OSOTF, OTSS and other Endowed Awards
Most of the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF), Ontario Trust Student Support (OTSS) and endowed awards come from interest income of endowed funds donated from various sources.
OSOTF awards were established in the late 1990's during a period of fund matching from both the university and the government of Ontario. OTSS awards were established in 2005 building on the OSOTF program, where the Province of Ontario matches dollar-for-dollar all cash donations to establish permanent endowed awards.
Some OSOTF awards are administered through individual graduate units and others are administered through the Office of the Vice Dean, Research and Health Science Education (RHSE).
Value and Duration
Generally OSOTF, OTSS and other endowed awards administered through RHSE are for up to one year and are not renewable. However you can apply for support to subsequent competitions. The amounts available from OSOTF, OTSS and other endowed awards offered through the Temerty Faculty of Medicine are generally limited by the amount of income from endowed funds. Committees have the option to set award levels, including top-ups. The Temerty Medicine Graduate Awards Committee takes into account each department's minimum funding level and general University policy in establishing award levels.
Eligibility
The award holder must be a full-time student for at least 14 weeks in any term during which they hold the award. Internal awards are automatically used to pay the student's outstanding fees. Preference in funding decisions will be given to students in year 1-2 of their MSc or year 1-5 of their PhD. Students beyond these years will be considered under exceptional circumstances.
Awards are allocated on the basis of academic excellence however
Additional conditions must be met for the allocation of OSOTF and OTSS funds. These awards are restricted to individuals who meet all of the following criteria at the time of application:
- Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada or Protected Person;
- Resident of Ontario; and
- Demonstrates financial need.
The above requirements use the guidelines established by OSAP to determine Ontario residency.
Each official award record clearly states the eligibility requirements.
Top-up Awards
Depending on the policies of the review committees, top-ups may be available for major external award holders. This decision is dependent on the funding available and the number of applicants for the competition.
How to Apply
An application procedure and policy should exist within each graduate unit for their respective departmental awards. In the case of awards administered by RHSE and specific application instructions are announced to students in all eligible graduate units.
OSOTF/OTSS Awards Adminitered Through Graduate Units
To learn more about how to apply and deadlines for OSOTF, OTSS and Endowed Awards that are administered through your graduate unit, please consult with your department. Departmental awards can be "partly OSOTF", where additional donations were made during the matching period, creating an OSOTF portion of the award to supplement the already existing, non-OSOTF fund.
All departmental awards are listed in the SGS calendar and award conditions vary. Academic merit and financial need may be considered. Each graduate unit should have a list of the departmental awards available to you.
OSOTF/OTSS Awards Administered Through RHSE
When applying for OSOTF and OTSS awards, financial need can be demonstrated by applying for OSAP or by completing and attaching a Needs Assessment form, available from RHSE or your graduate unit Offices. If you have already been assessed for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or the University of Toronto Advance Planning for Students (UTAPS), complete the indicated sections of the Needs Assessment Form. If you have not applied for OSAP, or you applied for OSAP but have not received the result of assessment, complete the entire Needs Assessment form.
For additional details on individual award criteria, please use Award Explorer. Deadlines for competitions are generally announced early in the spring. Contact glse.awards@utoronto.ca