Financial Information & Awards

Please review the information about York Internal Awards. Current students are encouraged to browse the Pan-University Awards for ones for which they may be eligible. The awards listed below are departmental, and are listed under School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design in the For Current Students—Discipline-Specific Awards section.

The Evelyn Carnie Rowe Graduate Studies Dance Scholars Award will be offered annually to a full-time graduate student in the MA Dance or PhD Dance Studies program, with preference to students specializing in research on Canadian dance. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, be Ontario residents*, and demonstrate financial need.

The Julianna Lau Award in Dance Therapy will be given annually to a graduate or undergraduate student studying or conducting research in the area of dance therapy. Recipients must have a GPA of 6.00 (B). Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, be Ontario residents*, and demonstrate financial need.

The Lawrence Heisey Graduate Award in Fine Arts will be awarded to recognize outstanding ability and achievement in scholarly and/or creative work. It will be awarded to students entering their second or higher year of study in any Fine Arts (AMPD) graduate program. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, be Ontario residents*, and demonstrate financial need.

The Manorama Thakkar Award in Indian Dance is given in recognition of excellence and achievement in performance or research studies in Indian Dance. Both undergraduate and graduate students in Dance are eligible to apply, but preference will be given to undergraduate applicants. Selection/eligibility criteria include sound academic standing. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, be Ontario residents*, and demonstrate financial need. The Manorama Award in Indian Dance was established by renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer Menaka Thakkar in memory of her mother. The award is supported through the Manorama and Bhanuchandra Thakkar Endowment Fund.

The Nalini & Tim Stewart Arts Awards are given in recognition of academic excellence to any student within the School of Arts, Media, Performance, and Design (AMPD) pursuing work or projects of interdisciplinary nature that cut across more than one department. Special consideration will be given to students whose projects include work in theatre or performance studies, or photography. Annually one award will be available to one undergraduate student and another to one graduate student. These awards were established by Nalini Stewart, a longtime volunteer in the arts and member of York University’s Board of Governors. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, be Ontario residents*, and demonstrate financial need.

The Susan Crocker and John Hunkin Scholarship in the Fine Arts will be awarded to new PhD students, beginning a degree in a Fine Arts program in York University's Faculty of Graduate Studies. Recipients must have a minimum "B" average, be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons, Ontario residents*, and must demonstrate financial need.

*Ontario Residency Requirement for York Internal Scholarships

Applicants to the Faculty of Graduate Studies are urged to apply for external government awards and other awards tenable at York University. Some high-profile external scholarships are listed below: The following federal granting agency provides funding to both master's and doctoral students. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

SSHRC also offers Canadian Graduate Scholarships (CGS) for master's level students.

Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are available for graduate studies in all disciplines.

For more scholarship, bursary, and awards opportunities please review the many opportunities listed on the Funding and Awards section of the FGS website, including internal, external, and international awards.

The Graduate Development Fund is administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This fund provides limited financial assistance to students who are presenting their scholarly or creative work at conferences or other recognized academic events.

The Research Cost Fund helps subsidize students’ own research expenses that are above and beyond those costs that are typically associated with graduate work, such as travel to sources of research, payment of subjects, supplies, services, photocopying, etc. The Fund generally does not cover books, conference costs, subsistence, and tuition fees.

The Fieldwork Cost Fund helps to defray the cost of thesis/dissertation research, which must be carried out “in the field.” The trip must be claimed for and taken within the next three terms after the applicable deadline. *MA students doing Major Research Papers (MRP's) are NOT eligible to apply to the fieldwork cost fund.

Various forms of financial assistance are available to graduate students. York University and external agencies offer numerous fellowships, assistantships, scholarships, awards, prizes, and grants.

• Entrance Scholarships, Assistantships, Awards, Grants

A matching fund award is comprised of money donated by a private donor that the University matches. The proportion that is matched varies per award (e.g. some are 50% donor funds, 50% university funds; while others are 60% donor funds, 40% university funds).

The donor portion of the award is always received on top of your York Graduate Fellowship. The University portion, however, is included in the York Graduate Fellowship until the funding commitment amount is met. The "matching" portion of the award comes from the University, and the University is expected to contribute only once to a funding package.

Extract from the Collective Agreement: “The CUPE 3903 Ph.D. Completion Fund is to assist members outside the priority pool who have no funding in the last term of their doctoral studies. On the basis of need, funds will be made available to bargaining unit members registering for their final term of eligibility for full–time status in a doctoral program, who have no scholarship or other form of funding, excluding bursaries, from or through the University in that term. The first priority is summer term funding for those bargaining unit members who held a full teaching assistantship in the previous fall/winter terms."

Funds from scholarships, awards, and bursaries are applied directly to tuition (if applicable) and other student fees owing. After tuition, program fees, and other charges to a student’s account have been cleared, award recipients who have a credit remaining on their account will be issued a refund.

(Remember to sign up for Direct Deposit!)

Teaching Assistantships (TA's) are a matter of formal negotiation between the University and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE local 3903) of York University. Priority of appointments is a part of this contract. Students interested in being considered for suitable positions are required to fill out a job application form and submit it to the Department of Dance with a CV attached. TA's are not permitted to hold other on campus paying jobs. For more information consult with CUPE 3903.

Please carefully review the information provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) regarding the York Graduate Fellowship and funding packages for graduate students.

Further Resources:

• Graduate Funding Advising Services Appointment Scheduler (select AMPD)
• Graduate Program Fees Structure/Student Financial Services (SFS)
• FGS: Student Finances

The York University Graduate Students Association (YUGSA) provides funding and financial aid, including short-term interest-free loans to graduate students who encounter temporary financial difficulties. To qualify, you must be a full-time York Graduate Student in good standing in the Program. To obtain a loan, contact the YUGSA President or Treasurer in 325 Student Centre (416.736.5865, info@yugsa.ca) during office hours or by appointment.