Funding and awards

Funding for graduate students

The Cheriton School of Computer Science offers competitive funding for our graduate students. Financial support for students accepted into a full-time MMath or PhD program is typically a combination of graduate teaching assistantships (TA)* and graduate research assistantships/studentships (GRA/GRS). The TA and GRA/GRS funding is our students base pay and all full-time MMath and PhD students are further considered for an array of scholarships and awards during the offer of admission process, many of which are listed below. For full details please review awards and funding for graduate students. 

MMath students are only guaranteed funding in their first year of studies as noted in their offer of admission. However, full-time students in the MMath and PhD programs may continue to receive funding while they are within their program time limits and in good academic standing and have satisfactory progress in their program. Financial support is not offered to part-time students or to students in the MMath coursework option. Students also do not receive funding in terms they are inactive. 

Students receiving TA and GRA/GRS funding currently receive the following amount within 3 terms (1 year).

Plan Amount  Amount - Students admitted as of Fall 2021 & onwards
MMath

$25,596 Domestic students

$29,859 International students

$28,596 Domestic students

$32,859 International students

PhD 

$27,474 Domestic students

$27,393 International students

$30,474 Domestic students

$30,393 International students

Current student can view a breakdown of the funding on a per term basis here. 

* some exceptions may apply

Awards and scholarships

Applicants of exceptional merit are automatically considered for a limited number of internal entrance scholarships at the time of admission. Eligible students are also encouraged to apply for external scholarships. For a full listing please review the Graduate funding & awards database.  

Internal scholarships & funding opportunities

Some do not require a formal application, as they are handled at the discretion of the School Graduate Office,  all applicants are considered at the time of admission. 

David R. Cheriton Graduate Scholarship

Application: Applicants considered at the time of application. Eligible PhD students may apply each term when the application period is open. See award details for more information.

Value: $10,000 per year for one or two years

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. As a stipulation of receiving a Cheriton Graduate Scholarship, all recipients are required to submit an abstract of their proposed, in progress or completed graduate-level research to the CS Grad Office in April of the following year for inclusion in the annual Cheriton Report.

Must be current PhD student to apply to the application portion of scholarship.

DiMarco Graduate Scholarship in Computational Rhetoric

Application: Application required. See award details for more information

Value: $2,500 per year for one year

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement, Computer Science or Faculty of Arts who have an area of interest in computational rhetoric

Doctoral Thesis Completion Award

Application: Application required. See award details for more information

Value: $5,000; one term award

Eligibility requirement: All completing doctoral students

Dr. Derick Wood Graduate Scholarship

Application: Eligible applicants considered at the time of application. See award details for more information.

Value: PhD - one $10,000 for one year or Masters - two $5,000 for one year

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement, Computer Science graduate program, preference will be given to PhD conducting research in Algorithms and Complexity.

Donor Information:

Dr. Derick Wood was a Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo from 1982 to 1992. He is widely known for his outstanding research contributions in a number of areas in theoretical Computer Science, including algorithms, data structures, formal languages and computational geometry. Dr. Wood received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Leeds, England, in 1963 and 1968, respectively. The University of Waterloo has established the Dr. Derick Wood Endowment for Graduate Scholarships in Computer Science in order to receive gifts honouring Dr. Wood.

More donor information.

GO-Bell Scholarships

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically by department. See award details for more information

Value: $12,000 per year up to two years

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. Full time PhD students.

International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information regarding eligibility and value

International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE)

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information regarding eligibility and value

Jose Blakeley Graduate Scholarship in Data Systems

Application: Application required. See award details for more information

Value: $10,000 per year for one year

Eligibility requirement: International master’s or doctoral student in the Data Systems Group of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science

Jose Blakeley Application (PDF)

Lijiang Fang Graduate Scholarship

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information

Value: $5,000; split over 2 terms

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. Full time, research-based graduate degree program, MMath/PhD. Selection based on academic excellence (minimum 80% cumulative average)

Mathematics Domestic Graduate Student Award

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information

Value: Doctoral students: $6,000 per year (split over 3 terms) Master's students: $3,000 per year (split over 3 terms)

Eligibility requirement: Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Full time, research-based graduate degree program, MMath/PhD.

Ontario Trillium Scholarship

Application: No application required. Students nominated by department. See award details for more information

Value: $40,000 annually

Eligibility requirement: International/study permit student. Full time, research-based graduate degree program (PhD)

Provost Doctoral Entrance Award (PDEA) for Women

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information

Value: $5,000

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. Full time female doctoral student (PhD). Minimum 80% cumulative average

Research Travel Assistantship

Application: Application required. See award details for more information regarding eligibility and value

UW Graduate Scholarship

Application: No application required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details for more information regarding eligibility and value

Waterloo Apple PhD Fellowship in Data Science and Machine Learning

Application: Application required. See award details for more information.

Value: $37,500 per year for two years.

Eligibility: No residency requirement. Students must be in the 2nd or 3rd year of their PhD program in the School of Computer Science.

DISCONTINUED AS OF 2023

External awards

The following external awards  are available to students at the University of Waterloo. All eligible students are encouraged to apply. Please contact the Computer Science Graduate Coordinator, that manages scholarships, for more detailed information.

Other funding opportunities

For other funding opportunities to graduate students, such as the Graduate Student Parental Leave Bursary and Graduate Student Medical Leave Bursary, please see the financial need funding page.