Funding at York University, Toronto

[Nickybert]

Let's discuss the probabilities for securing graduate funding at York Uni for would-be Yorkers 2018.

[smallaxe]

To my knowledge, all graduate research degrees at York are fully funded. The final amount is dependent on your competitiveness relative to those admitted, but everyone receives enough to cover tuition and a modest living stipend. The programs I'm aware of receive this funding for 5 years.

[luan22]

I also need information on this issue.

[Xenia2191]

Hi, 

 

Have you been accepted yet? I haven't heard back even though it had the earliest deadline (January 10th). I've already received acceptance/ funding from McMaster (Jan. 15th) yet not a word from York. Which program did you apply? I'm a Sociology major. I hope I get a good offer as McMaster said they would match other offers. 

 

Good luck. 

[kyle_xy]

I received a fully funded acceptance from York. They have this graduate funding model that covers tuition and at least part of living expenses.

[FM8]

Current York undergrad: I also received an offer from York mid-Feb. (but turned it down for another offer). Their funding for the M.A. level minimally covers tuition + fees, and a little change left over. This obviously also depends on whether your asking about the M.A. or doctoral and for which program, and if your domestic or international. The Philosophy department at York recently received a very generous donation which has resulted in relatively competitive funding offers, compared to the other departments (my brother is currently doing his PhD in Phil. at York). So, certainly a school to consider if you get an offer from there (assuming you haven't heard already). 

Good Luck!

[Abetheh]

Be reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy careful with York's funding offer. They're switching up how funding works, and it's not been pretty for us current York grad students.

They have the "Fellowship Model" where they seem to be offering you free money to not work a research assistant job or TA job in your first year. But, as Ackbar said, it's a trap. York's funding offers all used to be predicated on the successful applicant getting a unionized job with CUPE 3903. Which means that you would also have access to a great health plan, and other very significant supports and protections as a graduate student and a worker. For MA students, this was a research job for one year For PhD students, this was a TAing job in the first year that woud be automatically renewed for five more years after the first year. (It's called the priority pool, and it's a very important part of the TAs' collective agreement through CUPE 3903.)

The "Fellowship model" is designed to keep you out of the union. So, while the money value of the fellowship may be the same, you lose out on a lot of the benefits that you would have had otherwise. For MAs who would have had research jobs, you are just offered the fellowship, and may not get a research job at all. (And none of the ancillary benefits and protections of being in the union.) For TAs, if you do not get that first year TA job and just accept the fellowship money with no work, York has ABSOLUTELY NO OBLIGATION TO GIVE YOU WORK, OR GIVE YOU FUNDING EVER AGAIN AFTER THAT FIRST YEAR! The only reason we have a guaranteed funding package of six years at York as PhD students is because we get that first TA job in PhD1 and our collective agreement ensures that, once we have that job, we have five more years of TA work. If you take funding without a TA job in your first year, you are not covered under the collective agreement and York does not legally have to give you a penny more from PhD 2 onwards.

I realize this is a lot of jargon, and it might be hard to follow if you're not immersed in the current round of collective bargaining/strike action happening at York right now. Feel free to PM me and ask about this stuff if you like.

Good luck!

 

[Maya584]

 I recently accepted my offer to York and my main reason why was due to the funding package and as @Albetheth mentioned they aren't giving you free money, there might be some stuff that incoming students are unaware about, but that being said I still decided to accept my offer because the other university I applied to  gave me no funding and they mentioned having little prospects for ta positions. So, it all depends on which offers you are comparing it to, for me a fully funded offer was more attractive even if I don't end up securing a ta position though I really hope I do!

[mad_chemist]

On 2/16/2018 at 12:08 AM, Xenia2191 said:

Hi, 

 

Have you been accepted yet? I haven't heard back even though it had the earliest deadline (January 10th). I've already received acceptance/ funding from McMaster (Jan. 15th) yet not a word from York. Which program did you apply? I'm a Sociology major. I hope I get a good offer as McMaster said they would match other offers. 

 

Good luck. 

I applyed for a Masters in Chemistry. Interview with POI, continuing the agonizing process. 

[Nickybert]

On 2/16/2018 at 5:08 AM, Xenia2191 said:

Hi, 

 

Have you been accepted yet? I haven't heard back even though it had the earliest deadline (January 10th). I've already received acceptance/ funding from McMaster (Jan. 15th) yet not a word from York. Which program did you apply? I'm a Sociology major. I hope I get a good offer as McMaster said they would match other offers. 

 

Good luck. 

Thanks.

Haven't heard from York. I applied for an MA in philosophy. I also on the waitlist for Simon Fraser. 

Congrats on your acceptance to McMaster. We keep fingers crossed.

Cheers!

[Nickybert]

On 3/21/2018 at 1:28 AM, FM8 said:

Current York undergrad: I also received an offer from York mid-Feb. (but turned it down for another offer). Their funding for the M.A. level minimally covers tuition + fees, and a little change left over. This obviously also depends on whether your asking about the M.A. or doctoral and for which program, and if your domestic or international. The Philosophy department at York recently received a very generous donation which has resulted in relatively competitive funding offers, compared to the other departments (my brother is currently doing his PhD in Phil. at York). So, certainly a school to consider if you get an offer from there (assuming you haven't heard already). 

Good Luck!

I also heard about the funding for philosophy, which led to applying to York. I hope it goes well.

Cheers.

[Nickybert]

On 3/21/2018 at 1:46 PM, Abetheh said:

Be reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy careful with York's funding offer. They're switching up how funding works, and it's not been pretty for us current York grad students.

They have the "Fellowship Model" where they seem to be offering you free money to not work a research assistant job or TA job in your first year. But, as Ackbar said, it's a trap. York's funding offers all used to be predicated on the successful applicant getting a unionized job with CUPE 3903. Which means that you would also have access to a great health plan, and other very significant supports and protections as a graduate student and a worker. For MA students, this was a research job for one year For PhD students, this was a TAing job in the first year that woud be automatically renewed for five more years after the first year. (It's called the priority pool, and it's a very important part of the TAs' collective agreement through CUPE 3903.)

The "Fellowship model" is designed to keep you out of the union. So, while the money value of the fellowship may be the same, you lose out on a lot of the benefits that you would have had otherwise. For MAs who would have had research jobs, you are just offered the fellowship, and may not get a research job at all. (And none of the ancillary benefits and protections of being in the union.) For TAs, if you do not get that first year TA job and just accept the fellowship money with no work, York has ABSOLUTELY NO OBLIGATION TO GIVE YOU WORK, OR GIVE YOU FUNDING EVER AGAIN AFTER THAT FIRST YEAR! The only reason we have a guaranteed funding package of six years at York as PhD students is because we get that first TA job in PhD1 and our collective agreement ensures that, once we have that job, we have five more years of TA work. If you take funding without a TA job in your first year, you are not covered under the collective agreement and York does not legally have to give you a penny more from PhD 2 onwards.

I realize this is a lot of jargon, and it might be hard to follow if you're not immersed in the current round of collective bargaining/strike action happening at York right now. Feel free to PM me and ask about this stuff if you like.

Good luck!

 

Thanks a lot for this information. 

I have been following the Cupe 3903 strike and proceedings. I guess that may have contributed to the delay in admission decisions this year.

I will likely pm you for more info, once my status is decided at York.

Thanks once again.

[kylexy61]

Guys, I want to ask a question.

Regarding the funding I received from York, after tuition and books and supplies are deducted, the net annual stipend is $18,000. Will I be able to live solely on that amount?