Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)

In this section . . . 

• Purpose and Value of the Award
• Eligibility and Conditions
• How to Apply using the online web application or paper application form
• Application Procedures and Application Deadline
• Application Package - supporting documentation required
• Divisions and Disciplines
• FAQs
• Changes to the OGS Application after it is submitted
• Notification and Acceptance
• Payment and Renewal
• Help
• Office Use Only - Forms for Institutions and Selection Panels

The 2010-2011 OGS application will be available in August 2009

Purpose and Value of the Award

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program encourages excellence in graduate studies at the master’s and doctoral levels.

An Ontario Graduate Scholarship is awarded for one academic year, which may consist of two or three consecutive terms. The value of the OGS is $5,000 per term. Thus, you may receive $10,000 for two consecutive terms or $15,000 for three consecutive terms. One-term awards are not granted. The province of Ontario contributes two-thirds of this amount and the university provides one-third.

Number of Scholarships Awarded

A total of 2,000 scholarships will be awarded annually. Of these, 60 scholarships will be awarded to students who have received a temporary resident visa as a member of the student class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) (Referred to as "Temporary Resident Visa Student Class" in this document).

Eligibility and Conditions

You may be considered for an OGS if you:

• Plan to be enrolled full-time in an eligible program leading to a master’s or doctoral degree at an eligible institution in Ontario. Check with your graduate studies office to determine if your program of study and your institution are eligible for the purposes of this scholarship.

Note: Students who are unable to study full-time due to a disability are eligible to apply for and hold an OGS award. These students must meet all eligibility requirements and conditions.

• Are a Canadian citizen, Protected Person, or Permanent Resident or have received a temporary resident visa as a member of the student class under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). If applicable, the date on your Protected Person, Permanent Resident, or Temporary Resident Visa Student Class documentation can be no later than November 19, 2008.

Note: You are not eligible for an OGS if you are a refugee claimant and do not have a Temporary Resident Visa Student Class.

In addition to basic eligibility criteria, there are minimum academic standards that must be met before you can be considered for an OGS.

MINIMUM OGS ACADEMIC STANDARDS

If master’s or doctoral degree marks used for calculating an applicant’s GPA are not available (e.g. courses were graded on a pass-fail basis), then the Ministry/graduate studies office will use the most recently available undergraduate/graduate marks to calculate an applicant’s GPA.

You may not be considered for an OGS if you:

• Have been convicted of an offence under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, the Canada Student Loans Act, or the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act.
• Have been convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada) involving fraud or theft in respect of any student assistance program or a loan grant , or award made by the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada or the government of any other province or territory of Canada.

Eligibility Conditions

The following conditions may affect your eligibility for an OGS award:

• You can receive a lifetime maximum of four years of government-funded student awards. Awards received under the following programs are counted toward this lifetime maximum:
  - the Ontario government, through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program,
  - the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC),
  - the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC),
  - the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).
• You cannot hold a scholarship from SSHRC, NSERC, or the CIHR, or an Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (OGSST) at the same time as an OGS.
• You can receive up to two OGS awards at the master’s level. The award is tenable during either one or both of the first two academic years (12-month periods) of a master’s degree program, but not after the second year.
• You can receive up to four OGS awards at the doctoral level. The awards are tenable during any of the first five academic years (12-month periods) of a doctoral program, but not after the fifth year.

Acceptance Conditions

If you receive an OGS award, you must comply with the following conditions:

• You must be enrolled as a full-time student in an eligible graduate program for the tenure of the award(i.e. two or three consecutive terms). If you withdraw, transfer to part-time status, or fail to complete a term, you will be required to repay the award.
• You may hold one OGS award for either two or three consecutive terms. 
• You cannot hold an award for only one term.
• You cannot be enrolled in a qualifying or "make-up" year or be on a paid educational leave or sabbatical.
• You may change disciplines or eligible programs during the tenure of the award, but only if your eligible institution approves the change.
• You may hold other awards that, together, have a maximum value of $10,000 per year. You may also accept research assistantships, part-time teaching positions, or other employment that does not affect your status as a full-time graduate student.
• You must notify both your institution and the ministry if you change your mailing address.
• Your cannot be employed more than an average of 10 hours per week.

How to Apply

Application Procedures

There are specific application procedures that you must follow depending on whether or not you are currently enrolled at an Ontario University. It is extremely important that you follow the appropriate procedures otherwise your application will be delayed and/or not included in the competition.

In addition, you must ensure that all supporting documentation is included in your OGS Application Package. You can apply for an OGS using the OGS online application or by using the OGS paper application. Check out all of the details on Application Procedures.

If you do not have a Social Insurance Number (SIN), you must apply using a paper application form.

