OISE Bursary Program
About the OISE Bursary Program
The OISE Bursary Program offers non-repayable financial aid to full-time OISE students demonstrating financial need beyond what is covered by OSAP or their home province's student financial aid program.
The Bursary is a last-resort financial support option, intended for students who have exhausted all other avenues of financial assistance.
Eligibility
It is expected that prior to applying for this Bursary, students will have explored all other possible sources of funding, including government financial aid, UTAPS/PMFA Grants, personal savings and resources, financial institution loans, government assistance programs, etc.
To receive an OISE Bursary, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Are enrolled and registered as a full-time domestic student in a graduate degree program at OISE.
- Have applied to the (or other provincial student aid program).
- Have submitted an application through U of T's in the current academic year to be considered for other need-based opportunities, such as the or the .
- Are able to demonstrate financial need through the application process, in accordance with the policies and regulations of the Bursary Program.
Application Frequency
MT & MA-CSE students are eligible to apply once per semester in the Fall, Winter and Summer semesters.
MEd, MA, EdD, & PhD students are eligible to apply once per semester in the Fall and Winter semesters ONLY.
Application Period
The Winter 2025 Bursary Program will begin accepting applications on January 15, 2025 and close on February 28, 2025.
Applicants who are asked by the OISE Bursary Committee to provide additional information must do so by the application deadline for each term. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the denial of their application.
Students who are experiencing an immediate financial emergency caused by unforeseen circumstances may apply to the OISE Emergency Bursary past the standard application deadline. Please scroll down to the section on "Financial Emergencies" to learn more about the OISE Emergency Bursary.
Application Process
Step 1: Apply for OSAP and other University of Toronto grant programs
- Apply for financial aid through your home province鈥檚 student financial aid program. Students are expected to rely upon the full amount of loans and grants offered to them.
- Submit a application before applying for the Bursary to be considered for other need-based opportunities at U of T, such as the (for PhD, EdD, and MA students) or the (for MT, MEd, and MA-CSE students). The Need Navigator may have different application deadlines - apply early to avoid missing the deadline.
Step 2: Apply for an OISE Bursary through the OISE Bursary Portal
- To apply for the OISE Bursary Program, access the OISE Bursary Portal by scrolling down to the bottom of this webpage.
- If you experience technical difficulties, please refer to the troubleshooting tips below.
Step 3: Include relevant supporting documentation with your application
- You must provide relevant supporting documentation for any provincial government financial aid received, student lines of credit, government benefits, and additional allowable expenses.
- Students who are ineligible for government financial aid are expected to upload proof of ineligibility.
Step 4: The OISE Bursary Committee will review your application
- After applying, the Bursary Committee may contact students through the OISE Bursary Portal if additional information or clarification is required. It is the student's responsibility to respond promptly and provide the necessary details for the assessment to proceed. Failure to respond by the deadline may result in the denial of the application.
Step 5: If you are eligible, the decision and payment will be released after the application deadline each term
- For Fall term applications, expect to hear back by the middle of November.
- For Winter term applications, expect to hear back by the middle of March.
Results and Payment
Decisions will be communicated via the OISE Bursary Portal after the application deadline for each term:
- For Fall term applications, expect a decision by the middle of November.
- For Winter term applications, expect a decision by the middle of March.
Grant payments are normally applied to outstanding fees in students' ACORN accounts first. Thereafter, any remaining balance is refunded to the student via direct deposit to their personal Canadian bank account. If no banking information is available on ACORN, payment will be issued by cheque and sent by Canada Post to the personal mailing address listed on ACORN.
To avoid delays with receiving payment, please ensure direct deposit is set up and that your current mailing address on ACORN is not expired.
Successful applicants are expected to remain registered in the session the bursary is awarded. Students who cancel their registration in the same session that they receive a bursary may be required to return the bursary funds.
Financial Emergencies
Regardless of the program of study and session, a registered student who encounters an unexpected financial emergency can be considered for an OISE Emergency Bursary. The OISE Emergency Bursary aims to provide short-term financial relief to students experiencing an immediate financial crisis caused by unforeseen circumstances. The Emergency Bursary cannot serve as a continued funding source or make up for a shortage in OSAP and other graduate funding sources.
Eligibility
The OISE Bursary Program assumes that all students have planned for their education, including having a budgeting plan for both living expenses and tuition. Within this context, an emergency is recognized as an unforeseen expense or event that disrupts your planned budget during the current academic session.
The unforeseen expense or event must meet the following criteria:
- It is recognized by the Bursary Program as an eligible expense or event for emergency support consideration.
- It disrupts your budget, which would otherwise have been adequate for the academic year.
