA.

Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS)

The Government of Ontario offers scholarships for graduate study in any field at Ontario universities. Please visit their website for further information.

Ontario-Quebec Exchange Fellowships

Ontario-Quebec Exchange Fellowships for residents of Quebec that wish to study in Ontario. Please contact: Student Awards Branch, Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Mowat Block, Queen's Park, Toronto Ontario M7A 2B4. Their web site can point you to information about scholarships and loans.

Commonwealth Scholarships

The Commonwealth has a scholarship programme to facilitate exchange of students. Details are available from offices in member countries or: Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Committee, c/o Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 151 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5N1. Their web site lists a wide range of scholarships and awards for study in Canada and abroad.

Other Awards for Study in Canada

The Canadian Bureau for International Education has compiled a very useful list of awards to international students. It is available through their web site.

Students are required to report to the department all income from external scholarships.

University and Departmental Awards

Awards administered through the University and the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics require no special application.  The list of departmental awards is available through their web site.  These include:

Government of Ontario Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (OGSST)

These awards, supported by the Walter John Helm Estate and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, with additional funding from the Province of Ontario, provide up to $15,000 per year.

Connaught Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded by the University as entrance scholarships. The current value is $15,000 plus academic fees (including the differential fees for international students, if applicable) for year 1, and academic fees for the subsequent years.

University of Toronto Fellowships

These scholarships are administered by the Department on behalf of the University. They are open on the basis of merit to all University of Toronto graduate students.

The following is a list of the Departmental scholarships:

• C. A. Chant Fellowship
• Mary and Ron Martin Fellowships
• Frank S. Hogg Fellowship
• Shirely Jones Fellowship
• Carl Reinhardt Fellowships

Support from Research Grants

While student support from faculty research grants is entirely a matter between the student and their supervisor, there is agreement in principle that he faculty will contribute 50% of the amount required to provide the minimum level of support for every Ph.D. student they supervise during the period of eligibility.

Bursaries

Students in financial difficulty should approach the Chair or Graduate Coordinator for special assistance.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Most students hold one teaching assistantship (five hours/week, total 140 hours/year) during the academic year. The current value of such an assistantship is just over $5,100 per year as part of their financial package. The relatively light duty of the assistantship offers invaluable experience for students in teaching and communication.

In the very rare cases of students needing additional support, they might hold a research assistantship, but this normally requires an additional amount of work. The most likely employer is the student's supervisor, but if this is not possible the supervisor and the student, in consultation with the graduate coordinator, can seek another employer. In any case, the amount of time devoted to research and/or teaching assistantships is limited to ten hours/week.

Fee Deferments

Students with fellowships or TA positions are able to elect to defer the payment of their fees until April 30 of the following year. Cheques issued to them in September will not be used to offset outstanding fees. Payments to be made in January or May will first be used to offset any outstanding fees before any cheques are issued. The department will normally request a fee deferment on behalf of all students who request it. It will also calculate the January installment so as to include the amount of any fees to be paid, so as to provide the student with a net income that is relatively flat.

Students with special requirements regarding installment payments and fees should consult with the Graduate Coordinator as early as possible since requisitions for September cheques must be submitted in July.