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Financial Assistance

International Student Support (ISS) realizes how important financial assistance is for any international student who may be faced with unexpected financial difficulty. Below is a list of the financial assistance and award opportunities available to international students.

The Student Awards and Scholarships office aims to help Toronto Metropolitan University students and staff with the Scholarship and Awards application process. Check out their website for scholarships and awards available to undergraduate students (external link) .

Through the Yeates School of Graduate Studies there are a number of scholarships and awards available to graduate students (external link)  on a competitive basis.

Sources of Financial Support for International Students

Applications for the Emergency Bursary will be open from Tuesday, September 3, 2024, to December 5, 2024. Please complete the Emergency Bursary application on AwardSpring (external link) . For additional information, please contact International Student Support by email at issask@torontomu.ca.

The Emergency Bursary for International Students is a one-time-only, non-repayable award based on financial need due to an emergency situation. It is intended to assist international students who are experiencing an unanticipated financial need and who, in spite of their best efforts, cannot meet personal and/or educational expenses while completing their studies.

  • The emergency bursary will not fund a student's entire unmet financial need.
  • A maximum of $3000 for applications related to personal expenses e.g. rent, food, stolen equipment.
  • A maximum of $5000 for applications related to tuition support due to unexpected financial need.
  • If awarded this bursary, students should note that they cannot receive this bursary a second time.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the emergency bursary a student must:

  • Provide appropriate documentation to substantiate the emergency situation that has occurred. (E.g. police reports, email communication, banking documents, etc.)
  • Demonstrate that they have depleted all other financial resources (including any other funding, employment income or personal financial resources).
  • Have applied for all external awards for which they are eligible.
  • Be officially registered in a full-time program of study at Toronto Metropolitan University.
  • Have clear academic standing with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 1.67 or higher.*
  • Have a valid study permit - must be presented in a 1-on-1 appointment with an International Student Advisor.

How to Apply

Students must apply for a Toronto Metropolitan University Bursary through AwardSpring (external link) .

Students must complete the following 2 steps in order to apply for an Emergency Bursary:

  1. Schedule a 1-on-1 appointment with an International Student Advisor (ISA) who will meet to provide a general overview about the emergency bursary and to determine if initial emergency bursary eligibility requirements are met.
  2. Complete the Emergency Bursary application on AwardSpring. Students will need to create an AwardSpring profile in order to complete the Emergency Bursary application, which includes filling out a detailed budget form.

Application Decisions

All bursary applications will be assessed by the International Student Support team. Applicants will be informed by an International Student Advisor of the decision regarding their emergency bursary application. Further information that will support a student’s application should be submitted along with the application form.

Receiving the Bursary

  • All bursary applications will be reviewed and receive a decision within 3 weeks of submission.
  • An international student advisor will email the applicant within 48 hours of the bursary decision to inform them of the outcome of their bursary request.
  • It is important to note that funding will not be approved on a contingent basis (i.e. situations where financial need is dependent on/resting on certain circumstances), funding will only be granted in emergency situations that have occurred.
  • Upon receiving an approval, students will be issued a cheque or a deposit to their student account on MyServiceHub. Cheques must be collected from International Student Support.

Use of Funds

As proof of receiving the funds, students will be asked to sign a copy of the cheque as well as an Emergency Bursary Fund Agreement that outlines the following:

  1. Intended use of the awarded funds.
  2. Proof of spending will be presented to ISS within 30 days of receiving the funds.
    • Proof of funds can take the form of itemized receipts and/or invoices.
    • If funding is awarded for tuition purposes, no proof of spending is required as the funds will be deposited directly to the student’s account on MyServiceHub.  

Students cannot spend the awarded funds on the following: Alcohol, drugs or cannabis products, apparel (i.e. clothing or accessories), to payoff loans (e.g. bank loans, educational loans, mortgages, credit card debt, etc.), immigration applications, as a gift and/or loan to others, hotels, conference fees or field trips, lawyer fees, gambling, and uninsured (non-emergency) medical expenses (due to student’s procedural error).

