PhD Funding

Effective January 1, 2026, new Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students (Winter 2026 admits) will fall under the new FGS funding standard. Annual funding will include: base funding + tuition amount + inflation adjustment (2% per year after 2026-2027). PhD students (Winter 2026 admits and later) will receive funding opportunities for the first four years of program no less than:

Domestic Students: $28,305 (Base Funding*) + (Annual Tuition)

International Students: $28,305 (Base Funding) + (Annual Tuition) - $3,060.00 (IGTA**)

*According to FGS policy, base funding amounts will be adjusted yearly to account for an inflation adjustment (2%)

**IGTA – International Graduate Student Tuition Award

Students who have started program under the 2022 policy (prior to and including Fall 2025 admits) will not have their minimum funding adjusted ( i.e., not be less than $22,000 annually for domestic and  $24,000 annually for international student for each of the first four years of their program)

Funding opportunities may come from multiple sources, such as, Graduate Assistantship Teaching (GAT), Graduate Assistantship Non-Teaching (GANT), Graduate Assistantship Research (GAR), supervisor stipends, priority sessional instructor contracts or other opportunities. Graduate Programs in Education will attempt to offer a range of funding opportunities to students but not all opportunities may be available. If a student turns down provided funding opportunities, funding will be adjusted accordingly.

Any or all the following sources of funding may count toward a student’s minimum funding (i.e., the amount guaranteed in the student’s offer of admission):

  • Internal and external scholarships and awards
  • Research Assistantships, such as Graduate Assistantship Research (GAR), Research Stipends, and/or Scholarship payments from research grants;
  • Graduate Assistantship Teaching (GAT) 
  • Graduate Assistantship Non-Teaching (GANT) 
  • On-campus paid internships;
  • Paid Residencies (i.e., internships; practical experience – only available to PhD EDPS students).

Sources of funding will vary year to year.

PhD students will receive funding based on the following conditions. Students must:

  • be registered as a full-time student;
  • be available on campus during office hours in the Fall and/or Winter
  • apply for scholarships/awards for which they are eligible (e.g., tri-council funding, Graduate Award Competition). Failure to apply will result in a decrease or cancellation of departmental funding;
  • maintain satisfactory academic standing in the program / job performance (research).
  • not be self-funded

Depending on the source(s) of funding, monthly payments may not be consistent. For example, the timing of the receipt of a scholarship or the dates of a Graduate Assistantship appointment will impact the amount paid in a given month. In many cases, students will not receive the funds needs to pay tuition at the start of the year and should plan accordingly.

Finances: It is your responsibility to plan for the costs of your studies when living in Calgary. To help build your budget and plan your finances, please refer to the following resources:

Students who are offered admission to a PhD program will receive general information regarding funding in the offer package.

Details regarding specific activities to which students will be assigned will be provided after the offer of admission has been accepted.

Students may choose to waive an offer of work as a teaching assistant or sessional instructor without jeopardizing an offer of admission to a graduate program.

For more information about PhD funding, please contact the Graduate Programs in Education office.