Funding for Ph.D. students enrolled fulltime must be in compliance with the College of Graduate Studies Minimum Funding Policy. Graduate programs are encouraged to develop minimum funding packages that are competitive with normal funding levels in their field, and to set their own policies that require funding higher than the campus-wide minimum. This funding can be used to pay for university-related expenses (e.g., tuition, books) as well as general living expenses. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, graduate academic assistantships, or sponsorships, but the International Doctoral Partial Tuition award (IDPT) cannot be counted as part the minimum funding package. If a student receives additional funding (e.g., a scholarship) or other income that elevates their package above the minimum required by this policy, support from on campus funding sources may be reduced. Graduate programs are encouraged to establish processes that allow students to establish processes that allow students to retain all or part of the additional funds provided by any external awards received.
Part-time employment in the field of the student’s research may be considered part of the funding package, whether the work occurs on or off campus (e.g., a Ph.D. student continues part-time nursing practice to maintain professional skills and to understand current research needs in that setting). Other stable sources of income may be taken into account. In such cases, if the student’s employment and financial situation were to change unexpectedly, the graduate program and supervisor will make their best effort to adjust the student’s funding so that it meets or exceeds the minimum required by this policy; however, meeting that minimum might not always be possible, as funding is planned well in advance.
For the purpose of this policy, internships will be considered similar to research assistantships, in that funds received from an internship position will count toward the minimum funding package.
The funding package includes vacation pay and benefits. Students must apply for scholarships as required by their graduate program to continue to qualify for the minimum funding set by this policy. Students will be required to disclose all sources of university or scholarship funding, as well as other income sources, to their graduate program, and must inform their program immediately of new funding sources. If a student declines a teaching assistantship, the graduate program is not obligated to replace that funding in order to meet the minimum funding level. Selection, scheduling, and payment of teaching assistantships must adhere to the Letter of Understanding with the British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).
Selection, scheduling and payment of teaching assistantships must adhere to the Letter of Understanding with the British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).
This Minimum Funding Policy does not apply to students enrolled part-time.
Students are required to maintain good standing in the program and must submit an annual progress report by the required deadlines to remain eligible for the Minimum Funding Policy requirement. Students’ progress is evaluated as either satisfactory, requiring improvement, or unsatisfactory: students with unsatisfactory progress become ineligible for the minimum funding guarantee. Students will regain eligibility when improvement required or satisfactory status is reported in the required six-month interim progress report or a subsequent annual progress report (see the College of Graduate Studies Policy Manual for definitions of progress ratings).
Students who complete their degree requirements are no longer eligible to receive funding. Students who complete degree requirements in less than four years may forfeit a portion of their financial support. Students who voluntarily withdraw, are required to withdraw, or are approved for a leave of absence, may no longer be eligible for funding or may be subject to repayment or pro-rating of their funding.
Students transferring from a UBC master’s to a Ph.D. program without completing the master’s will be covered by the Minimum Funding Policy effective the date of transfer to the Ph.D. program. Consistent with the College of Graduate Studies policy on student transfers, the start of the Ph.D. program for these transfer students will be the date of first registration in the master’s program. Hence, a student who transfers to a Ph.D. program after one year of master’s studies will be provided with a minimum funding package for three years.
In some cases, a program may choose to accept a student only if they are successful in a particular scholarship competition. In such cases, the department can inform the student about the conditional acceptance, but state that a formal offer of admission will not be made until the condition has been removed.
In rare cases, a student may switch from one UBCO supervisor and/or UBCO graduate program to another UBCO supervisor and/or UBCO graduate program. The new supervisor and graduate program will be responsible for ensuring that the student continues to be provided with a funding package compliant with this policy. In rare cases, a student may switch from one UBCO supervisor and/or UBCO graduate program to another UBCO supervisor and/or UBCO graduate program. The new supervisor and graduate program will be responsible for ensuring that the student continues to be provided with a funding package compliant with this policy.
This Minimum Funding Policy requires that graduate programs admit only those doctoral students that the graduate program and supervisors have the means to support, considering factors such as support from supervisor’s grants, internal and external scholarships, availability of research and teaching assistantships, and financial commitments to existing students. However, it is recognized that unexpected situations can occur. Graduate programs are encouraged to develop their own methods of dealing with emergency funding in consultation with their department head and dean of their disciplinary Faculty.
Students who do not receive the funding they anticipated under the Minimum Funding Policy should first discuss this issue with their supervisor. If the issue is not resolved, the student should then speak with their graduate program coordinator, who may need to consult with the department head or dean of their disciplinary Faculty for a solution. If no solution is found, the graduate program coordinator and student, can consult with the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
The student may decline all or part of the funding package after acceptance of an offer of admission without any prejudice to their admission. Where the student declines all or part of their funding package at the time of admission, the graduate program and supervisor must submit a Minimum Funding Exemption Form complete with a justification for admitting a student without funding, an explanation of the student’s alternative funding sources, a letter signed by the student, and documentation (such as a letter from the student’s employer). If the student requires a funding package in the future due to an unexpected change in situation, the graduate program and supervisor will make their best effort to secure funding, although meeting the minimum level otherwise mandated by this policy might not be possible as funding sources may already be fully committed.
The Minimum Funding Policy will be reviewed annually by Graduate Council. The Council will decide on any increases in the amount of the minimum funding, and the amount will be published on the College of Graduate Studies website. Any annual increases will apply to both new and current eligible Ph.D. students