Finances & Awards

Graduate students in the Department of English draw on a number of sources to finance their studies. MA and MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing students are eligible for SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's (CGS M) as well as Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing, PhD, and PhD U students hold Teaching Assistantships. PhD and PhD U students are eligible for SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships as well as SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral (CGS D); in addition, they may apply for a Summer Thesis Fellowship in Year 4 (Year 5 for the PhD U) and, if needed, a Doctoral Completion Award in Year 6. (Note that only citizens or permanent residents of Canada may apply for SSHRC scholarships and fellowships.)

If you are considering applying to our MA, MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing, or PhD/PhD U Program, please also be certain to apply for SSHRC or OGS support. This is important for all students but particularly for students hoping to enter the MA Program.

PhD and PhD U students in the program, including students in their first year, are required to apply for external funding each year. Historically, our students have been very successful with their applications. We provide workshops in grant writing as well as one-on-one clinics with faculty, both aimed at helping students put together the strongest applications possible.

The Department of English also awards a number of internal scholarships to its graduate students. Among these, we are delighted to announce the Professor Linda Munk Graduate Futures Scholarship, worth $20,000 for one year, which honors the late Linda Munk, Professor of English Literature at the University of Toronto. Professor Munk was widely recognized for her passion for literature, especially American poetry of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, for her teaching and her outstanding research. All applicants to the MA and PhD programs will automatically be considered for the Linda Munk Scholarship as well as other internal awards.

Detailed information about internal and external funding is provided below. Start with the "Overview" or go directly to the topic that interests you.

The University of Toronto is the first Canadian University to offer a base funding package for graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees. It is the policy of the Graduate Department of English that all PhD students receive a base funding package of at least $21,750 (in 2024-25) plus tuition and incidental fees (including UHIP for international students) through five years of study in the PhD program, conditional on the student making satisfactory progress towards the degree.
Tuition fees are posted annually on the Student Accounts website. Fees are listed by program and year of entry.  

Many of our students win major academic awards, such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Scholarship, or The Faculty of Arts & Science Top (FAST) Doctoral Fellowship.

For all students (domestic and international) without a major academic award, the base funding includes the maximum Teaching Assistantship income (approximately 156 hours / $7,755) that can be counted by the University as part of the funding package. In order to receive the full $21,750 stipend, in other words, students are required to take on a TAship assignment of at least $7,755 (approximately 156 hours); that amount will be part of, not in addition to, the amount of the stipend, with any TAship income above that amount earned on top of the stipend. Students who do not wish to work as a Teaching Assistant for up to $7,755 will give up a corresponding portion of the funding. A typical teaching assistant assignment in the Department of English is usually in the range of 160-180 hours for the Fall-Winter academic session, so a 170-hour / $8,445 assignment would allow you to earn the full $21,750 stipend plus $690 ($8,445-$7,755) for a total of $22,440.

For domestic students with a major academic award, all Teaching Assistantship income is on top of, not included in, the funding package: for such students, the funding package depends on the specific award that the student has received (see below for explanations of the most common major academic awards).

For international students with a major academic award (other than the Vanier; see below), Teaching Assistantship income up to $7,755 is counted by the University as part of the funding package, unless the award covers the whole package: for such students, the base funding consists of the scholarship, the maximum Teaching Assistantships income that can be counted towards the funding package and a University of Toronto Fellowship. Students who do not wish to work as a Teaching Assistant for up to $7,755 will give up a corresponding portion of the funding.

For an international student with a Vanier, the scholarship covers the base funding package, so Teaching Assistantship income is on top of the funding package.

See below under the individual awards for more detailed descriptions of how these awards work in practice at the University of Toronto.

And please visit these websites below for further information on funding works at the U of T:

The Faculty of Arts & Science - How Graduate Funding Works in Arts & Science

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) - How funding Works: Research-Stream Programs

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Students applying to the one-year MA program OR to the two-year MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing OR entering the second year of the MA CRW program, may apply for SSHRC CGS-Master’s awards. SSHRC has confirmed that both our MA programs are SSHRC CGS M–eligible. See the Supplemental Information below, and contact the Graduate Program office with any questions regarding program eligibility.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Since Fall 2013, applicants for SSHRC GCS M funding must complete their entire application on-line using the new “tri-agency” application portal shared by three academic funding agencies.

