Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program in Canada | How to Apply
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program is open to master’s and doctoral students enrolled full-time at participating universities in Ontario, Canada. The scholarship is merit-based and awards between $10,000 and $15,000 per academic year depending on the number of consecutive study terms in your programme. Each award can be held for a minimum of one academic year and a maximum of two years per application cycle, with lifetime maximums of two academic years for master’s students and four academic years for doctoral students.
The scholarship is jointly funded by the Province of Ontario, which contributes two thirds of the award, and the participating university, which contributes the remaining one third. You apply through your chosen university’s own OGS application — not through a central provincial portal — and applications are normally available in October each year. Deadlines, assessment criteria, and selection processes vary by institution, so the Graduate Studies Office at your specific university is your primary point of contact for this award.
The OGS is open to both domestic Canadian students and international students, provided your school of choice participates in the programme and you meet the enrolment requirements.
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Summary of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program 2026
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) |
| Host Country ⇒ | Canada |
| Study Level ⇒ | Postgraduate Scholarships | Master’s Scholarships | PhD Scholarships |
| Benefits ⇒ | $10,000 for 2 consecutive study terms or $15,000 for 3 consecutive study terms, per academic year |
| Funded By ⇒ | Province of Ontario (two thirds) and participating university (one third) |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All countries |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Varies by university — applications normally available in October. Contact your university’s Graduate Studies Office for the confirmed date |
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About the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program is a provincial scholarship initiative run by the Government of Ontario to support graduate-level research and academic study across all disciplines at publicly funded universities in Ontario. The programme has been running for decades and is one of the most widely available merit-based graduate funding sources in Canada.
Each OGS award is jointly funded — the Province of Ontario contributes two thirds of the award value and the participating university contributes the remaining one third. This joint funding model means the award is available at 19 participating universities across Ontario, each of which administers its own application process, sets its own assessment criteria, and determines its own selection ranking. This is a key point: there is no single OGS application form for all schools. If you are applying to graduate programmes at more than one participating university, you must submit a separate OGS application to each institution.
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The full list of participating Ontario schools is published on the Ontario Student Assistance Program portal here
What the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Covers
The scholarship provides the following annual award based on your number of consecutive study terms:
- $10,000 for 2 consecutive study terms within an academic year
- $15,000 for 3 consecutive study terms within an academic year
Each OGS award is issued for a minimum of one academic year (2 or 3 consecutive academic terms) and a maximum of two academic years (up to 6 consecutive academic terms) per award cycle.
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Lifetime maximum awards by student type:
- Master’s students: up to 2 academic years of OGS funding in total
- Doctoral students: up to 4 academic years of OGS funding in total
- All students (lifetime limit): no more than 6 academic years of OGS funding across all levels combined
The OGS award is a cash scholarship paid through your university. It does not cover tuition directly — funds are issued to you and can be applied toward tuition, living costs, research expenses, or other educational needs.
Eligibility Requirements for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
You must meet all of the following to be considered:
- You must be enrolled in, or planning to enrol in, a graduate programme at the master’s or doctoral level
- You must be enrolled full-time for two or more terms (21 to 52 weeks in total) in the academic year for which you are applying
- You must be attending, or planning to attend, one of the 19 participating Ontario universities listed below
Beyond these provincial requirements, each participating university applies its own additional merit-based assessment criteria to rank applicants. Contact the Graduate Studies Office at your specific university to confirm what those criteria are before you apply.
Participating Universities for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship
The OGS is available at the following 19 universities in Ontario:
- Brock University
- Carleton University
- University of Guelph
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University
- OCAD University
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology
- University of Ottawa
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- Queen’s University
- Ryerson University
- University of Toronto
- Trent University
- University of Waterloo
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- University of Windsor
- York University
The full and current list of participating schools is also available here
How to Apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS) – Step by Step
There is no central OGS application portal. Each university manages its own application process.
- Identify which participating Ontario university you are applying to, or are already enrolled in, for your graduate programme.
- Contact the Graduate Studies Office at your chosen university to request details on their OGS application process, criteria, and deadline. The central directory for Graduate Studies Offices across Ontario universities is at: https://cou.ca/resources/graduate-studies/
- Obtain and complete your university’s OGS application form. Applications are normally made available in October each year.
- Submit all required documents by your university’s OGS deadline — deadlines, required documents, and review timelines vary by institution.
- If you are applying to graduate programmes at more than one participating university, submit a separate OGS application to each institution. One application does not cover multiple schools.
- Your university will notify you directly if your application is successful.
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Application Deadline
Application deadlines vary by university. There is no single provincial deadline. OGS applications are normally made available at participating universities in October each year, with deadlines set by each institution’s Graduate Studies Office. Contact the Graduate Studies Office at your chosen university directly for their confirmed 2026 deadline and application requirements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Ontario Graduate Scholarship worth?
The award is worth $10,000 for students enrolled in two consecutive study terms in an academic year, or $15,000 for students enrolled in three consecutive study terms. Each award can be held for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years per cycle, with lifetime limits of two years for master’s students, four years for doctoral students, and six years total across all study levels.
Can international students apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship?
Eligibility for international students depends on the specific policies of the participating university you are attending. The OGS programme itself is open to students at participating Ontario universities regardless of nationality, but your university’s Graduate Studies Office will confirm whether international students are eligible under their institution’s OGS allocation. Contact them directly before applying.
Do I need to apply to each university separately?
Yes. If you are applying to graduate programmes at more than one participating Ontario university, you must submit a separate OGS application to each institution. There is no combined or central application.
How is my OGS application assessed?
Assessment and ranking criteria are set by the individual university, not by the Province of Ontario centrally. Each school’s Graduate Studies Office applies its own merit-based criteria to rank applicants. Contact your university’s Graduate Studies Office at https://cou.ca/resources/graduate-studies/ to understand the specific criteria they use.
When will I find out if I am successful?
Your university will notify you directly if your application is successful. Timelines vary by institution — confirm the expected notification date with your university’s Graduate Studies Office when you submit your application.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria were verified from the official Ontario Government OGS Programme page. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official source before submitting your application.
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