- It impacts your ability to continue in the current academic session, in which you are registered, are in good academic standing, and have made academic progress.
Application Process
- Follow the same application procedures for a standard application by applying through the OISE Bursary Portal.
- Provide a detailed statement to the Committee using the 'Additional Information Student Statement' section of the online application.
- In your statement, describe your budgeting plan for the academic year, including how you anticipated covering both your living expenses and tuition. Explain the nature of the unforeseen circumstances that have impacted you, and how these circumstances have disrupted your original financial plan. You are required to submit supporting documentation, such as invoices or receipts, to substantiate your claim.
- After submitting your application, email the OISE Financial Aid & Awards Coordinator at oise.financialaid@utoronto.ca with the subject line 鈥淔inancial Emergency鈥 to confirm your submission.
The OISE Bursary Program adheres to the . However, it is also sensitive to extenuating personal circumstances and may consider these when assessing bursary applications.
Bursary Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be registered as a full-time student in an OISE graduate program. Successful applicants are expected to remain registered in the session the bursary is awarded. Students who cancel their registration in the same session that they receive a bursary may be required to return the bursary funds.
Note: Fee-exempt Summer students who are automatically registered by the OISE Registrar's Office must be enrolled in Summer courses to apply for the Summer Bursary.
Students are expected to rely on OSAP or other government assistance, including other provincial/territorial government financial aid or First Nations band funding, up to the maximum amount of financial assistance provided (loans and grants). If you are eligible for OSAP or other government assistance, you must apply first before seeking assistance from the OISE Bursary Program. If you have been deemed ineligible to receive government student financial aid, you must explain the reason for the ineligibility and provide documentation showing proof of ineligibility in your application.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need over and above what is identified through OSAP: Ontario Student Assistance Program (or other provincial/territorial government assistance or First Nations band funding) standard assessment. The OISE Bursary is not intended to replace OSAP loans.
Any assessed need which remains unmet above the maximum government financial assistance, is expected to be covered by a combination of non-repayable grants from the University of Toronto [depending on your program, either or OISE's Professional Masters Financial Aid (PMFA)] and .
In order to be considered for UTAPS or the Professional Masters Financial Aid grant, students must apply through the Need Navigator Platform on the University Registrar's Office website at .
The OISE Bursary Program expects that you have planned for your full-time graduate education. The purpose of the Bursary Program is to supplement, not replace your resources. In general, you're expected to contribute towards your educational costs. There is a minimum expected student contribution of $3,600 for each academic year.
If a student's resources, excluding OSAP, is less than the minimum expected contribution, the difference is calculated and added to the student's resources (known as the adjusted financial contribution).
International students are not eligible for support since they must demonstrate sufficient financial resources in order to be approved to study in Canada.
In rare circumstances, they may be considered for emergency assistance if their financial needs are the result of unanticipated circumstances recognized by the Bursary Program. If you are an international student experiencing an unforeseen financial emergency, please contact oise.financialaid@utoronto.ca.
Students who are ineligible for government student aid for reasons such as defaults on previous government loans, the under-reporting of previous income, disqualifying credit histories, or reaching maximum lifetime OSAP limits:
Students in this category should have a solid financial plan in place as the bursary program will not replace funds that OSAP and other University of Toronto grants otherwise might have provided.
Each application will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the level of support that is appropriate and feasible.
Please note: You must upload proof of OSAP ineligibility with your application. This can be a document, screenshot, or email from OSAP or your home province's student aid program stating that you are ineligible for assistance and the reason for the ineligibility.
If your ineligibility cannot be verified, you will be required to apply or complete the and provide a screenshot of the result.
Application Process
Provincial Government Student Financial Aid
All applicants are required to first apply for financial aid through their home province鈥檚 student financial aid program. Students should make use of the full amount of loans and grants available through their government aid program.
Need Navigator
Thereafter, effective starting September 2024, students applying to the OISE Bursary Program are required to submit a Need Navigator application in addition to applying through the OISE Bursary Portal.
The deadlines for the Need Navigator and the OISE Bursary Program are different. Please plan accordingly and submit your application through Need Navigator early. You will need to submit a Need Navigator application if you intend on applying for any kind of OISE need-based financial assistance. To check Need Navigator deadlines, visit
To submit a Need Navigator application, visit
Note: You only need to submit one Need Navigator application per academic year. If you have already submitted a Need Navigator application for another need-based opportunity, you do not to need to re-apply again. The data from your application will be used to assess you for all need-based opportunities at OISE.
What is Need Navigator?
