Ontario Graduate Scholarship

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program is jointly governed by the Ontario government and the participating Ontario universities. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is established by the Province but varies according to the university.

Citizenship

Both domestic and international students are eligible for the Ontario Graduate Scholarships. As per the guidelines, the applicant must be:

• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident at the time of the application;
• An international student studying in an Ontario university with a valid Canadian study permit.

Note: Students protected under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) are also eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Academic Requirements

To be eligible for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, applicants must fulfill the following academic requirements:

• Hold an A– Average (Ontario equivalent of 80%) in both the years of full-time study before being awarded the scholarship.
• International applicants must be proficient in English by the time of application.
• Applicant must be registered full-time in a graduate degree program, that is,
  • 60% or more of a full course load as defined by the university
  • 40% or more for students with disabilities.

Eligibility Conditions for Ontario Graduate Scholarships

• Master’s students are eligible to receive the scholarship for a maximum of 2 years. Whereas, doctoral students may receive the scholarship for 4 years.
• The lifetime maximum restriction for a government-funded scholarship is six years for any student.
• No single student can avail two government-funded scholarships concurrently. The restricted scholarships are listed below:
  • Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) (formerly OGSST)
  • Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS)
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
  • Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
  • Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)

The OGS program adjudication takes place at the program level, therefore deadlines and specific processes are determined by an individual master-level program at Canadian universities. However, while applying for the scholarship, students have to submit the following documents:

• Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2023 application form
• Confidential Academic Assessment Reports from two academic referees.
• Academic transcripts from previously attended post-secondary institutions.
• Copy of photocopy of the proof Canadian citizenship/ permanent resident status or copies of visa documentation.
• Plan of study (maximum of 3,950 characters including spaces)
• Previous awards/publications/research experience

Universities Offering Ontario Graduate Scholarships

The universities offering OGS program are tabulated below:

There are three areas of evaluation under which each OGS 2023 application will be evaluated. Respective program departments and faculties determine the weight placed on each of the following criteria:

OGS Selection Criteria for Masters level:

OGS Selection Criteria for Doctoral level:

Conditions for Acceptance and Continuance of OGS

An Ontario Graduate Scholarship recipient must:

• Not work for more than an average of 10 hours per week per academic session.
• Ensure their Social Insurance Number (SIN) is recorded in WebAdvisor as the award cannot be processed without a SIN on file. This requirement does not apply to international students.
• Not accept research assistantships, part-time teaching positions, or other paid employment that affect their status as a full-time graduate student.