The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program promotes academic excellence at Ontario’s publicly funded universities. Since 1975, the OGS program has awarded merit-based scholarships to Ontario’s top graduate students in all fields of study. The scholarship program at U of T is funded jointly by the province of Ontario and the university. The Province allocates OGS awards to universities, specifying the number of awards each may offer to students each year.
Eligibility to Apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
To apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarship, candidates must fulfill the following criteria:
- you must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of application.
- International students studying or planning to study at the University of Toronto on a temporary resident visa (student study permit) are eligible for a limited number of OGS awards (valid study permits must be effective at the time of the graduate unit’s OGS international application deadline).
- Be enrolled or intend to enroll full-time in an eligible program at the University of Toronto;
- A full-time program of study of two or three terms at the University of Toronto leading to a graduate degree is defined as an eligible program. A full-time student is one who is enrolled in at least 60% of a full-time course load (40% for students with permanent disabilities) or as defined by their institution. Each graduate unit determines program eligibility on an individual basis. Students should carefully read the information provided by the graduate unit in which they intend to enroll to determine whether their program is eligible for the graduate unit’s OGS competition.
- Have not exceeded the lifetime maximum of government-funded support or the maximum OGS/QEII support available for their current level of study (see Maximum Support below);
- Have obtained at least A- (or equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent); or if the student has completed two years or more of graduate studies at the time of application, the student must only demonstrate an overall average of at least A- (or equivalent) on a scale of A- to F.
Eligibility to Hold an OGS Award
Recipients of an Ontario Graduate Scholarship:
- Must enroll as a full-time student at U of T in an eligible program at the graduate unit where the OGS was awarded;
- Whoever withdraws, transfers to part-time status completes degree requirements before the end of their award, or fails to complete the entire session must repay the funds received for the incomplete session.
- Applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario Student Loan, or who have failed to repay a loan overpayment satisfactorily, are ineligible for the award.
- The Ontario Student Assistance Program must be in good standing (OSAP). Those who are subject to an OSAP restriction may still apply for the OGS. However, in order to accept and hold the award, they must have the restriction lifted within 30 days of notification.
- They may accept research assistantships, part-time teaching positions, or other paid employment that does not affect their status as a full-time graduate student and is commensurate with the graduate unit policies if they are awarded.
- Students who work full-time are typically ineligible for an OGS from the University of Toronto;
- Cannot hold an OGS award in the same session (overlapping) or in the same award year as a scholarship from SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, QEII-GSST, or another OGS.
The eligibility criteria presented here are only the bare minimum. Graduate units may impose additional requirements for applying for, receiving, or holding an OGS. Please contact your graduate unit if you have any additional requirements or conditions that are not listed here.
Maximum Assistance
The number of years a student may hold an OGS is limited:
- OGS/QEII-GSST awards are limited to two years for master’s students.
- Doctoral students may receive OGS/QEII awards for a maximum of four years.
- Both have a lifetime limit of six years per student.
Furthermore, OGS guidelines limit students to a lifetime maximum of six years of government-funded awards and prohibit students from simultaneously holding an OGS and another government-funded award.
These restrictions apply to awards made under the following programs:
- Graduate Scholarship Program in Ontario (OGS)
- The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) was established in 1989. (formerly OGSST)
- Trillium Scholarships in Ontario (OTS)
- Canada Council for the Advancement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSHRC)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
- Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)
The Application Procedure
To apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarships applicants must use the U of T School of Graduate Studies centralized online OGS application to submit an OGS application to their proposed graduate unit. Each graduate unit will have its own internal submission deadline that applicants must meet. Applicants should read the OGS Application Instructions before applying. They are normally available in October.
Once the entire application has been completed and submitted online, it will be made available for review and consideration by the proposed graduate unit.
Important note for visa students: Applicants who have a valid study permit by the OGS international application deadline for their current or proposed graduate unit are eligible to apply using the same application process and internal deadlines. Graduate units will choose and submit a limited number of applications to the School of Graduate Studies for centralized adjudication.
Important note for prospective students: Prospective students should be aware that OGS awards are not transferable between universities or graduate units at U of T. As a result, students must submit an OGS application to each graduate unit at U of T for which they wish to be admitted, as well as to each Ontario institution if applying to multiple universities (each institution will have its own unique OGS application and process).
Application Prerequisites (All Components are Available)
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship Application form
- Transcripts from all postsecondary educational institutions (unofficial and student-issued transcripts are permitted; e.g., ACORN screenshots).
- Previous recognition/publication/conference/research experience.
- Plan of study (maximum of two pages: one for the Plan of Study and one for references/citations).
- Two scholarly references (referees will be required to submit online).
Indigenous Scholars Fellowship
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) has authorized universities to provide a minimum of two (2) Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) awards exclusively to Indigenous graduate students in order to recognize excellence and promote equitable access and participation in the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program by Indigenous applicants.
Graduate students who are Indigenous to Canada (defined in the Constitution Act of 1982 as a person who identifies with First Nations (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit) and have indicated this status on their OGS application will be considered for one of at least three (3) Ontario Graduate Scholarship Indigenous Scholar Awards and potentially other Indigenous awards offered by the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies.
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Award amount and duration
The Graduate Awards Office’s award offer specifies and details the award’s value and duration. The award’s value and duration will be adjusted to reflect a change in status (for example, termination of graduate studies or discontinuation of full-time studies or research).