The Graduate Department of Chemistry provides a base funding package (base amount plus tuition and fees) for students in the funded cohort provided they maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree. Review the information provided by Faculty of Arts & Science and the School of Graduate Studies. It includes how graduate funding works in research-stream programs.
For 2023-2024 academic year, the annual base financial support package is $28,900 plus tuition and incidental costs (subject to increase in 2024-2025). The base funding amount is not intended to capture additional awards students may secure throughout the year. The funding package may comprise a combination of U of T fellowship, Program Level Fellowship, scholarships including external awards (eg. NSERC, OGS, QEII), departmental fellowships, teaching assistant positions and research assistantship. Information for 2024-2025 will be posted sometime in July/August.
Whenever eligible, students must apply for available scholarships, bursaries, grants, awards, fellowships, etc.
Funded cohort is defined as follows:
- Year 1 of MSc
- Years 1 to 4 of PhD
- Years 1 to 5 for direct-entry doctoral students
| Item | UTM | STG | UTSC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding | $37,632 | $37,114 | $36,971 |
| Less Tuition and Incidental Fees | $8,732 | $8,214 | $8,071 |
| Base-funding (ie. take-home) | $28,900 | $28,900 | $28,900 |
Read additional information by:
Faculty of Arts & Science
School of Graduate Studies
University of Toronto Fellowship (T4A income)
The University of Toronto provides financial support in most doctoral-stream programs. Eligibility requires that you are in the funded cohort.
Program Level Fellowship (T4A income)
As part of the Faculty of Arts & Science's goal of enhancing the graduate student experience, they established dedicated pools of fellowship resources in each academic unit. The funds is distributed to students in the funded cohort and do not require additional TA or RA work.
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, writing grant/scholarship applications, working as a member of a project team, designing and conducting experiments and other duties as required relevant to a graduate training. 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. See also Teaching Assistantship page.
Major external scholarships, some awards and fellowships are considered part of the funding package. Whenever eligible, students are required to apply for these competitions. Students in our department have been highly successful in the competitions and receive a higher level of support. The external award replaces a portion of the base funding. Students are required to disclose external awards that are paid directly to them.
| External Award | Funding including Domestic Fees |
|---|---|
| Ontario Graduate Scholarship | $39,241 - 39,902 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology | $39,241 - 39,902 |
| NSERC CGS Masters and PGS Doctoral | $40,430 - 40,091 |
| NSERC CGS Doctoral | $45,151 - 45,812 |
| NSERC Vanier | $50,900 |
| Connaught International Scholarship | $47,870 |
- UT Fellowship (T4A) - check ACORN
- PL Fellowship (T4A) - check ACORN
- External and internal awards administered by UofT (T4A) - check ACORN
- Teaching Assistantship (T4) - monthly pay statement available Employment Self Service
- Research Assistantship (T4A) -monthly pay statement available Employment Self Service
Contact the Graduate Office for your personnel ID to log in to ESS.
Missing/Lost Cheque
Students who would like to report a missing or lost cheque can complete the online Stop Payment Form (UTORid authentication required) under Online Forms. If you encounter issues, submit a ticket using the 'Get Help' section.
| Funding Source | Payment Schedule |
|---|---|
| T4A External Award (NSERC, OGS, QEII, etc.) | In equal instalments at the start of each session. Instalments after December will go towards outstanding balance. |
| T4A UofT Fellowship Tuition | First instalment at the start of October; second instalment in January/February. |
| T4A UofT Fellowship Stipend | In equal instalments at the start of each session. Instalments after December will go towards outstanding balance. |
| T4A Research Assistantship | ~$800 from September to April and ~1800 from May to August; 28th of each month.For major scholarship holders, RA is paid out in 12 equal amounts. |
| T4 Teaching Assistantship | In equal monthly instalments for the duration of the position; 28th of each month. |
For students outside the funded cohort (applicable to second year Master's and sixth year doctoral students; fifth year for students in a 4-year program), the annual level of support is up to $25,900 plus tuition/incidental fees. Research assistantship is at the discretion of the supervisor. Second year Master's students will receive a monthly pay equivalent to a funded cohort student up to 17th month of their registration, contingent on RA continuity and TAship.
MSc 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. If you can provide proof of equivalent coverage, you may be able to opt-out of, or your dependents into, this benefit.
Teaching assistants with a teaching appointment of 30 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 upload the payroll documentation here in advance of receiving TA or RA payment. Using a file naming convention of "LastName, FirstName_Payroll Forms", forward all necessary documents as a single PDF file (in the order provided below):
- Personnel Payroll Form (PDF)
- TD1 Federal Personal Tax Credits Return Form
- TD1 Ontario Personal Tax Credits Return Form
- Copy of Social Insurance Number Card
- Voided Personal Cheque or Bank Deposit Authorization
- Valid Study Permit, if applicable
Graduate students receive TA and RA payments on a monthly basis. 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 in order to guarantee payment for the current month (e.g., by March 12 to receive pay on March 28).
View your monthly payroll statements online.
Students must update the Chemistry Graduate Office via e-mail of any address changes to ensure receipt of their tax documentations.
Modifications on ACORN will not update contact information on the payroll system.
All income is taxable income including pay from teaching assistantships (T4). Taxes are deducted from a student's gross pay at the time of compensation. Taxes are not deducted from scholarships and research assistantships (T4A), however, they must be claimed when filing the income tax return. Canada Revenue Agency provides additional information about taxes on scholarships.
For tax purposes, students receive one T4 (from teaching assistantship), if applicable,and twoT4As (from research stipend,fellowship,grant, bursary and scholarship). The address on both on ACORN and payroll systems must be up-to-date to ensure receipt of the tax documents. Copies of monthly paystubs, T4s and T4As from research assistantships can be obtained from Employee Self-Service. T4As from scholarships can be obtained from ACORN/ROSI.
Tuition certificates are issued by the Student Accounts Office and only include payments made within that income tax year. If you have questions about the amounts, please contact the Student Accounts Office.
Students who need to maintain an interest-free OSAP must bring their forms to School of Graduate Studies at 63 St. George Street. Graduate departments are unable to process these forms.
The Department of Chemistry has updated its parental leave policy to support graduate students within six months following the birth or adoption of a child. The leave will commence no earlier than two weeks before the due date/arrival of the child. Our goal is to proactively provide support to the idea that having children is compatible with pursuing an academic career. Expectant parents are encouraged, well in advance, to discuss timing with their supervisor and the Graduate Office in order to make appropriate arrangements with respect to their research, TA, and course work.
Students will be financially supported for a period of up to six months with a funding package equivalent to support at the Chemistry funded cohort rate (see Financial Information for current take-home value). The package may include contributions from NSERC/CIHR fellowships, grant support, SGS parental grant and from the Department of Chemistry. For those who are eligible for the parental/adoption leave under the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 provisions, this contribution will form part of the funding package.
Parental leaves will continue to be governed by the School of Graduate Studies policy on leaves of absence. Periods of leave are not counted as time toward degree. Students must fill out the SGS Leave Request form and submit it to the Chemistry Graduate Office. Once on leave, students pay no fees. SGS views leaves as normally commencing and ending on the beginning and end of a term. When a parental leave is to start or end in the middle of a term, then Chemistry, at the behest of the student, will contact the Director of Students Services in SGS to make special arrangements with respect to fees.
The parental leave support was implemented in January 2007 and updated September 2016.