Student Finances

As one of Canada's leading research institutions, we place great importance on helping you finance your education. While at Western, you will want to devote your full energy to the successful completion of your studies, so we want to ensure that stable funding is available to you.

Some funding is awarded to you upon entry into a program, some is based on recommendations from the program that is admitting you, and others you must apply for yourself, either to The University of Western Ontario or to an external funding agency.

There are two main types of funding available to graduate students:

  • Western Funding - Provided directly by department, faculty or the University, these types of funding are distributed to students on a term by term basis.
  • External Funding - Awarded by federal, provincial and private agencies, to students who apply for scholarships and awards in annual competitions to support graduate study the following academic year.  Major scholarship competitions are run through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Western Funding

The basic graduate student funding package is a combination of Graduate Teaching Assistant salary (which requires being at the university during the academic year) and the supplementary WGRS (Western Graduate Research Scholarship). This is provided to all M.A. students maintaining a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 78%, and to all Ph.D. students who have not acquired outside funding, and who maintain a G.P.A. of 78%. Ph.D. students should be aware that the university and the Department of History cannot offer funding beyond the fourth year.

The Department of History is also able to provide a range of scholarships to support research. These awards are competitive within the department and will be awarded to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and devotion to research, and have demonstrated their commitment to applying for external grants.

In addition, there are Donor Funded Awards available to graduate students within the Department of History. Donor Funded Awards are made possible by generous donations from alumni, corporations, foundations and other friends of Western in support of student scholarship. Most graduate award recipients are selected by nomination or competitions internal to the graduate program. For a comprehensive listing of all current donor funded awards available to graduate history  students at Western, please visit our Donor Funded Award Search.

External Funding

All students are encouraged to apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) and Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants. PhD students in particular are expected to apply for these scholarships, not merely because of the financial advantage but also because grant-writing is an essential part of academic training, and success in acquiring grants will be essential to finding employment in the highly competitive academic job market.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
osap.gov.on.ca

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program is jointly funded between the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and matched funding through donations to The University of Western Ontario. The Ontario Graduate Scholarships are designed to encourage excellence in graduate studies at the master's and doctoral levels.

Annual Value: $10,000 to $15,000

Deadline for Application: The application deadline is set by your home department.

Eligibility to Apply:

  • Plan to be enrolled full-time in a graduate program at an Ontario university
  • Canadian citizen, permanent resident or an international student studying on a study permit
  • A- (80%) average over the last two years of study if less than two years of graduate work OR the cumulative graduate average, if more than two years
  • Have not exceeded the lifetime maximum of four years of government-funded awards including OGS, and awards from CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

How to Apply: Online application

Tools for submitting a successful application:

Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
www.sshrc.ca

The SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships and Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarships programs seek to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly-qualified personnel in the social sciences and humanities.

Annual Value: $17,500 to $35,000

Deadline for Application: The application deadline is set by your home department.

Eligibility to Apply:

  • Masters Competition:
    • Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
    • 1st class (A- or 80%) average in EACH of the last 2 years of study
    • Must be applying for support of first graduate degree and have completed no more than 12 months of study
    • Must not have previously received a master's level award from SSRHC, NSERC or CIHR
  • Doctoral Competition:
    • Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
    • Must be applying for support of first PhD
    • Be pursuing doctoral studies (or a combined MA/PhD)
    • Must not have previously received a doctoral level award from SSRHC, NSERC or CIHR

How to Apply: Online application

View the 2010/2011 SSHRC presentation (.ppt)

Tips for submitting a good application:

  • Follow instructions: font size, margins, page limits etc.
  • Clear concise writing
  • Proofread for spelling, grammar
  • Provide needed documentation
  • Choose respondents with care
  • Be aware of deadlines
Western provides the best student experience among Canada's leading research-intensive universities.