SSHRC, MA, & UofT Anthropology

[Nerd_For_Life]

So I've been accepted to UofT's anthro department for the 1 year MA program and am in the final stages of verification for receiving an MA SSHRC worth $17,500. I know that this means I will not receive the minimum funding package from the anthro department ($15,000 made up of a fellowship and ta-ship and/or ra-ship + tuition) and will instead receive a small top up award, likely to be around ~$1,000. What I don't know is whether or not my tuition fees will still be waived or if I will be expected to pay my tuition out of my SSHRC money. Tuition runs around $7,000 which then makes taking up a SSHRC substantially less appealing. I do know that with the SSHRC I can still take up a TA or RA position (worth $5,000-7,000 for one year) but that would just bring me, at best, to breaking even with my SSHRC funding before tuition is taken out of it.

Anyone here with experience? I've been notified via email that I'm accepted and am awaiting the acceptance package in the mail, but since SSHRC results haven't been released yet I know that it likely won't include any information about that. I've talked to my supervisor who directed me to emailing a couple admin people in the department, but was hoping the lovely grad cafe peeps might have some insight while I wait.

[3minutes]

I am an MA student at the University of Toronto (OISE), and when I had received a SSHRC, I was expected to pay my tuition via my SSHRC grant. In addition, the third installment of my SSHRC grant went directly to the university itself (you'll need to file for a refund if you pay your tuition before the third installment).

OISE did give me a top up award of $2000 for receiving SSHRC.

Thus, it appears that SSHRC may be assumed to cover part of your tuition fees. I would still double check with the university but from my experience in psychology, it's always expected your tuition comes out of whatever grant you've been awarded (OGS, CIHR, SSHRC, etc...).

[Nerd_For_Life]

Thank you for the reply. It would seem then that getting a SSHRC is more of value in name than in actual funding if you are headed to a dept with a minimum funding package? The remaining amount is definitely not enough to live on in Toronto and if I take a TA-ship (which I would have to financially) I would barely be able to squeak by...and the amount I would have would greatly depend on the value of the TA-ship Less appealing funding offer than I was expecting and hoping for.

[lewin]

Does your internal funding include a tuition waiver? Because in my department (not at U of T) everybody pays tuition regardless of funding source. And people with SSHRC are still eligible for TAships so that might be something U of T does too. Some schools try to keep everyone's funding constant so that the advantage of SSRHC is not dollars but prestige or a reduced TA/RA load.

[Nerd_For_Life]

The internal funding does include a tuition waver and I do know that my SSHRC will not prevent me from taking up a TAship. I've been told the TAships are worth $5,000-7,000 so my end amount of money for living expenses could look like this:

$17,500 (sshrc) - $7,000 for tuition +$5 or 7,000 for a TAship = $15,500-$17,500. Plus a potential $1,000 'top up' or entry scholarship. It seems kind of unfare that after going through all the work of getting a sshrc (the application process, etc.) it is worth so little. Not getting a sshrc leaves me in a very similar financial situation than if I did and leaves me with no more free time to devote to my studies than if I didn't have it (ie. I have to take up a TA position to survive financially).

[lewin]

Yeah that's too bad, and weird that only internal students get the tuition waiver. The top-up where I am--a psych dept--is $7500 plus some mandatory light TA work. So it's something like: $17,500 + $7500 top up + $2500 TA - $7000 tuition = $20,500.

I guess take some comfort in the fact that (1) it looks good on your cv and (2) if you get SSRHC doctoral next year then you have secure funding, which is good in case your department has cutbacks. Odd situation though!