Graduate Funding and Awards
Find more information about graduate funding and research scholarship opportunities at Laurier:
Read more about funding policies.
Tuition and Fees
Master's and doctoral students will be charged full- or part-time tuition based on their status at the time of admission. Permission to change registration status after admission is only by appeal and subject to the approval of the Graduate Student Appeals Committee. Students who successfully petition to change their registration status may have their tuition fees adjusted as a result. Incidental fees will be charged according to a student's registration status in a particular term.
Accessing Your Funding
To learn how each type of funding is distributed, click on the sections below.
Laurier pays out awards on an annual basis, normally in three instalments, one at each term, starting with the term you selected on your notice of acceptance (or, where no formal notice of acceptance is required, commencing the term in which the funding is held). Please note that the receipt of the scholarship in any given term is based on your continued enrollment in the program; should you complete the program earlier, the remaining portion(s) of the scholarship will be forfeited. Such awards would include any internal or external scholarships and awards administered by Laurier.
If you are enrolled in courses for the upcoming term, about one month prior to the start of the term, tuition and incidental fees are assessed to your student account. After fees are assessed, scholarships and awards administered by Laurier are applied against your student account. Any outstanding fees owed to the university are due by the first day of the academic term. If your scholarships and awards covered all tuition and incidental fees for the term, and you have a credit balance, you can Request a Refund.
Studentships are provided by faculty members to support a student’s development as a researcher. The amounts can vary. Often, they are awarded for a semester in the academic year. Studentships are applied directly to your student account (tuition and incidental fees). Any outstanding payments owed to the university will be deducted at source before a refund is issued to you (by e-transfer) for the balance.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) are generally offered at the time of admission by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. It is the responsibility of the academic unit to determine the specific work assignments.
Faculty members may hire graduate students as a Research Assistant (RA). The paperwork required for an RA is initiated by the faculty member.
GTAs and RAs are paid through WLU’s Payroll Office on a bi-weekly basis by direct deposit to the recipient's bank account. It is essential to keep personal information such as mailing address and bank account details up to date on LORIS to avoid delays in payment. Typically, the first pay for a fall GTA is late in September and the RA payment will depend on the dates noted on the paperwork. See payroll schedule and further information on the Student Employee Payroll page.
Requesting Your Credit Balance
Laurier does not automatically refund the credit balance from your student account.
Students are able to request a refund of their available credit balance by E-mail Money Transfer (EMT) through LORIS under Student Services > Refund Request. Additional information and details regarding the EMT refund process can be found on the Refunding webpage.