Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is a government-funded merit-based scholarship program that encourages excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. At the University of Toronto, OGS is jointly funded by the Province of Ontario and the University of Toronto. The Province allocates OGS awards to universities by number of awards each may offer to students annually.

OGS is for applicants registered or intending to register in an eligible graduate program on a full-time basis. The award applies to master’s and doctoral studies in eligible University of Toronto programs defined as full-time programs of study of two or three terms leading to a graduate degree. Students studying under temporary resident visa arrangements can be eligible for a set number of OGS awards.

Selection is based on criteria used previously by Ontario’s panel members and updated by the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Awards Committee. Criteria include relevant experience and achievements, transcripts and other academic accomplishments, publications and presentations, research and/or creative productivity, academic and relevant work experience, and academic and professional activities. A plan of study and academic assessment reports are also evaluated, with stated weighting up to 40%, up to 30%, and up to 30% (15% for each letter).

Each OGS is tenable for one year, meaning awardees may receive the scholarship for two consecutive sessions or three consecutive academic sessions, depending on the offer letter. The value is $5,000 per session, with the awarding graduate unit contributing one-third of the total award cost. To hold the award, recipients must remain full-time in an eligible program and meet conditions including repayment requirements for an incomplete session, OSAP good standing requirements, restrictions on overlapping awards, and eligibility limits on total years of OGS and related government-funded support.

• Be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) by the student deadline as determined by each graduate unit.
• International students who are studying or plan to study at the University of Toronto under a temporary resident visa (student study permit) are eligible for a set number of OGS awards, with valid study permits effective as of the graduate units’ OGS international application deadline.
• Be registered or intend to register in an eligible program on a full-time basis in 2026-2027.
• Eligible program: a full-time program of study of two or three terms at the University of Toronto leading to a graduate degree.
• Full-time status: at least 60% of a full course load (40% for students with a permanent disability) or as defined by the institution.
• Have not exceeded the lifetime maximum of government-funded support or maximum OGS/QEII support available for their current level of study (see Maximum Support).
• Have achieved 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, have an overall average of at least A- (or equivalent) on all graduate courses completed.
• At the graduate unit’s discretion, exceptions may be made for highly meritorious applicants below the required GPA minimum, including applicants with documented medical issues or family care responsibilities, applicants who pursued alternative career paths, or mature students with professional experience; applicants must contact proposed graduate unit(s) to confirm use of this eligibility criterion.
• If marks used for calculating GPA are not available (e.g., pass-fail), use the next most recent available undergraduate or graduate marks to determine eligibility.
• Must be in good standing with the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to hold an OGS; applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario Student Loan, or failed to make satisfactory repayment on a loan overpayment, are ineligible.
• Those with an OSAP restriction may still apply; if awarded, they must clear the restriction within 30 days of notification in order to accept and hold the award.
• Recipients must register and remain enrolled as a full-time student at U of T in an eligible program at the graduate unit from which the OGS was awarded.
• Recipients who withdraw, transfer to part-time status, complete degree requirements prior to the end of their award, or fail to complete the full session are required to repay funds received for the incomplete session.
• Recipients may accept research assistantships, part-time teaching positions, or other paid employment that does not affect full-time graduate status and is commensurate with graduate unit policies; typically, students holding full-time paid employment are not eligible to receive an OGS from the University of Toronto.
• Recipients 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.
• Enrolled in a postgraduate MD training program and simultaneously registered in a full-time doctoral graduate program may hold other awards together with OGS or QEII-GSST, provided they do not exceed the current level of funding for clinical training provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
• Graduate units may impose additional criteria to apply, receive, or hold an OGS.

• $5,000 per session.
• Awardees may receive $10,000 for two consecutive sessions or $15,000 for three consecutive sessions, depending on the offer.
• Tenable for one year (two consecutive or three academic sessions as specified in the offer letter).
• Awarding graduate unit contributes one-third the cost of the total award received.

1. Applicants must submit an OGS application to their proposed graduate unit using the U of T School of Graduate Studies centralized online OGS applica… (instruction text is truncated).
2. Student deadlines are set by the graduate unit.
3. Graduate units forward all OGS nominations to SGS by the graduate unit deadline (refer to SGS Memo).

• Transcripts (listed as an evaluation criterion).