Guidelines
for Graduate Student Stipends
~ 2006-2007
1. Basic Stipends
Effective September 1, 2007, the basic stipends in the Department
of Biochemistry are $23,900.00 per year to students in Category I
and $24,900.00 per year to students in Category II. In general, this
stipend is derived from an award to the student and a supplement from
the student's supervisor.
Category I students (23,900.00 / yr.)
i. M.Sc. candidates
ii. Direct-entry Ph.D. candidates prior to completion of a Qualifying
Exam
Category II students (24,900.00 / yr.)
i. Ph.D. candidates who have entered the program via a transfer
exam
ii. Ph.D. candidates who have completed an M.Sc. degree
iii. Direct-entry Ph.D. candidates who have completed a Qualifying
Exam
2A. Merit Bonus for Students who hold competitive awards
A student who takes up a competitive award in excess of $10,000 will
receive a merit bonus of $3,000.00 from his /her supervisor. If the
competitive award is greater than the basic stipend, see point 2B
below.
Therefore, category I and category II students who hold competitive
awards will have their stipends topped-up to $26,900.00 per year ($3,000.00
merit bonus) and $27,900.00 per year ($3,000.00 merit bonus), respectively,
in recognition of the meritorious nature of the award.
A partial listing of awards that are eligible and ineligible
for a merit bonus is given below. For awards that are
not listed, awardees should consult the graduate coordinator
to determine whether their award qualifies for a merit
bonus.
Awards that are eligible for a merit bonus include:
- CCFF
- Heart and Stroke
- CIHR Doctoral awards (not Studentship Vouchers)
- NCIC
- NSERC PGSA and PGSB
- OGS
- OGSST
Awards that are not eligible for a merit bonus:
- OSOTF award
- RESTRCOMP awards
- U of T Fellowships
2B. Merit Bonus for Students Who
Hold Competitive Awards that Are Greater than the Basic Stipends.
In some instances a student may receive a competitive award that
is greater than the basic stipend. In this case, the merit bonus
of $3,000.00 is added to the value of the award, not to the basic
stipend. Exceptions are NSERC and CIHR CGS D awards that are valued
at $35,000 and $30,000, respectively. Given the high value of these
awards, a merit bonus will not be provided.
3. Top-up for Visa Students.
We encourage faculty who take on visa students to provide these
students with an extra allowance to cover the difference in tuition
fees for visa students ($12,600.00 per year) and domestic students
($5660.00 per year) (does not include incidental fees nor the UHIP
plan for VISA students) (2006-2007). Faculty should not take on
a visa student if they are unable to provide an allowance for at
least 70% of the tuition differential.
Note: Since 2004, the Graduate Coordinator
has provided funds to cover the fee differential for visa students
on a case-by-case basis. Please consult with the Graduate Coordinator
to determine if these funds are available if you are considering
taking on a visa student.
4. Departmental Policy Regarding Holding a U of T Fellowship
in Conjunction With Other Awards
If a U of T Fellowship awardee is already a holder, or subsequently
receives, another scholarship worth more than the U of T award,
then he/she must accept this other scholarship, inform the Department,
and decline, or return, the U of T Fellowship. The student is responsible
for returning any U of T Fellowship money retroactive to the commencement
date of the other award.
5. Departmental Policy Regarding Holding Two Awards at Once
If a student who has already taken up one award is subsequently
awarded a second scholarship the following rules apply.
A. The rules of the awarding agencies regarding the holding
a second award must be followed.
B. A student who takes up a second award must inform his/her
supervisor, business officer, and the Department (via carrie.harber@utoronto.ca).
The amount of the second award will be subtracted from the supplement
that is provided to the student from his/her supervisor
As an example, a M.Sc. candidate who holds a U. of T. Fellowship
valued at $12,000.00 per year receives a supplement from his/her
supervisor of $11,900.00 ($23,900.00 minus $12,000.00). This student
subsequently receives another award valued at $3,000.00. The supplement
paid by the supervisor is reduced by this amount. So the student
receives $12,000.00 (U of T Fellowship) plus $3,000.00 (OSOTF) plus
$8,900.00 (supplement from supervisor). Depending on the timing
of the awards, this may require that the student return some funds
to his/her supervisor's grant.
C. If the sum of the two awards is greater than the basic
stipend, then the awardee must consult with the graduate coordinator
who will inform the student of the guidelines covering this situation.
6. Money earned from a Teaching Assistantship
Money earned from a Teaching Assistantship is considered
as extra income that the student receives in addition
to her/his final stipend.
7. Student's Responsibilities
A. Students who do not have multi-year awards
are expected to apply each year for all scholarships
for which they are eligible. Student's who have multi-year
awards should ensure that as appropriate they complete
any necessary requirements / paper work to allow continuation
of their awards.
B. On taking up an award of any kind, it is
the student's responsibility to ensure that he/she
abides by the rules and regulations of the awarding
agency.
C. Every student must inform his/her supervisor,
business officer, and the Department (via carrie.harber@utoronto.ca)
of all awards and stipends that he/she is receiving.
Include the following information: type of award;
start date; end date; whether the award is renewable;
amount of award. The student should mail, or deliver,
a copy of the award notice to Carrie.
D. Read the fine print: Most awards can be
held only for the first two years of an M.Sc. program
and for the first five years of a Ph.D. program.
E. If at any time an error leads to an incorrect
payment being made to you, you must report this to
your supervisor and as appropriate to your business
officer / SGS / awarding agency so that the appropriate
correction can be made.
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 Guidelines
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