Ontario Trillium Entrance Scholarship at the University of Waterloo, Canada

The Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS), valued at $40,000 per student will be awarded annually to new incoming international University of Waterloo doctoral students who hold a valid Canadian study permit and are registered full-time in a degree-granting program in any Faculty. The $40,000 scholarship will be comprised of $26,666 paid by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and $13,333 paid by the university as scholarship, TA/RA, or combination thereof. Recipients must have achieved a first-class average (A-/80% Ontario equivalent) in each of the last two years of full-time study prior to being awarded the OTS. Candidates will be considered automatically based on their application for admission to the graduate program annually in the winter term.

Value:

$40,000

Value description:

Each OTS is valued at $40,000 annually ($26,666 from the Ontario Government and $13,333 from the University/Faculty/department/supervisor) and is automatically renewable for an additional three years provided the recipient maintains good academic standing and continues to meet recipient eligibility requirements.

Eligibility & selection criteria:

Academic merit is the defining criterion for the selection of the OTS recipients.
Recipients must be new/incoming doctoral students who are applying for admission for upcoming Spring, Fall or Winter terms.
Recipients must be international students who hold a valid Canadian study permit and who do not qualify for an exemption to the higher international tuition and fees; should an OTS recipient obtain permanent residency status after the beginning of the first term of study, s/he will continue to be eligible for the OTS for the balance of his/her renewable OTS for a total of four years.
Recipients must be intending to pursue full-time graduate studies at the doctoral level in a degree-granting program.
Recipients must have achieved a first-class average (A-/80% Ontario equivalent) in each of the two years of full-time study prior to being awarded the OTS.
Recipients must not be currently studying at an Ontario postsecondary institution at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Recipients must not concurrently hold an Ontario Graduate Scholarship {OGS) or Vanier scholarship or other scholarships in excess of $5,000 per term, including but not limited to the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST), UW Provost Graduate Scholarship or tri-agency doctoral scholarship should they be eligible to apply (e.g., if they become a permanent resident of Canada).
Recipients must not be receiving government or agency sponsorships that cover international tuition fees or be partially or fully self-funded.
In the event that a recipient of the OTS later becomes a Permanent Resident through the course of the scholarship, the student will no longer be eligible to receive IDSA funding, but must still receive equivalent matching funds from the University. It will be the responsibility of the student’s Faculty/department/supervisor, as appropriate to provide the 1/3 matching funds ($13,333) for the remaining terms of the OTS.
Recipients who withdraw, transfer to part-time status or fail to complete the term without prior consultation with the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs may be required to repay the award. Any repayment required will be pro-rated up to the last month of full-time studies completed by the recipient. No repayment will be required with respect to the recipient’s completed years, terms or full months of study prior to the loss of the student’s OTS eligibility.

Level:

Doctoral

Program:

Open to any program

Citizenship:

International/study permit student

Selection process:

Student selected automatically by Faculty/Department

Term:

Winter

Additional instructions:

After the competition is launched by GSPA in the winter term, departments will review applications for admission to their doctoral program and submit top nomination packages to the Faculty for review. Each Faculty will then submit their top ranked nominations to GSPA for consideration and final selection. Students who apply for admission to a doctoral program by February 1 will be automatically considered.

Contact person:

For further information about this award please contact the appropriate:Manager, Graduate Financial Aid and Awards Programs in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)