Student Finances
Funding at Western
As one of Canada's leading research institutions, we place great importance on helping you finance your education. While at Western, you will want to devote your full energy to the successful completion of your studies, so we want to ensure that stable funding is available to you.
Some funding is awarded to you upon entry into a program, some is based on recommendations from the program that is admitting you, and others you must apply for yourself, either to The University of Western Ontario or to an external funding agency.
There are two main types of funding available to graduate students:
- Western Funding - Provided directly by department, faculty or the University, these types of funding are distributed to students on a term by term basis.
- External Funding - Awarded by federal, provincial and private agencies, to students who apply for scholarships and awards in annual competitions to support graduate study the following academic year. Major scholarship competitions are run through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
External Funding
All students are encouraged to apply, where applicable, for Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) grants. Ph.D. students in particular are expected to apply for these scholarships, not merely because of the financial advantage but also because grant-writing is an essential part of academic training, and success in acquiring grants will be essential to finding employment in the highly competitive academic job market.
Financial Amounts
Please Note: This information is provided as a convenience. The official fee schedule is found at the Office of the Registrar's web page.
As of Fall 2023
| Per Year (3 terms) | |||
| STUDENT | Income | Tuition (Approx.) | Balance |
| MSc Cdn, PR, thesis program | $23,350.00 | $8,885.78 | $14,464.22 |
| MSc Int'l, thesis program | $31,950.00 | $22,664.79 | $9,285.21 |
| MSc Cdn, PR, Coursework program | $0.00 | $8,885.78 | -$8,885.78 |
| MSc Int'l - Coursework program | $0.00 | $22,664.79 | -$22,664.79 |
| PhD Cdn, PR | $25,360.00 | $8,885.78 | $16,474.22 |
| PhD Int'l | $25,960.00 | $9,660.78 | $16,299.22 |
** MSc students are guaranteed funding for 4 terms (if all requirements are being met)
** PhD students are guaranteed funding for 4 years (if all requirements are being met)
Income includes - Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Fellowship, and Scholarship
*** tuition amounts include ancillary fees.