The tentative date that the on-line application will be available to students is early September. To apply for a CGS- Master’s you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, have completed or be about to complete a bachelor’s degree, or be enrolled in, or intend to apply for full-time admission to an eligible graduate program at the master's or doctoral level at a Canadian university with a CGS M allocation.

You must be applying for full-time admission to an MA program in the humanities or social sciences in Canada, or be continuing full-time in such a program. You must have a first-class average (e.g. for U of T undergraduates, A minus or 3.7 GPA) in your last two years of completed study (full-time or the equivalent). You cannot have held previous CGS M funding. See the SSHRC website for further eligibility information.

Scholarships in the amount of $17,500 are awarded for a 12-month period and are non-renewable. Visit the SSHRC website for information and for the on-line application. Consult the Supplemental Information below for hints for understanding this new application system.

Explanation of Funding: Tuition and fees ($8,214) are deducted from the amount of the award ($17,500), the remainder of which ($9,286) is received by the student.

  • DeadlineAbsolute application deadline (date by which the complete application must be submitted by the applicant): Friday, December 1, 2023, before 8:00 pm (EST). Applications must be submitted by the deadline using the Research Portal. If the deadline falls on a weekend, applications must be submitted by the following business day before 8:00 pm (ET). Due to the volume of traffic, the CGS M website has crashed in the past on the days prior to the deadline on December 1. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH THEREFORE STRONGLY RECOMMENDS STUDENTS PLAN TO SUBMIT A DAY OR TWO EARLIER THAN THE DEADLINE.
  • Government Funded Awards (School of Graduate Studies)
  • SSHRC Talent Program
  • Tri-Agency Application 
  • PDF icon2024-2025 Supplemental SSHRC CGSM Instructions
  • The APPLYING FOR EXTERNAL FELLOWSHIPS PRIMER is available to current U of T English students upon request.  Contact the Graduate Assistant, Marguerite Perry

NB: Students applying for the SSHRC CGS M will also need to upload scanned pdf copies of OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS to their CGS M application. These students may contact Marguerite Perry directly for assistance and more information.

The 2024-2025 Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) online application is not yet open. Please note that this is a revised on-line application, available through the School of Graduate Studies website.  A direct link will be posted to the SGS website when it is open.

Before you begin the application, please READ THROUGH THE SGS INFORMATION PAGE FOR OGS, and the REVISED INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY.

As of the 2013-2014 academic year, the University of Toronto has been responsible for the adjudication of the OGS awards held at U of T and has a centralized online application available via the School of Graduate Studies website (link below). If you are a current student, your OGS application is made via this School of Graduate Studies website. If you are a student seeking admission, you submit an OGS application to each university for which you are seeking admission. OGS awards are no longer transferrable from one university to another.

Master's students are allowed to receive the Ontario Graduate Scholarship for a maximum of two years.  The award is available during either one or both of the first two academic years (12-month periods) of a master’s degree program, but not after the second year. OGS awards are subject to a lifetime maximum of six years per student. In addition, OGS guidelines restrict students to a lifetime maximum of six (6) years of government-funded awards and prohibit students from holding an OGS and another government-funded award concurrently.

Doctoral students may receive the scholarship for a maximum of four years, and are subject to a lifetime maximum of six years per student. In addition, OGS guidelines restrict students to a lifetime maximum of six (6) years of government-funded awards and prohibit students from holding an OGS and another government-funded award concurrently.

Applications for awards at the provincial level are primarily for citizens or permanent residents of Canada residing in Ontario, who are either already enrolled in, or are about to enter, a graduate degree program full-time, and who study or plan to study at a university in Ontario.

However, a small number of awards are available to visa students. Applicants holding or who will be holding a student visa are eligible to apply following the same application process and internal deadlines set by their current or proposed graduate unit. Graduate units will select and forward a limited number of applications to the School of Graduate Studies to compete in a centralized adjudication of visa-student applications.

Applicants are usually notified about the result of their application by mid-April.

OGS awards are currently valued at $15,000 and are awarded to successful applicants as $5,000 per term for three consecutive terms.