The Need Navigator is a centralized financial need application platform. The data collected from Need Navigator is used by the University Registrar's Office, individual faculties, and academic divisions to assess student financial need for various programs, such as UTAPS, the Professional Master's Financial Aid, and OISE need-based awards.
For Professional Master's Students (MT, MEd, MA-CSE):
Please note that while the website for Need Navigator is linked to the UTAPS Program, which professional master's students are not eligible for, the data collected from the platform is also used for other purposes, such as assessments for other OISE need-based awards and grants. Therefore, the Need Navigator application serves a multi-purpose beyond assessing for UTAPS.
For example, a full-time domestic OISE professional master's student who is a recipient of provincial government financial aid (e.g., OSAP) is not eligible for UTAPS. However, they should still submit an application through Need Navigator to be considered for the Professional Master's Financial Aid Grant, which is the equivalent of UTAPS for professional master's students. As well, if a student is interested in applying for a need-based OISE faculty-wide award, they would be required to submit an application through Need Navigator for the financial need assessment portion of their application.
The OISE Bursary Program serves as a last resort emergency support program for students. It is expected that eligible students exhaust their other options for financial support before applying to the OISE Bursary. This means that a student would need to first apply for provincial government financial aid, and then seek support from the UTAPS/PMFA Programs through Need Navigator if eligible, before applying for a Bursary.
Carefully review the eligibility requirements, then complete and submit your application by applying through the OISE Bursary Portal. Keep in mind the following before you submit:
- Have you applied for your home province's student financial aid program?
- Have you submitted an application through the Need Navigator?
- Do you meet the legal status, registration status, and program eligibility requirements?
- Have you exhausted all other forms of financial support?
- Do you have all supporting documentation ready for upload?
- If you have received government financial aid, please upload a screenshot, email, or document from your home province showing the total amount of loans and/or grants you were offered for the academic study period.
- If you are OSAP ineligible, please upload a screenshot, email, or document from your home province showing that you are ineligible and the reason for the ineligibility.
- Documents are required for any additional allowable expense claims.
Students are required to upload any supporting documentation before submitting the online application. All additional allowable expenses supporting documentation for consideration by the OISE Bursary Committee can be uploaded in the respective online application fields.
Additional Allowable Expenses
If you are claiming additional allowable expenses, you must submit supporting documentation to clarify your eligibility. Review what counts as an Additional Allowable Expense and what supporting documents are required.
OSAP Students or OSAP Ineligible
Please upload a screenshot of your Funding Summary in your OSAP online account showing your name, the application period, and the total amount of loans and grants offered for the study period.
OSAP ineligible students are required to provide proof of ineligibility. This could be a screenshot or letter from OSAP showing that your application was denied and the reason(s) for the denial.
Out-of-Province Students
Out-of-province students will need to upload a student loan assessment from their home province in the online application.
If you are an out-of-province student who is ineligible for support from your home province, you must provide proof of ineligibility. This could be a letter of denial from your home province, or, a screenshot from your provincial student aid portal showing that your application was denied and the reason(s) for the denial. Your name and the application period must be visible.
Government Benefits
Students receiving any government benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit should attach relevant documentation showing the amount of the benefit.
Note: If you receive an error message (413 File Size Too Large) when trying to submit your application, it means the size of your documents uploaded cumulatively exceed the upload limit. To work around this, you may upload your files one at time, click on the save button after each upload, and then click on the edit button again to upload the next file. If this does not resolve the issue, please submit your application without supporting documents and then email your documents separately to oise.financialaid@utoronto.ca.
After applying, the Bursary Committee may contact students through the OISE Bursary Portal if additional information or clarification is required. It is the student's responsibility to respond promptly and provide the necessary details for the assessment to proceed. Failure to respond by the deadline may result in the denial of the application.
Decisions will be communicated via the OISE Bursary Portal after the application deadline for each term:
- For Fall term applications, expect a decision by the middle of November.
- For Winter term applications, expect a decision by the middle of March.
Grant payments are normally applied to outstanding fees in students' ACORN accounts first. Thereafter, any remaining balance is refunded to the student via direct deposit to their personal Canadian bank account. If no banking information is available on ACORN, payment will be issued by cheque and sent by Canada Post to the personal mailing address listed on ACORN.
To avoid delays with receiving payment, please ensure direct deposit is set up and that your current mailing address on ACORN is not expired.
Additional Allowable Expenses
Claims for additional allowable expenses without valid supporting documentation will be not be considered. If an applicant claims an additional allowable expense but does not upload documentation, the claim will be removed and will not be factored into the assessment.
The supporting documentation for any additional allowable expenses is uploaded by the student in the online application process. Submitted documents must be relevant to the dates of the term that the student applies for a bursary. For example, an application for the Fall term should have documents dated during the period September - December.
