Student Funding
At Trent University, all eligible graduate students are guaranteed a minimum level of support for the first four years of their PhD studies. Support is comprised of Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Research Fellowships.
Additional financial aid for full-time graduate students may be available from the following sources:
- University entrance awards, academic scholarships, and tuition bursaries.
- Research Assistantships (RAs) with faculty members who hold research grants.
- Loans from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
We encourage all students to apply for external scholarship competitions and bursary opportunities such as:
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
- NSERC Doctoral Awards
- SSHRC Doctoral Awards
- Trudeau Foundation Scholarship
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
- Indspire
- Future Generations Foundation
Trent University also offers internal scholarships including some specific to Indigenous students.
Further information on funding is available on the Graduate Studies Website.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Most incoming students in the PhD Program receive a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA).
The Graduate Teaching Assistantship is part of the guaranteed funding package from the University. In addition to providing a monthly stipend from September through April, it also offers the opportunity for students to develop professional skills and gain valuable experience in an undergraduate classroom. Students are mentored by a faculty member and work as part of a team to deliver course content.
GTAs complete a departmental training module prior to working in the classroom and are entitled to work a maximum of 10 hours per week over the academic year.