Explanation of Funding for MA Students: Tuition and fees ($8,214) are deducted from the amount of the award ($15,000), the remainder of which ($6,786) is received by the student.

Explanation of Funding for PhD Students

Short version: an OGS brings the minimum base funding up to $23,250, but for domestic students any Teaching Assistantship income is on top of that amount, so should you choose to take on a typical TA assignment (usually in the range of 160-180 hours), your full stipend (with a 170-hour / $8,445 assignment) would be approximately $31,695. (Please note that you can also request TA assignments with fewer hours, typically 90 hours over one term.)

Long version: The Faculty of Arts & Science Base Funding Package is $29,964 for the 2024-25 academic year, which includes a base amount of $21,750 plus tuition and fees of $8,214. Because the OGS provides $15,000 per year, Arts & Science provides a UTF of $14,964 to bridge the difference between the OGS and the Base Funding Package. In addition to the OGS of $15,000 and the bridge UTF of $14,964 minus $8,214 in tuition and fees (total of $21,750), the award holder receives a $1,500 top up. For domestic students, any earnings from TAships are above and beyond the combined income from the OGS, the bridge UTF, and the top up. (For international students, the TAship is part of the funding package; if you are an international student with an OGS, please consult Tanuja Persaud for an explanation of the TAship in your individual situation.)

NB: Students applying for the SSHRC Doctoral/CGS-D will also need to upload scanned pdf copies of OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS to their OGS application. These students may contact Marguerite Perry directly for assistance and more information.

THE SSHRC DOCTORAL AND CGS D APPLICATION for 2023-2024 IS NOW ONLINE AND OPEN.

Through its Doctoral Awards funding opportunity, SSHRC offers two types of funding for doctoral students:

Applicants apply for both awards by completing one application form. If you are eligible for both awards, SSHRC will automatically consider you for both.

Applications for doctoral awards at the federal level are open only to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are either already enrolled in, or about to enter, a graduate degree program.  Applications must be completed online, verified, and submitted online by the Department deadline, which is much earlier than the date posted on the SSHRC website. Applications go through a rigorous ranking process both at a department level and at the School of Graduate Studies before selected applications are digitally forwarded to Ottawa, where the final decisions are made. Visit the website the SSHRC website for more information about the adjudication process.

To apply for a SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship or Canada Graduate Scholarship, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, have completed a bachelor's degree (if you are applying to a direct entry PhD program), or be about to complete a master's degree in the humanities or social sciences, or be already pursuing a PhD or equivalent or a combined MA/PhD at a Canadian university.

SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships are currently valued at $20,000 per annum and are awarded to successful applicants for 1-4 years.

Explanation of Funding

Short version: a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship brings the minimum base funding up to $24,750, but any Teaching Assistantship income is on top of that amount, so should you choose to take on a typical TA assignment (usually in the range of 160-180 hours), your full stipend (with a 170-hour / $8,445 assignment) would be approximately $33,195. (Please note that you can also request TA assignments with fewer hours, typically 90 hours over one term.)

Long version: The Faculty of Arts & Science Base Funding Package is $29,964 for the 2024-25 academic year, which includes a base amount of $21,750 plus tuition and fees of $8,214. Because the SSHRC Doctoral provides $20,000 per year, Arts & Science provides a UTF of $9,964 to bridge the difference between the SSHRC and the Base Funding Package. In addition to the SSHRC of $20,000 and the bridge UTF of $9,964 minus $8,214 in tuition and fees (total of $21,750), the award holder receives a $3,000 top up. Any earnings from TAships are above and beyond the combined income from the SSHRC, the bridge UTF, and the top up.

    CGS-Doctoral Scholarships are currently valued at $35,000 per annum and are awarded to successful applicants for a period of 3 years.

    Explanation of Funding: Tuition and fees ($8,214) are deducted from the amount of the award ($35,000). The student receives the remainder ($26,786) plus a $3,000 top up for each year in which the award is held, bringing the minimum base funding up to $29,786, but any Teaching Assistantship income is on top of that amount, so should you choose to take on a typical TA assignment (usually in the range of 160-180 hours), your full stipend (with a 170-hour / $8,445 assignment) would be approximately $38,231. (Please note that you can also request TA assignments with fewer hours, typically 90 hours over one term.)

