Graduate Student Funding and Scholarships
To help offset the cost of full-time graduate enrolment, the Department of Psychology offers graduate students an annual funding package for all fundable years of their degree.
Graduate student funding is intended to help reduce the cost of undertaking full-time graduate studies and the financial barriers in pursuing an advanced degree. This funding is not intended to replace full-time employment or to cover all living expenses, so careful consideration and financial planning are encouraged before starting graduate school.
To help you get a better estimate of what it will cost to attend our program for one year, please use the Graduate Student Affordability Calculator. The calculator can provide you with an accurate estimate of how much money you will need to pay for your tuition, fees, housing, food, and many other necessities for a 12-month (three term) academic year.
M.Sc. Funding
Funding Support Packages for Psychology M.Sc. Graduate Students in 2026-27:
Master’s students who will activate a scholarship or start their degree in 2026-27 will receive the following financial support:
| Annual Master’s Domestic Funding Support Package PSYCHOLOGY 2026-27 |
|||
| External Scholarship | Total from Western* | External Scholarship Amount | Total Funding** |
| No external scholarship | $27,600 |
$0 |
$27,600 |
| OGS | $15,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| CGRS M | $8,000*** | $27,000 | $35,000 |
| Annual Master’s International Funding Support Package PSYCHOLOGY 2026-27 |
|||
| External Scholarship | Total from Western* | External Scholarship Amount | Total Funding** |
| No external scholarship | $42,600 |
$0 |
$42,600 |
| OGS | $27,600 | $15,000 | $42,600 |
* Total from Western includes funding from research grants and $100 GTA top-up payment to be issued in April 2026.
** Funding support packages can be comprised of funds from a variety of sources and can differ from student to student. Funding sources include scholarships, graduate fellowships, and part-time employment such as graduate teaching assistantships, graduate student assistantships, or limited duties teaching appointments. The amounts represent the minimum funding an awardee is expected to receive in each scholarship category.
***For Master’s students with an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s (CGRS M), or similar external award, no GTAs are guaranteed, however in some cases GTAs may be offered to scholarship holders to meet the teaching needs of the Department.
Ph.D. Funding
Funding Support Packages for Psychology Ph.D. Graduate Students in 2026-27:
Doctoral students who will activate a scholarship or start their degree in 2026-27 will receive the following financial support:
|
Annual Doctoral Domestic Funding Support Package |
|||
|
External Scholarship Amount |
Total Funding** |
||
|
No external scholarship |
$28,600 |
$0 |
$28,600 |
|
$18,000 |
$15,000 |
$33,000 |
|
|
One 70-hour GTAship within the 3- year award period |
$40,000 |
$40,000 + One 70-hour GTAship within the 3-year award period |
|
|
Annual Doctoral International Funding Support Package |
|||
|
External Scholarship Amount |
Total Funding** |
||
|
No external scholarship |
$28,600 |
$0 |
$28,600 |
|
$18,000 |
$15,000 |
$33,000 |
|
* Total from Western includes funding from research grants and $100 GTA top-up payment to be issued in April 2026.
** Funding support packages can be comprised of funds from a variety of sources and can differ from student to student. Funding sources include scholarships, graduate fellowships, and part-time employment such as graduate teaching assistantships, graduate student assistantships, or limited duties teaching appointments. The amounts represent the minimum funding an awardee is expected to receive in each scholarship category.
GTA
GTA funding is typically included in graduate student funding support packages.
The number of GTA hours per year that you may be offered depends on the external scholarships that you are awarded. Please reference either the M.Sc. Funding or Ph.D. Funding above for details.
You can learn more about the GTA rates and access the GTA Collective Agreement here.
https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/western_funding/gta/index.html
Each year, students are provided with a survey that they can submit to the Graduate Office with their GTA teaching assignment preferences. While these preferences cannot always be accommodated, our best effort is made in providing a suitable assignment.
Supervisor Support
Sometimes supervisors will provide students who are not holding an external scholarship with graduate fellowship funding from their research grants. Please speak to your supervisor(s) if you are curious about whether this funding will be available to you.
Accessing your annual funding package information
Your guaranteed annual funding amount is found on your offer letter, but details regarding the composition of your funding package will be found on an application that Western calls "Mercury".
In the summer, you will receive an email providing you with a link to your funding plan in Mercury. It will outline what funding you will be provided with each term and require your electronic acknowledgement.
WGRS, graduate fellowship, and external scholarship payments are applied to your student tuition account in Student Center, at the beginning of teach term. After your tuition and fees for the term have been paid in full, any refund amount will be issued to you through bank deposit. However, you are responsible for checking your account to ensure that you pay any outstanding fees that may be owing.
GTA funding is employment income and will be provided to you on the last business day of each month through payroll bank deposit.
Travel Fund
The Department of Psychology is pleased to offer active Master's and Doctoral students with an opportunity to obtain funding to help offset the costs associated with attending conferences and participating in professional development activities.
Eligibility
• Must be an active, full-time, M.Sc. or Ph.D. student enroled in the Department of Psychology Graduate Program.
• This funding is not available to students who are beyond their fundable years of study, or on a leave of absence.
Application Process
1. Each April (May in this launch year), the Psychology Graduate Office will issue a call for applications to the fund for conference travel or professional development activities planned for the upcoming year. The maximum funding amount per student will be specified at that time.
2. The fund will support travel and registration costs for conferences, workshops, and other training that are not part of the applicant’s regular program. (NB that expenses for graduate courses, thesis research data collection, practica, or internships will not be supported).
3. Students will be notified of the amount they can claim. If there are remaining funds, a second call for applications may occur in September/October. If there are more applications than can be supported each year, priority will be given to more senior students and those presenting their thesis research.
4. Successful applicants will submit an expense claim after the conference/workshop, using the expense claim process.
Detailed information regarding eligibility and submitting an expense claim is provided in the Graduate Student Conference and Professional Development Fund document. (Link to be provided)
May 2026 competition
For expenses incurred from conferences/workshops, or professional development activities attended between May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027:
Applications must be submitted by Friday, May 22 at 11:59 p.m.
It is anticipated that $500 will be available to successful applicants.
This application form is to be submitted by the student.
https://uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OXPbv5l6Kr0idU
Applications will be reviewed by the Associate Graduate Chair of Psychology, and an email notification will follow to inform applicants of the results.
Donor Awards
Donor awards are an especially meaningful source of student support. Established through the generosity of alumni, faculty and friends of Psychology, these awards represent far more than a dollar value. They recognize academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, a love of science and the potential that unfolds when financial burdens are alleviated, as demonstrated by previous award recipients.
Please visit https://psychology.uwo.ca/graduate/Funding and Scholorships/donorawards.html for award criteria, values, and application procedures and deadlines.
Faculty of Social Science Awards
Please visit https://www.ssc.uwo.ca/graduate/awards/index.html to browse the list of award and scholarships available to graduate students from the Faculty of Social Science.
External Awards
To learn of the external awards and scholarships available to graduate students, such as the various tri-agency scholarships, please visit the Funding Opportunities page on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website at https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/external_funding/index.html
Scholarship Adjustments
Upon admission, students are offered a minimum guaranteed funding package. This guaranteed minimum amount is paid to the student for each fundable year of their degree.
If a student obtains an external scholarship during these fundable years, the guaranteed minimum will be comprised of the scholarship and may be supplemented with WGRS and GTA funding.
Please reference (can we link to the MSc and PhD funding information for this) for detailed information on award adjustments for 2026-27.
SOGS Awards
The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) offers graduate students with financial support through various awards and bursaries. Learn more at https://sogs.ca/financial-support/
