The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions. The government contributes two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university provides the remaining one-third.
Students are considered for OGS and QEII-GSST at Waterloo by using one application. Both scholarships are of equal prestige. Students who are applying for tri-agency awards will NOT automatically be considered for OGS and QEII-GSST, and must submit a separate OGS/QEII-GSST application form. The differences between the OGS and QEII-GSST scholarships are as follows:
- OGS – merit-based scholarship program for Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study; available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents and International students.
- QEII-GSST – merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically towards students in a research-based graduate program in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines; only available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent residents.
University of Waterloo Information
Established in 1957, University of Waterloo is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of Waterloo (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Ontario. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario, University of Waterloo (UW) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 25,000-29,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of Waterloo (UW) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.
Eligibility Criteria
Below are the detailed eligibility criteria required in order to be able to apply for an OGS or QEII-GSST, however given the limited quota of awards available, Waterloo is required to be strategic in selecting recipients.
Citizenship
- International competition – applicants must be an international student studying in Ontario with a student study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). Note: international students are not eligible for QEII-GSST awards.
- Successful OGS International recipients who are residing outside of Canada due to COVID-19 will be required to show either proof of existing study permit or in-progress study permit application before funds will be released to them.
- Domestic competition – applicants must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of the application deadline;
Minimum Academic Requirements
- Applicants must have achieved a first-class average (minimum of A-/80%), in EACH of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).
- Eligibility averages are calculated using grades from your most-recent academic history up to August 31, 2022, regardless of program or relevance to your proposed program. Waterloo is required to adhere to these parameters as dictated by Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU).
Registration/Admission Status
- International competition – due to the limited quota of awards available for international students, applications will only be accepted from students who are currently registered in a graduate program (or on an approved inactive term from their graduate program) by at least the fall 2021 term. Current UW undergraduate international students are not eligible to apply.
- Domestic competition – applicants must either be currently enrolled in a graduate program, or must apply for admission to a graduate program by the February 1, 2022 deadline for entry into the spring 2022, fall 2022 or winter 2023 term.
Application Process
Students only need to submit one application in order to be considered for both OGS and QEII-GSST.
Established in 1957, University of Waterloo is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of Waterloo (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Ontario. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario, University of Waterloo (UW) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 25,000-29,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of Waterloo (UW) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.