Funding - Indigenous Studies PhD

Funding

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).

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.

External Scholarships

We encourage all students to apply for external scholarship competitions and bursary opportunities such as:

Internal Scholarships

Trent University also offers internal scholarships including some specific to Indigenous students:

Five Sisters PhD Award
William B. Reid Graduate Scholarship
John Bernard Scholarship (Through Indspire)

Further information on funding is available on the Graduate Studies Website.

Financial Aid

Emergency Housing Fund: Student Housing has access to an Emergency Housing Fund from the Trent Fund that aims to support the financial needs of currently enrolled eligible students that are experiencing financial hardships with regards to their housing expenses. Please contact offcampushousing@trentu.ca for any questions related to the Emergency Housing Fund.

Graduate Bursaries

The general bursary program for graduate students at Trent University is administered by the Financial Aid Office for domestic and international graduate students.

Many students need some form of financial assistance in order to achieve their academic goals. Bursaries are meant to supplement, not replace, provincial government aid programs and a student’s own resources. Bursaries are awarded each term to students with demonstrated financial need. The application is available, at the beginning of each term, in the myTrent student portal and to be considered for a bursary, students are required to submit a completed application online by the advertised deadline.

The application can be found on the myTrent portal, under the Finances tab, beneath the Financial Aid heading.

Application Deadlines

Fall Deadline - September 30, 2026

Winter Deadline - January 31, 2027

Spring Deadline - May 24, 2027