Fees & Funding

Funding at the U of A isn’t just competitive—it’s among the best in Canada.

Both master’s and doctoral students benefit from healthy funding packages determined at the department level.

Couple this with our modest tuition rates, and U of A graduate students have a clear economic advantage.

How funding works

Departments formulate a funding package after you have applied for admission. Sources can include:

• Direct Tuition Relief
• Teaching or Research Assistantships
• U of A Scholarships & Awards
• Sessional Appointments

Visit department/program websites to find out how students are funded.

What can you do?

• Apply early
  Most departments make funding decisions from December-April for applicants starting in September.

• Apply for Tri-Council Awards
  Canada's three research grant agencies*

  - CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
  - NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council)
  - SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)

*Mainly for Canadian/Permanent Residents however some awards, including the prestigious Vanier doctoral scholarships, are open to international students.

• Explore other External Funding
  Many agencies and orgnaizations offer graduate awards; try these tips:
  • Contact the U of A—the department offering your program may know of discipline-specific external awards
  • Contact your home country’s ministry of education—government ministries of education may have resources for funding education abroad
  • Contact the Canadian Embassy in your home country—a great resource for study abroad funding
  • Explore graduate scholarship websites such as www.scholarshipscanada.com and www.studycanada.ca

Related Links

• U of A Graduate Awards
• CIHR, NSERC & SSHRC Awards
• Registration & Fees
• Cost of Living

Fast Facts

Third highest average doctoral student funding in Canada at nearly $26,600 CAD a year.

84% of doctoral students received more than $20,000 CAD a year during their first four years of study.

Highest average funding in Canada for thesis-based master’s students at nearly $20,600 CAD a year.

Generous top-up funding for students holding prestigous awards from Canada’s three research agencies, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

Students holding a prestigious federal scholarship over $20,000 CAD received total average funding of more than $39,000 CAD a year.

Graduate assistant stipend rates rank among the top 5 in Canada, with more than $46 million in assistantships offered each year.

Competitive graduate tuition rates compared to other Canadian institutions; approximately $6,000 for Canadian students, $9,500 for international students

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Based on most recent funding figures (2008/09) and 2011/12 tuition approximation.