APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED, RE-OPENS IN OCT/NOV
Scholarship Awarding University:
Type of degree:
Master’s and PhD
Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for this scholarship will end on the 1st February, 2024
Scholarship Summary:
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies for eligible students (domestic and international) at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions. The government contributes two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university provides the remaining one-third.
The differences between the OGS and QEII-GSST scholarships are as follows:
• OGS – merit-based scholarship program for Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study; available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents and International students (currently closed for international students).
• QEII-GSST – merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically towards graduate students registered in a research graduate program in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields; only available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent residents.
Scholarship Applicant Criteria:
The following are the set criteria for consideration;
Citizenship
• Be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of the application deadline;
• Be an international student studying in Ontario with a student study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). Note: international students are not eligible for QEII-GSST awards.
o Successful OGS International recipients who are residing outside of Canada due to COVID-19 will be required to show either proof of existing study permit or in-progress study permit application before funds will be released to them.
Minimum Academic Requirements
• Be registered full-time in a graduate degree program; students who can only register part-time because of permanent disabilities may still be eligible. Note: to be considered for QEII-GSST, applicants must be enrolled in or plan to register in a research-based master’s or doctoral program in a STEM discipline.
• Have achieved a first-class average equivalent to Waterloo’s (minimum of A-/80%), in EACH of the last two full-time academic years (eligibility averages are based on grades up to and including August 31, 2023).
Registration/Admission Status
• International competition – Due to the limited quota of awards available for international students, prospective graduate students are not eligible to apply. International students must be currently registered in a graduate program at Waterloo or be on an approved leave of absence/inactive term by February 1, 2024 in order to be considered.
• Domestic competition – applicants must either be currently enrolled in a graduate program, or they must apply for admission to a graduate program by the February 1, 2024 deadline.
Value of Scholarship:
Each OGS and QEII-GSST is valued at a maximum of CAD$15,000 per year or CAD$5,000 per term for a minimum of two terms. Waterloo celebrates outstanding academic achievement of its graduate students by offering the President's Graduate Scholarship (PGS) of up to CAD$15,000 to students receiving an OGS or QEII-GSST.
Master’s students can receive an OGS or QEII-GSST award for a maximum of two academic years and doctoral students for a maximum of four academic years.
Scholarship Application Guide:
To apply;
i. Apply for admission
• Domestic students – Domestic students must apply for graduate program admission through the department/school that will be responsible for reviewing the OGS/QEII-GSST application.
• International students – This step is not applicable to international applicants due to the limited number of awards available. International students must be currently registered in a graduate program at Waterloo or be on an approved leave of absence/inactive term by February 1, 2024 in order to be considered.
ii. Complete an OGS/QEII-GSST Application form; the completed application must be emailed to the proposed department graduate co-ordinator by the appropriate submission deadline.
iii. Applicants must complete the OGS/QEII-GSST applicant transcript request form (webform) by the appropriate submission deadline. Waterloo and non-Waterloo post-secondary transcripts are required as part of a complete OGS/QEII-GSST application.
iv. Two academic references are required as part of a complete OGS/QEII-GSST application package.
Applicants must provide their referees with the following details:
a. Submission email and deadline (Referees must email their letter directly to the applicant's proposed department graduate co-ordinator [see Step ii] by the appropriate submission deadline.)
b. Reference letters should be signed and on letterhead (if applicable)
c. Referees should incorporate the following into their letter:
1) Applicant’s full name
2) Referee’s full name, affiliated institution, department and title (if applicable)
3) Description of what capacity they have known the applicant
4) Applicant’s strengths with regards to the OGS/QEII-GSST evaluation criteria (or tri-agency equivalent): academic excellence, research ability and potential, communication and leadership abilities
Scholarship Website:
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the University of Waterloo Graduate OGS and QEII-GSST Scholarship Page.