    Please carefully consult the Supplemental Department of English Doctoral SSHRC & CGS D Instructions (link forthcoming).

    NB: Students applying for the Doctoral SSHRC/CGS-D will also need to upload scanned pdf copies of OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS to their SSHRC application. These students may contact Marguerite Perry directly for assistance and more information.

    The English department is usually allowed to forward one doctoral student's application to the School of Graduate Studies in order to be considered for one of the university's Vanier CGS nominations. Students interested in applying for this lucrative and highly competitive award should contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) well in advance of the department’s internal deadline for submitting a complete application in order to communicate their intention to apply. If the department is given permission to nominate a candidate, all complete applications will be considered for nomination by the DGS. Complete applications, which are the responsibility of the student, must be in place by September 1, in order to be considered for departmental nomination.

    Please note: the Vanier CGS is open to both domestic and international students. The Vanier CGS is for prospective applicants (i.e., applicants who hope to join the program in September 2024) and current U of T doctoral students who will have completed no more than 20 months in the PhD or the PhD U (Direct-Entry) program by the time the award begins.

    Applicants should review the award information carefully on the School of Graduate Studies Vanier page (https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards/vanier-canada-graduate-scholarship/) and the application procedures on the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Government of Canada website (https://vanier.gc.ca/en/nomination_process-processus_de_mise_en_candidat...) before notifying the DGS of their intention to apply.

    The Department of English internal deadline is Friday, September 1, 2023 (4:00 pm).

    PhD and MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing students entering or currently registered in the graduate program are eligible for Teaching Assistantships. A substantial number of assistantships are appointed each year. Most appointments are for 170-190 hours per academic year, but the number of hours may vary below or above these figures. Students must apply for these appointments.

    Notices announcing positions to be filled will be posted outside rooms JHB 603 and JHB 719, on the Central HR & Equity Job postings website, and on the Department of English website.

    Because TAships are dependent on undergraduate enrolment, they cannot be finalized until late summer or early fall. For more information on the Departmental TA hiring policies, please see the PDF iconTA HANDBOOK.pdf

     

    The Department of English accepts applications for support for conference presentations (MA and PhD) and research travel (PhD only).

    Priority is given to applications for conference presentations (in-person or virtual). To be eligible for conference funding, you must be delivering a paper.

    Once or twice a year, a call for applications will announce these opportunities.

    Conference Presentations

    MA students: up to $500
    PhD students: up to $750 (domestic) or $1,000 (international)

    Research Travel

    PhD students: up to $750 (domestic) or $1,000 (international)

    Important: please note the availability of the SGS Conference Grant, which gives preference to applications from PhD students "in the early stages of their graduate studies," so we recommend that you make your first conference application to SGS and then seek departmental support in Year 3 or beyond.

    Additionally, the Camilla (Cavanagh) O’Connor Doctoral Conference/Research Travel Bursary, generously established by Professor John O’Connor with funds from his mother’s estate (and in her honour), continues to support candidates who are enrolled in the PhD Program and have completed at least three TAships, including the leading of tutorials. This bursary may be held either independently of or in conjunction with the departmental grant and may be used to defray travel expenses for the delivery of a paper at a conference or for essential research in the preparation of a thesis.

    The Summer Thesis Fellowship is available by application to PhD Year 4 students (and PhD U Year 5 students) to support a concentrated focus on dissertation progress during May through August of that year. Creating a "Milestone" on the path towards degree completion, it provides a positive incentive to encourage timely completion of the doctoral dissertation. Applicants must be in good standing and have already completed at least one thesis chapter. Fellowship recipients are encouraged not to accept summer teaching as a TA or Course Instructor in May to August of PhD Year 4 (PhD U Year 5), so they can focus on their thesis. The yearly amount of program-level fellowship pool funds will be divided among eligible applications and will vary from year to year. The Fellowship is in addition to the year's UTF amounts, external scholarships, and any previously committed internal awards.

