U of T Bursary / Grants

Bursaries and grants are non-repayable funds given to eligible students who demonstrate financial need through their school year budget. They are non-repayable (read: free money), and are intended to assist you in paying for educational expenses.

It is expected that before you apply for a grant, you will have explored all sources of funding such as: OSAP or other government assistance programs, family support, savings from summer employment, part time employment or a bank line of credit. 

U of T Grants are not intended to fund noneducational expenses or help you repay debt.

UTSC Grant

Full-time undergraduate students are eligible to apply for this grant. The application is available for students studying in the Fall/Winter session or Fall, Winter or Summer semesters. 

Fall/Winter & Summer Sessions

UTSC undergraduate students can apply for the U of T Undergraduate Grant Application Portal.

  • Login to the U of T Undergraduate Grant Application Portal
  • Select Start New Application
  • Complete ALL sections of the application
  • Watch the video to view helpful tips for each section of the form (also available under the Help section).
  • If you have questions regarding the grant application, please contact a financial aid advisor by email at: askro.utsc@utoronto.ca. Please include your name and student number in your email.
  • You may save the application as a draft and complete it at a later date. If any required fields have been missed, they will be flagged in red.
  • Submit the application before the deadline

When to Apply

The online application will be available at the beginning of each academic session:

Fall/Winter & Fall Only – September 5, 2023

Winter Only - January 8, 2024

Summer - May 1, 2023

Application Deadline

Fall/Winter – March 29, 2024

Fall Only – October 31, 2023

Winter Only – March 29, 2024

Summer (May to August) – August 8, 2023

 

Processing and Decisions

We begin assessment of Fall/Winter and Fall Only applications in mid October. Assessment of Summer applications begin in mid June. The average processing time is 3 to 6 weeks from the date of submission.

To view the status on your grant applications, login to the U of T Undergraduate Grant Application Portal.

Payment of the Grant

If approved, you will be able to view the grant payment information on ACORN, under the Awards & Financial Aid section. You can also see the payment on your invoice. 

If you have an outstanding balance on your tuition invoice, the grant will first be used to pay tuition. If your fees are paid in full, we will refund the grant to your bank account. Please ensure that you have entered your bank account information in ACORN. 

Appealing a Grant Decision

Speak to a Financial Aid Advisor at the Registrar's Office.

UTAPS

The UTAPS (U of T Advance Planning for Students) Grant helps students who have received the maximum amount of government financial aid, but whose funding doesn’t cover all university expenses. The amount of the UTAPS Grant will vary student by student. The University uses the student’s unmet need as calculated by OSAP to determine the eligibility of each student. 

Who is eligible?

See the details on the University Registrar's Office website.

Who is not eligible?

International students and part-time students are not eligible, as well as students participating in a co-op work term(s), internship or PEY term(s).

How to apply

Fall/Winter – Current Students

  • If you receive OSAP, you will be automatically considered. OSAP recipients do not apply.
  • Students receiving other provincial/territorial government financial aid or Band funding/community sponsorship must complete an online application, which is available on the University Registrar's Office website. 

Summer – Current Students

  • If you receive OSAP, you will be automatically considered. OSAP recipients do not apply.
  • Students receiving other provincial/territorial government financial aid or Band funding/community sponsorship must complete a paper application (pdf format) which is available in the Forms section of this website.

Application Deadline

  • Usually late October for Fall semester and late January for Winter semester.
  • Usually late May or mid June for the Summer session. 

Please refer to the the University Registrar's Office website for exact deadline information.

Prospective Students 
The UTAPS Online Estimator can be used as a financial planning tool. Complete and submit the Financial Aid/ UTAPS Online Estimator to get an estimate of how much University of Toronto funding you may be eligible for.

For students applying for admission to a program which admits students directly from high school, complete and submit the Financial Aid/ UTAPS Online Estimator by the deadline (usually the end of February).

Information entered on the UTAPS Online Estimator may be used by the University to determine your eligibility for need-based grants or bursaries for the upcoming school year. 

Please note: you must follow through with an application for government student aid. Apply for funding through OSAP or your home province to receive government student aid. 

University of Toronto Grant for Individuals in Extended Society Care (formerly the University of Toronto Crown Ward Grant)

 

 The University of Toronto Grant For Individuals in Extended Society helps eligible students with their tuition costs. These students will receive 100% of their tuition costs, to a maximum of 100% of tuition charged for a first-year, regular Arts and Science program. For more details, please visit the University Registrar's Office website.

Academic Travel Fund

The Academic Travel Fund supports undergraduate students who travel to academic conferences, meetings and/or research initiatives can submit project proposals by the appropriate deadline dates.

Questions? Contact the Office of Student Experience & Wellbeing

Global Learning Travel Fund

The Global Learning Travel Fund supports undergraduate travel for a field course, exchange, summer abroad course, language course, internship or research. 

Questions? Contact the Office of Student Experience & Wellbeing

SCSU Academic Bursary

The Academic Bursary is meant to help eliminate financial barriers from students succeeding in pursuing their academics by making post-secondary education more accessible through supporting with academic related expenses such as textbooks, tuition, internet, and electronic resource necessities.

More information is available from the SCSU about the application process. Please visit the SCSU website.

SCSU Dollar for
Daycare Grant

This grant is funded by the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU). This grant provides eligible students with assistance for daycare or babysitting expenses. 

More information will be available from SCSU about the application process. Please visit the SCSU website.

SCSU Emergency Support Bursary

This emergency fund was created by the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU). It is intended to support members dealing with financial hardship. Applications to this fund are considered on a rolling basis while funds are available. 

More information is available from the SCSU about the application process. Please visit the SCSU website

APUS (Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students)

APUS offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries for part time students. View full details on the APUS website

Noah Meltz Program of Financial Assistance

The Noah Meltz Program helps eligible part-time undergraduate students finance their education through non-repayable grants for their tuition costs to a maximum of one credit, along with a tuition allowance, transportation and child-care costs. 

Students can apply for this grant once during the September to April study period, and once during the May to August study period.  

*Updated May 11, 2023