Financial Package

M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students who are in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward the completion of their degree receive a financial package for a specified duration of their course of studies. The package consists of two components: (I) scholarship, and (II) graduate student assistantship. Students should consult the original offer letter sent to them at the time of admission for the exact amount and duration of support.

Please note: Students are responsible for paying their own fees (tuition and incidentals) and monitoring the balance of their fees account. Students must watch their "cash flow" and make contributions from their scholarship and graduate student assistantship to their fees account throughout the year to ensure that fees are paid in full by the required date.

(I) Scholarship

The scholarship component of the package may be provided by funds internal to ECE, such as the University of Toronto Fellowship or Rogers Scholarship. However, the scholarship component may also be provided by sources external to the Department or the University, such as the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), or the Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (OGSST). Other external sources, such as the Commonwealth Scholarship, CONACYT, or foreign government awards, may provide the scholarship component of the package, as well.

"Internal" scholarship is paid over the year in two equal instalments: in September for the Fall session and January for the Winter session. "External" scholarship is paid over the year in three equal instalments: in September for the Fall session, January for the Winter session, and May for the Summer session. For example, Rogers Scholarship (internal) with an annual value of $9900, tenable over academic session 2011-12, will be payable in two instalments of $4950 in September 2011 and January 2012. An NSERC PGS-M (external) with an annual value of $17,300, tenable over academic session 2011-12, will be payable in three instalments of $5767 in September 2011, January 2012, and May 2012. Scholarship is paid through ROSI (the student information system).

The student will receive direct deposit (where banking information has been entered on ROSI) or cheque for the full amount of the September instalment of scholarship. However, in the event the student has unpaid fees, those fees will be automatically deducted from subsequent scholarship instalments in January and May, even where a fees arrangement exists. For example, an OGS with an annual value of $15,000, tenable over academic session 2010-11, will be payable in three instalments of $5000 in September 2010, January 2011, and May 2011. The first instalment will go directly to the student in September 2010. Should the student owe fees of $7000 in January 2011, the January instalment will be credited directly and entirely toward fees. Should the student still owe fees of $2000 in May 2011, $2000 of the May instalment will be credited directly toward fees and $3000 of the May instalment will be refunded to the student.

(II) Graduate Student Assistantship

Graduate student assistantship (GSA) is the component of the financial package payable by the supervisor directly to the student. GSA is typically paid over the year in equal monthly instalments through HRIS (the Human Resources and Payroll system). Payday is the 28th of each month.

Graduate students must submit the following documents to their supervisor (or administrator) in advance of receiving GSA pay:

• TD1 Federal personal Tax Credits Return Form
• TD1 Ontario Personal Tax Credits Return Form
• Voided Personal Cheque or Deposit Slip (for direct depost to bank account)

The payroll documents must be submitted by the 12th of the month to ensure that payment is processed for the current month (for example, by March 12 to receive GSA pay on March 28).

Payroll documents need only be submitted once, prior to receiving the first GSA payment. Students may update their taxation and banking information at any time, however, as required.

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