Process for Scholarship funding: MCS and PhD programs

Application deadline: January 10th

1. All MCS files deemed admissible by the graduate committee receive acceptance letters (stating that all admitted applicants are being considered for funding).
   Both MCS and PhD files are made available to faculty for review and support.
2. Faculty review the files by a February deadline and express support, tentatively committing for $12K/$15K take-home pay from their grants (minus the 2 90-hour TA-ships, see Table 1).
   Faculty can make a firm commitment to MCS applicants, in which case their acceptance letter will include the supervisor portion.
   If the applicants get additional funding from the Faculty after graduate committee ranking, another letter will be sent.
   PhD applicants only get accepted with a full funding package in place.
3. Only the MCS and PhD files for which faculty has expressed support will be ranked by the graduate committee for funding.
   A single ranked list for MCS and PhD files will be created. This means that a strong MCS applicant may be preferred to a weaker PhD one.
4. In case of support for a particular applicant by more than one faculty, the interested faculty will talk to each other and/ or the graduate and make a decision among themselves as to who will be the supervisor, or arrange for co-supervision.
5. Before official funding offers are processed, Menen will ask faculty to confirm support for applicants for whom they have expressed interest.
   The reason for this is that a faculty may express initial interest under step 2 in more applicants than they can support given the uncertainties involved in steps 3 and 4.
   
   Table 1: Breakdown of supervisor contribution
   *Assumes a TA90 rate $1,810

   	PhD	MCS
   Grad take home:	$15,000	$12,000
   TA contribution*:	TWO 90TA	TWO 90 TA
   Supervisor ask (MIN):	$11,380	$8,380

   Notes

   • The above process is only applicable for applications that are received by the January application deadline;
   • The ranking process of step 3 establishes funding priority list for directing FGS funding. When this funding is exhausted, all remaining applicants will rely on their supervisor/ external scholarships for financial support.
   • The supervisor commitment of step 2 implies that all student fees are covered from FGS sources.
   • An initial shortlist of applicants receiving FGS plus supervisor funding for the following academic year will be available no later than April. However, as candidates' are free to accept/ reject their offer in favor of positions elsewhere, additional offers will be made on an as is basis w.r.t. the ranked list of step 3 until the available FGS funds have been allocated.
   • Applications received after the January deadline may be forwarded for consideration at the next January deadline in the case of the PhD program.
   • Faculty are free to offer more than the baseline funding, however, any such funding will act as 'TA buyouts' until the 2 TA positions supporting the funding model of Table 1 have been released. Naturally, this does not preclude a graduate applying for a TA position during round two of the TA allocation process.

   Conditions of funding

   • Under the PhD program you are naturally expected to remain in good standing. In addition, funding is conditional on making good progress towards your degree, as defined. Funding is available for 4 years, with a 5th year of funding available if supported by your supervisor.
   • Under the MCS program the criteria for a continuation of funding beyond year 1 is contingent on your performance during courses. Funding is available for a total of 5 terms, with a possible extension to a 6th term if supported by your supervisor.