Scholarship Awarding University:
Type of degree:
Master’s and PhD
Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for this scholarship will end on the 1st February, 2025.
Scholarship Summary:
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies for eligible students (domestic and international) at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions. The government contributes two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university provides the remaining one-third.
The differences between the OGS and QEII-GSST scholarships are as follows:
• OGS – merit-based scholarship program for Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study; available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents and International students
• QEII-GSST – available specifically for students in a research-based graduate program in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines; only available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent residents.
Scholarship Applicant Criteria:
The following are the set criteria for consideration;
Citizenship
• Domestic applicants must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada;
• International students must hold a valid study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada).
Minimum Academic Requirements
• Applicants must have achieved a first-class average (minimum of A-/80%), in EACH of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).
- Eligibility averages are calculated using grades from your most recent academic history up to August 31, 2024, regardless of program or relevance to your current or proposed program. Waterloo is required to adhere to these parameters as dictated by Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU).
Registration/Admission Status
• International competition – International students must be currently registered in a graduate program at Waterloo or be on an approved leave of absence/inactive term by February 1, 2025 in order to be considered.
- Due to the limited quota of awards available for international students, prospective graduate students are not eligible to apply.
• Domestic competition – applicants must either be currently enrolled in a graduate program, or they must apply for admission to a graduate program by the February 1, 2025 deadline.
- apply for full-time graduate admission at Waterloo with a start term of either spring 2025, fall 2025 or winter 2026
Program of Study
• OGS awards are open to applicants in all disciplines of academic study (research-based AND course-based* programs).
• QEII-GSST awards are restricted to applicants in research-based graduate programs in a STEM discipline only (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Value of Scholarship:
Each OGS and QEII-GSST is valued at a maximum of CAD$15,000 per year or CAD$5,000 per term for a minimum of two terms. Waterloo celebrates outstanding academic achievement of its graduate students by offering the President's Graduate Scholarship (PGS) of up to CAD$15,000 to students receiving an OGS or QEII-GSST.
Master’s students can receive an OGS or QEII-GSST award for a maximum of two academic years and doctoral students for a maximum of four academic years.
Scholarship Application Guide:
To apply;
i. Apply for admission
• Domestic students – Domestic students must apply for graduate program admission through the department/school that will be responsible for reviewing the OGS/QEII-GSST application.
• International students – This step is not applicable to international applicants due to the limited number of awards available. International students must be currently registered in a graduate program at Waterloo or be on an approved leave of absence/inactive term by February 1, 2025 in order to be considered.
ii. Complete an OGS/QEII-GSST Application form; the completed application must be emailed to the proposed department graduate co-ordinator by the appropriate submission deadline.
iii. Applicants must complete the OGS/QEII-GSST applicant transcript request form (webform) by the appropriate submission deadline. Waterloo and non-Waterloo post-secondary transcripts are required as part of a complete OGS/QEII-GSST application.
iv. Two academic references are required as part of a complete OGS/QEII-GSST application package.
Applicants must provide their referees with the following details:
a. Submission email and deadline (Referees must email their letter directly to the applicant's proposed department graduate co-ordinator [see Step ii] by the appropriate submission deadline.)
b. Reference letters should be signed and on letterhead (if applicable)
c. Referees should incorporate the following into their letter:
1) Applicant’s full name
2) Referee’s full name, affiliated institution, department and title (if applicable)
3) Description of what capacity they have known the applicant
4) Applicant’s strengths with regards to the OGS/QEII-GSST evaluation criteria (or tri-agency equivalent): academic excellence, research ability and potential, communication and leadership abilities
Scholarship Website:
Find further information on this scholarship opportunity at the University of Waterloo Graduate OGS and QEII-GSST Scholarship Page.