Note: If you receive an error message (413 File Size Too Large) when trying to submit your application, it means the size of your documents uploaded cumulatively exceed the upload limit. To work around this, you may upload your files one at time, click on the save button after each upload, and then click on the edit button again to upload the next file. If this does not resolve the issue, please submit your application without supporting documents and then email your documents separately to oise.financialaid@utoronto.ca.
Applicants should not claim/report general living expenses. These include tuition fees, books, rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance, maintenance fees, taxes, food, transportation, communication, household and personal supplies, recreation, clothing, and entertainment.
These costs are automatically considered by the OISE Bursary Committee. A monthly allowable amount for living costs is assigned to every applicant based on their reported living arrangement. Please only report and claim the allowable expenses listed in the application, if applicable.
We allow expense claims of 50% of the monthly required interest payments on credit cards, consumer loans and personal loans to a combined maximum of $250.00/month. For example, if you pay $50 in interest fees per month on a credit card or student line of credit due to an outstanding balance, you should report $25 per month on your application. Note that this provision refers to monthly interest and NOT the monthly balance.
An example of a non-OSAP or government loan(s) is a Scotiabank line of credit program arranged by the University of Toronto, or an equivalent loan agreement negotiated by the student.
Supporting Documentation Required: Most recent credit card, loan, and/or line(s) of credit statements showing (1) your name (2) the date and (3) the monthly interest charge.
For students with children who are residing with them in Canada, 12 years of age or younger, reasonable child care costs will be considered, provided that the student's partner is working.
A maximum of $548 of child care costs per child per month can be considered.
Supporting Documentation Required: Documentation from your child care provider showing (1) your name, (2) the date, and (3) cost of child care.
Because students are automatically covered by University of Toronto's student health plan, all eligible costs should first be claimed against that plan. However, we consider reasonable assistance for health care services provided by a regulated health care professional not covered by an insurance plan.
A maximum of $1,500 per year for all professional/regulated services combined can be considered under this provision.
Supporting Documentation Required:
- Receipts from your professional healthcare provider including (1) your name, (2) the date, (3) description of the service/product received, and (4) the amount billed.
- Claim statement from your GreenShield Student Insurance showing the amount not covered by insurance. If you have maxed out on your student insurance plan, please provide proof.
You can claim vehicle insurance costs up to a maximum of $200.00 per month.
Supporting Documentation Required: Most recent auto insurance policy document. The statement must show (1) your name on the policy, (2) the coverage/policy period, and (3) the monthly or annual premium.
The primary purpose of this category is to allow applicants to claim unexpected or unforeseen emergency expenses incurred during the academic study period. Supporting documents are required.
Do not report common living expenses or tuition fees in this category. The OISE Bursary Committee already considers reasonable general expenses (based on the academic year and the student's reported living arrangement) without documentation. These include: tuition and incidental fees, books and related costs, rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, maintenance fees, property taxes, food, transportation, communication, household supplies, recreation and entertainment, personal supplies, and clothing.
Supporting Documentation Required: Receipts or other documentation depending on the nature of the expense.
Ineligible Expenses
Examples of ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Debts, such as income taxes and outstanding tuition fees.
- Obligations, such as court-imposed fines and payments.
- Vacations and gifts.
Applicants should not claim/report general living expenses. These include tuition fees, books, rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance, maintenance fees, taxes, food, transportation, communication, household and personal supplies, recreation, clothing, and entertainment.
These costs are automatically considered by the OISE Bursary Committee. A monthly allowable amount for living costs is assigned to every applicant based on their reported living arrangement. Please only report and claim the allowable expenses listed in the application, if applicable.
Apply for an OISE Bursary
Click on the OISE Bursary Student Portal button below to apply.
If you encounter an error message when trying to access the Bursary Portal, please refer to the troubleshooting tips below:
Technical Issues?
If you receive an error message (413 File Size Too Large) when trying to submit your application, it means the size of your documents uploaded cumulatively exceed the upload limit. To work around this, you may upload your files one at time, click on the save button after each upload, and then click on the edit button again to upload the next file. If this does not resolve the issue, please submit your application without supporting documents and then email your documents separately to oise.financialaid@utoronto.ca.
If you receive error message (403 Forbidden) when trying to apply, try accessing the portal in an incognito browser, Alternatively, clear the cache/cookies in your browser, as they could be causing the error. If you still receive this message, contact Education Commons through their online Zoom drop-in sessions for live troubleshooting assistance.
If you receive any other error message, please reach out to Education Commons for technical assistance.