OGS Online Application

The 2010-2011 OGS online application will be available in August 2009.

We strongly urge you to apply online. Just look at the benefits:

• The online application on the OSAP website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• It is quick and easy to use. 
• Your information is secure. 
• It has built-in "smarts" to help you to avoid making entry errors. 
• You can print your personalized application, Reports from professors, and Summary Sheet to submit with your supporting documentation.

Website Security Procedures 

The security features on the OSAP website have been developed to provide the maximum level of security in order to ensure that your personal information is kept strictly confidential. If you have applied to OSAP previously and accessed the OSAP website, log in using your Social Insurance Number or OSAP Access Number and your OSAP password. If you have not applied to OSAP previously, click on the "New Student" link in order to log in. It is extremely important that you keep your password in a secure place, that you do not give it out to others, and that you change it periodically. Do not forget or misplace your password because considerable time and effort is required to have it replaced. See Request to have OSAP Access Restored for details. You can change your password periodically by going to Update Your File found on the OSAP main page.

Computer Technical Requirements

It is important that your computer be set up properly in order to use the online OGS application and to print your personalized OGS application package. Go to Technical Requirements for details. 

In order to print your OGS Application Package you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher  installed on your computer. Go to Technical Requirements for details. 

OGS Paper Application

• OGS application form.

Application Deadlines

1. Applicants who are currently enrolled as full-time or part-time students in an Ontario university
   
   You must submit your complete paper application package or, for the on-line application, Part 1, 2 and 3 of the application along with all supporting documentation to the graduate studies office or your current department (undergraduate or graduate) at your university no later than your institution's internal deadline which will be earlier than the Ministry's deadline date of November 19, 2008. It is your responsibility to ensure that your application form and supporting documentation are received by the graduate studies office or your current department (undergraduate or graduate) by their specific deadline date. The Ontario Graduate Scholarship program does not accept incomplete or late applications.
2. Applicants who graduated (completed their program) from an Ontario university between November 19, 2007, and November 19, 2008, and are not currently registered at an Ontario university
   
   You must follow the procedures above for applicants who are currently enrolled as full-time or part-time students in an Ontario university.
3. Applicants who are not currently enrolled in an Ontario university (direct applicants).
   
   You must submit your complete paper application package and for the on-line application, Part 1, 2 and 3 of the application along with all supporting documentation to:
   
   Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
   Student Support Branch
   Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
   P. O. Box 4500
   189 Red River Road, 4th Floor
   Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6G9
   
   Your complete paper application package or on-line application with all supporting documentation must be recieved by the Ministry's Thunder Bay office by November 19, 2008.
   
   

   A complete Ontario Graduate Scholarship application package must contain the following:

   • Part 1 - Personal Data - completed and signed by student
   • Part 2 - Education Information - completed and signed by student
   • Part 3 - Notice, Consent, Declaration and Signature page of Applicant
   • Part 4 - Additional Education Information (if applicable)
   • Student Checklist - completed and signed by student
   • Temporary Resident Visa Student Class documentation (if applicable)
   • Summary Sheet - items 5-10 completed and signed by student
   • Academic Assessment Report  - completed and signed by Referee
   • Attachment to the Academic Assessment Report , if provided - completed and signed by Referee
   • Academic Assessment Report - completed and signed by Referee
   • Attachment to the Academic Assessment Report , if provided - completed and signed by Referee
   • Official/original University transcripts, undergraduate and graduate (if applicable)
   • Statement of Interest or Plan of Study
   • List of Significant Academic Accomplishments
   • List of Scholarships or Awards
   The Ontario Graduate Scholarship program does not accept incomplete or late applications. If your application is incomplete or late, you will be disqualified from the competition.

Changes to your submitted OGS Application

Once your OGS Application and supporting documentation have been submitted, you may make a limited number of changes to your basic information. Change requests can be made in writing to the Graduate Studies Office of your institution or the Ontario Graduate Studies Officer of the ministry, (only if you were required to submit your OGS application and supporting documentation to the ministry directly).

The following is a list of authorized changes:

• Student Number
• Name, address and phone number
• Birthdate
• Citizenship Status
• Discipline Code and Level of Study for Proposed and Current Studies
• Number of OGS awards

Ministry change requests should be sent to:

Ontario Graduate Scholarships
Student Support Branch
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
P O Box 4500
189 Red River Road, 4th Floor,
Thunder Bay ON P7B 6G9

 

Help

Questions should be directed to:

Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
Student Support Branch
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
PO Box 4500
189 Red River Rd, 4th floor
Thunder Bay ON P7B 6G9

Telephone: (807) 343-7257

Telephone Device for the Deaf: 1-800-465-3958