Four year limit for government awards in Canada

[electrochoc]

I searched the forum and am not sure if this question has been asked before (if so can somebody direct me to the topic?).

I'll begin the second year of my MA degree this fall and will funded by the MA SSHRC for that. The previous year I held an OGS. This makes up two years of government funding, but I've been told that "Graduate students can receive a lifetime maximum of four years of government- funded student awards."

In this situation, if I apply for the doctoral SSHRC and were to get the three year or four year award, what would be the situation here? Would I have to forfeit one of two years of funding to abide by the four year limit? Since doctoral awards are larger than the MA ones, would paying back the MA ones be a possibility in order to keep an extra 10-20 thousand or so a year for the doctoral?

I'd really appreciate if somebody who's had this experience could advise me. I''ll be also applying for Vanier, which I was told is not included in this lifetime maximum, but I'm being realistic and know it's a long long looong shot for me.

Thanks in advance.

[StrangeLight]

who told you students can only receive a maximum of 4 years of funding? who or what, exactly, are you quoting?

at the most, there might be a limit of 4 years of funding per degree. the MA and PhD are different degrees, the PhD SSHRC is a max of 4 years, so that might make sense. even then, i've never heard of a cap on government-funded fellowships. in fact, i know many people that have had SSHRCs at the MA and PhD levels and it's totaled more than 4 years of funding.

[electrochoc]

who told you students can only receive a maximum of 4 years of funding? who or what, exactly, are you quoting?

at the most, there might be a limit of 4 years of funding per degree. the MA and PhD are different degrees, the PhD SSHRC is a max of 4 years, so that might make sense. even then, i've never heard of a cap on government-funded fellowships. in fact, i know many people that have had SSHRCs at the MA and PhD levels and it's totaled more than 4 years of funding.

See, this is what I don't understand. This is what's in the OGS website:

"

• Duration of Support
  
  Lifetime Maximum
  You must have not have exceeded the lifetime maximum of 4 years of government-funded student awards. Awards received under the following programs are counted toward this lifetime maximum:
  • • • the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)
      • the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
      • the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
      • the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)

In addition, you must not have exceeded the maximum number of awards for your level of study. You may receive up to two OGS awards for a program at the master's level. The scholarship can be awarded for one or both of the first two academic years, but not after the second year. You may receive up to four OGS awards for a program at the doctoral level. The Scholarship can be awarded in any of the first five academic years but not after the fifth year."

At first I thought it was a maximum of four years per degree, but my university (Carleton) tells me that it is 4 years total including all degrees (so both MA and PHD). So if you get 2 years of funding for MA, only 2 years left for funding for the PHD which hardly seems fair for those of us with expensive field work components in our degrees.

So if, as you say, people have had than for more than 4 years, it's just something they don't check upon and limit you?

Edited June 20, 2011 by sabb

[ktel]

I am not familiar with the SSHRC requirements, but I assume they are similar to NSERC, which specifies a lifetime maximum of four years as well. However it does not look as if NSERC/SSHRC includes OGS funding in that life time maximum. So theoretically if you received four years of OGS funding you could then receive 4 years of SSHRC funding, if received in that order.