Tax Considerations

Bursaries are considered part of a student's annual taxable income. The University will issue a T4A slip to all bursary recipients to report on their Income Tax return.

Scotiabank Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2001 with support from the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) to enhance and contribute to the cultural and ethnic diversity of Toronto Metropolitan University and the greater Toronto communities. Through the facilitation of the Scotiabank International Student Scholarship in International Student Support (ISS), Toronto Metropolitan University wants to demonstrate support for international students and encourage success in their academic life.

Eligibility

Based on the agreement with Scotiabank, this scholarship is awarded to upper-year full-time undergraduate international students with a strong academic achievement. Unfortunately, first-year international students are not considered eligible for this scholarship.

How it Works

  • Students do not need to apply for this scholarship.
  • Upper-year international students are automatically nominated at the beginning of the Winter semester based on their cumulative academic performance (CGPA) after the previous Fall exam results.
  • International Student Support (ISS) will contact the winners to inform them of their success in winning the scholarship and proceed with issuing the funds to each student's account on MyServiceHub.

Description:

The Shukrana Foundation International Student Excellence Scholarship will support international women in STEM from South Asia who are excelling in their undergraduate STEM program and are experiencing financial need.

Eligibility Conditions: 

To be eligible for this award, applicants must:

- Be an undergraduate student.

- Be an international student.

- Be enrolled in a full-time course load (80% or more of a full course load or at least 4 billing units). This includes students in an approved reduced course load, i.e.students registered with Academic Accommodation Support.

- Be enrolled in a STEM program.

- Be enrolled in their third year or fourth/final year of studies.

- Meet a minimum CGPA of 3.67.

- Demonstrate financial need as determined by the university.

- Self-identify as a woman, including cisgender or transgender.

- Self-identify as South Asian.

Additional Requirements:

Applicants must submit a written statement (500 words) detailing their academic and career goals and how the completion of their education aided by this scholarship will enable them to make a positive impact in the world.

Award value:

There are two annual awards of $5,000

Applications:

Applications available via AwardSpring (external link) . Please note that the information on this website is subject to change without notice. Always consult AwardSpring for the most up to date information about awards and scholarships.

 

Applications for the Dr. Ebrahim Award of Excellence is now open. Please complete the Dr. Ebrahim Award of Excellence on Awardspring. (external link) 

For additional information, please contact International Student Support by email at issask@torontomu.ca.

Application Deadline: Dec 5, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

Application: https://torontomu.awardspring.ca/AS/Admin/scholarships/details/18393 (external link) 

Award Amount: $7,400

Award Descriptions

The Dr. Ebrahim Award of Excellence is intended to support an international student in their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-year who demonstrates a high level of involvement in their community and academic excellence.

Eligibility

  • Applicant must be registered as an Undergraduate student
  • Applicant must be enrolled in Full-time studies
  • Applicant must be in their second year, third year, or fourth/final year of studies
  • Applicant must meet a minimum CGPA of 3.67
  • Applicant must be an international student.
  • Applicant must demonstrate Financial Need as determined by Toronto Metropolitan University

OR

  • Applicant must have an approved accommodation for a reduced course load.
  • Applicant must be registered with Academic Accommodation Support.
  • Applicant must be registered as an Undergraduate student
  • Applicant must be enrolled full-time in a reduced course load.
  • Applicant must be in their second year, third year, or fourth/final year of studies
  • Applicant must meet a minimum CGPA of 3.67
  • Applicant must be an international student.
  • Applicant must demonstrate Financial Need as determined by Toronto Metropolitan University

Additional Requirement

In a 500-word personal statement, explain how you have achieved to balance academic excellence and involvement in the wider Toronto Metropolitan or GTA community and how this relates to your academic, professional and/or personal goals.