    Eligibility and application requirements:

    • PhD Year 4 (or PhD U Year 5): by application in January; supporting documents by March.
    • Students must have achieved candidacy in Year 3 (PhD U Year 4), be in good standing, and compliant with the FAS Terms and Agreement for fellowship support.
    • By March 1 of Year 4 (Year 5 for PhD U), students must have completed a thesis chapter, attested by the thesis committee to be a competent draft chapter. Your supervisor should send a separate email to the Director of Graduate Studies attesting that the draft chapter is competent. (Please note: a full-length introduction, or combined writings that the supervisor deems to be the equivalent of a chapter in terms of significance for the dissertation, may be considered a "chapter" for this purpose. If in doubt about your eligibility, please be sure to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies.)

    The application requires a one-page plan of thesis work, including proposed writing, to be undertaken during the fellowship period.

    Fellowship holders are encouraged not to hold summer teaching during May to August of that year so they can focus on their thesis.

    Fellows will submit a final report in September on thesis work completed at the end of their fellowships.

    Priorities addressed and benefits anticipated:

    1. PhD "Milestone": The Summer Thesis Fellowship -- with its focus on continued dissertation progress -- will reinforce the PhD program's expectations of time to completion. 
    2. Added funding: PhD Year 4 (PhD U 5) students holding these fellowships will receive a boost in funding at a time when average income tends to fall slightly (due to greater availability of external grants and recruitment funds in early PhD years). It will preclude the need for summer teaching.
    3. Availability of summer teaching appears to be falling in the Department, resulting in disappointed applicants. With fourth years holding Summer Thesis Fellowships, it may enhance available summer-teaching opportunities for other students seeking them.
    4. RAship: the Summer Thesis Fellowship may be held in conjunction with an RAship so long as the total number of RA hours averages 5 or fewer per week.

    More information on the fellowship is available on the Arts & Science Graduate Program Fellowships page.

    The Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) is available for doctoral students in the first year beyond the funded cohort.

    Both domestic and international students are eligible to apply and should submit their application to the Graduate Administrator by the appropriate deadline (as announced on the student gradlist). The value of the award is determined by available funds each year.

    ELIGIBILITY

    In order to apply for the DCA you must:

    • Be a full-time registered PhD student exiting the funded cohort (entering year 6) [i.e. be registered for the full session during which the DCA instalment is paid out]
    • Be ABD with all requirements completed except the dissertation
    • Be in good standing as defined by the Department of English and SGS
    • Have a "progress is satisfactory" report on file from your supervisory committee for the current academic year (between 1 July to June 30)
    • Have completed two chapters (or the equivalent) of the dissertation (for PhD U students applying for the first time, one chapter [or the equivalent])
    • Not hold a major internal or external award/funding (exceeding $10 000) for the year in which the DCA would be held

    INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WITH A JACKMAN JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP IN YEAR 6: If the value of the DCA in the relevant year exceeds the value of a Jackman Junior Fellowship (JJF) held by an international PhD candidate, the student will receive the difference.

    Students may apply only ONCE for the DCA in the first year beyond the funded cohort (i.e entering Year 6) with the following exception: if you are a PhD U student, you may apply a second time. Note: PhD U students applying a second time must submit ONE NEW chapter with their second application.

    In order to take up the award in the fall you must have completed two chapters (or the equivalent) of the dissertation (for PhD U students applying for the first time, one chapter [or the equivalent]). These chapters are to be submitted digitally via email to BOTH the Graduate Administrator tanuja.persaud@utoronto.ca AND to the DGS english.graddirector@utoronto.ca by 1 August (or the next business day if 1 August falls on a weekend or a statutory holiday). This is a hard deadline so that your award payment can be processed in a timely manner for the September awards cheque run.

    NOTE: Students who defend and submit their final dissertation to SGS T-Space in a given session (i.e. Fall, from 1 September to 31 December; Winter, from 1 January to 30 April; or Summer, from 1 May to 31 August) are ineligible to receive the proportion of the DCA for that session or for any remaining session(s) thereafter. (The award is paid out in two instalments, in Sept and Jan, so if you defend during the Summer Session, you would have to pay back 1/3 of the total amount of the award.)

    When students upload their final, approved dissertations to the thesis repository, their registration is financially cancelled (FINCA) and they are no longer registered students.

    APPLYING

    The DCA APPLICATION FORM should be completed, signed, and submitted digitally to Tanuja Persaud, Graduate Administrator, tanuja.persaud@utoronto.ca, by the appropriate deadline. Please feel free to contact the DGS or Tanuja Persaud with any questions about your application.