FUNDED COHORT
Students must be within the funded cohort to qualify for a Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (ChemE) “minimum financial support package” or “base funding package”. Funded cohort includes the following:
- Full-time MASc students are guaranteed base funding for their first 2 years.
- PhD students admitted with completed master's degree are guaranteed minimum base funding for their first 4 years.
- Transfer students (i.e., transfer from MASc to PhD students), are guaranteed minimum base funding for their first 5 years, which includes 1 year as an MSc student.
- Direct-entry PhD students admitted with a bachelor's degree are guaranteed minimum base funding for their first 5 years.
Minimum funding package
The ChemE department a minimum funding package (minimum "take-home" amount plus tuition and fees) for students in the funded cohort, provided they maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree.
PhD Program Minimum Financial Support Package for 2025-2026
For PhD students in the funded cohort, $40,000 is the minimum funding as specified by University of Toronto.
| Academic Year | Minimum Funding Package | Net of Tuition & Fees |
| PhD domestic or international | $40,000 | $31,000 (approximate) |
Income from TA work is a component of the ChemE minimum financial support package in the funded cohort for most students. Currently, we have stipulated $3,700 per person per year as part of the PhD stipend.
Master's Program Minimum Financial Support Package For 2025-2026
The minimum funding package for MASc students in the funded cohort is $23,500 + tuition and fees.
| Academic Year | Minimum Funding Package | Net of Tuition & Fees |
| MASc domestic | $31,940 (approximate) | $23,500 (approximate) |
| MASc international | $58,400 (approximate) | $23,500 (approximate) |
After your period of guaranteed funding ends, any further financial support will be at the discretion of your research supervisor. You may also be eligible for the doctoral completion award after the funding cohort has exhausted (https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards/doctoral-completion-award-dca/).
Research Assistantship (T4A income)
RA is considered an apprenticeship opportunity, intended to facilitate development of the student's research skills. These skills may include: research, designing and conducting experiments and other duties as required relevant to a graduate training, working as a member of a project team, and writing grant/scholarship applications. This research allowance is not subject to any statutory deductions and vacation pay is not applicable.
Teaching Assistantship (T4 income)
An important component of graduate student education is the opportunity to develop skills as a teaching assistant in preparation for an academic or professional career. Students participate in these teaching programs alongside faculty members and our funding commitment is conditional on the student's willingness to accept teaching assignments. If a student does not apply for and accept a teaching assistant position, a portion of the funding package will be forfeited. Teaching Assistant contracts will be issued to students in September for the fall session (including full year courses) and in January for winter session courses
Graduate students are expected to help fund their graduate studies by applying for major scholarships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships. It is a great honour to receive a prestigious fellowship, and writing applications for such awards is part of academic training. Examples of major awards are SSHRC, NSERC, OGS, MITACS, and foreign government awards, such as the CONACyT or China Scholarship. NSERC, in particular, has expanded its MASc and PhD scholarships.
MASc: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/pg-cs/cgsm-bescm_eng.asp
PhD: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/cgrsd-besrd_eng.asp
International PhD applicants are allowed.
Department awards
There are departmental awards as well. We have classified the scholarships into three parts:
- Need-based scholarship (bursary)
- Restricted scholarships
- Academic excellence scholarships
An application is required for each category whenever the graduate administrator invites submissions.
Top-ups
There is a top-up issued once the student receives an award. Please see below:
| Top-up | Examples |
| Students will receive a top-up of 20% of the value of the award above the minimum guaranteed funding.
The maximum top-up is $10,000 above the minimum funding guarantee. |
If the award is $40,000, then the student top-up is $8,000. |
Exceptions:
- When the student is in financial need (e.g. Wallberg fellowship), the top-up is the entire award.
- An IBET scholar will have funding of $45,000.
- Vanier scholarship recipients will receive $50,000.
- Students receiving awards with a combined value of between $2,000 - $10,000 will receive a $2,000 top-up.
- Students receiving awards valued under $2,000 will receive the entirety of the award value as a top-up.
Please see student life at UofT:
https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/task/living-costs-in-toronto/
Also, please see the financial planning calculator:
MASc and PhD students are automatically enrolled in the University of Toronto Graduate Students (UTGSU) Health and Dental Plan. It is paid as part of your Graduate Student Union fee.
Teaching assistants with a teaching appointment of 15 hours or more within the academic year receive additional coverage through CUPE3902. Benefits include supplemental health and dental coverage, and healthcare spending account (HCSA).
In addition to health benefits administered by the Graduate Student Union and benefits acquired from teaching, international students' incidental fees include coverage under the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). Students with dependents are also covered.
Graduate students must submit their payroll documentation to Wallberg #217 in advance of receiving TA or RA payment.
Graduate students receive TA and RA payments monthly. Payday is the 28th of each month, or the closest Friday if the 28th falls on a weekend. Access to the payroll system usually closes by mid-month for the processing of monthly pay. Therefore, documentation should be submitted by the 12th to guarantee payment for the current month (e.g., by March 12 to receive pay on March 28).