Learn about the financial supports and services available for graduate studies.
York offers competitive funding to all qualified graduate students and is committed to promoting excellence in research and teaching.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, York graduate students receive a standard domestic funding package of $26,391 towards doctoral degree programs and $24,340 towards master’s degree programs. The stipend is composed primarily of Teaching Assistantships, for which the student must instruct in undergraduate laboratories, coordinate labs, or mark papers. Additional Research Assistantships are usually provided from the research supervisor's grants and other funding comes from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Non-scholarship students are guaranteed a 0.875 teaching assistant load but in practice most are offered a full 1.0 load.
Most major scholarship holders (NSERC, CIHR, OGS) are guaranteed a 0.5 teaching load, which allows them to devote more time to their research program. Scholarship students may request additional TA work but this requires a statement from the supervisor indicating that the scholarship holder will be able to maintain their expected academic progress, and departmental availability and need for extra teaching assistants.
Funding is contingent on continuous registration as a full-time student, continued satisfactory academic progress as determined by Faculty of Graduate Studies Regulations and Program Requirements, and fulfillment of any funding-related employment obligations.
Please visit Faculty of Graduate Studies—Understanding your Student Account and Funding Package for information on how to navigate the various financial processes relevant to graduate studies.
Funding for international graduate students at York University is complex because it comes from a wide variety of sources, is provided unevenly across the year, and may not be enough to cover cost of living in the Toronto area. Please see the attached information sheet for more details:
Program fees are charged per term, and in most cases include tuition costs as well as supplementary fees. Additional fees may include health plans, the YU-card (where applicable) and associated course and program fees. Please note that course and program fees are subject to approval by York's Board of Governors in accordance with the fees guidelines set by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and are subject to change.
Graduate students must maintain continuous registration in all terms—Fall, Winter and Summer—until graduation, subject to the time limits stated in Current Students – Regulations, and must pay the appropriate term fee. When you register for Fall term, unless it is your final term of study, you are encouraged to also register for Winter term. This is recommended in order to mitigate the risk of missing the Winter registration deadline and having to pay a late fee. Tuition fees for both terms will then be reflected in your account.Only Fall term fees are paid in the Fall. The remaining balance on your account indicates your Winter term fees. These fees do not need to be paid until the beginning of Winter term.
Tuition and ancillary fees on your student account will be paid automatically by your York Fellowship and/or applicable scholarships and awards for funded students. There is no action needed on your part —this process is completed automatically at the beginning of each term. Please note that the Fellowship is not indexed to cover the following fees: Referenda Fees, and Registration Fees (approximately $15 per term).
Please visit Student Financial Services–Fees for more information.
MSc and PhD Biology graduate students are encouraged to apply for internal as well as external scholarships (from NSERC, CIHR, and other sources). Application eligibility, deadlines and instructions are announced throughout the year.
Awards for Incoming Students:
Incoming students are automatically considered for all eligible awards through the admissions process and no separate application is required for these awards. For some awards, incoming students may be contacted to provide additional information.
- The Carswell Scholarships in the Faculty of Science (PhD, $10,000)
- C.D. Fowle Scholarship in Ecology (MSc or PhD, $7,000)
- Ecole Polytechnique Montreal Women’s Memorial Scholarship (MSc, $2500)
- Elia Scholars Program (PhD, $35,000)
- Enbridge Graduate Student Awards (MSc or PhD, $7,000)
- Nestmann Scholarship (MSc or PhD, $7,000)
- The Vernon Oliver Stong Graduate Scholarships in Science (MSc or PhD, $10,000)
- Vista Graduate Scholarships (MSc or PhD)
- York Graduate Scholarship (MSc or PhD, up to $6000)
Awards for Current Students:
- Peter Moens/AGSBS Graduate Award in Biology (MSc or PhD)
- Provost Dissertation Scholarship (last year PhD, 21,000 + tuition waiver)
- Susan Mann Dissertation Scholarship (last year PhD, $21,000 + tuition waiver)
Provincial and Tri-Council Scholarships:
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (PhD, $50,000/yr)
- Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (MSc, $17,500)
- OGS and QEII (MSc or PhD, $15,000)
- CIHR—CGS D (PhD, $30,000)
- NSERC—Postgraduate Scholarships/PGS D (PhD $21,000/yr)
- NSERC—Alexander Graham Bell Canada/CGS D (PhD, $35,000/yr)
Please visit Faculty of Graduate Studies—Funding and Awards for a full list of awards and scholarships, complete with application instructions and deadlines.
Need Help?
Graduate studies can be an exciting and rewarding opportunity, but it can also be a time of stress and anxiety due to new academic challenges and financial worries. There are resources available in Biology, Faculty of Graduate Studies, and University-wide.