Financial Aid, Scholarships and Assistantships
Internal Sources of Funding
Applicants are automatically considered for Graduate Funding when they apply to the program. Applicants will also be invited to apply for the Ted Rogers Graduate Entrance Scholarship and the Ted Rogers Graduate Entrance Awards during the summer prior to the start of their studies. The application forms will be distributed via email from the Program Administrator.
When you are accepted into a Toronto Metropolitan University graduate program, your offer of admission will set out the financial obligations for both you and the university. More funding opportunities may become available during the summer before you start your studies and you will be notified by email.
You may be offered financial support, for a part of or for the full duration of your tenure in the program, in the form of scholarships, awards, stipends, bursaries or assistantships. An offer of funding will state the amount of funding, duration of funding, conditions for renewal (if any), terms of continued funding and other relevant details. You must agree to the terms of the admission offer and funding arrangements prior to enrolment in your program.
Research Assistants
Research Assistant (RA) employment is available to students assisting Principal Investigators in conducting research activities not related to their studies. The minimum rate of pay is defined by the Granting Council (SSHRC (external link, opens in new window) , NSERC (external link, opens in new window) , CIHR (external link, opens in new window) ) or organization/institution who is providing funds to the Principal Investigator.
Academic Assistant
Academic Assistants (AA’s) must be a Toronto Metropolitan University graduate student enrolled on a full-time basis, appointed to assist with teaching or related duties. Such students shall be Toronto Met students, enrolled in the university’s Master’s or PhD programs. Employment opportunities may be offered by departments or schools. Available contracts vary in length and requirements and you are able to work up to 130 hours per term.
For further information on Graduate Student Employment and financial options, visit the Academic Assistant (opens in new window) page.
External Sources of Funding
Applicants are encouraged to conduct research on external organizations that may offer scholarships or bursaries. There are many scholarships and bursaries available to Graduate students via external organizations.
We encourage you to apply for external scholarship and award programs for which you are eligible. Many of the MScM students in the past have won funding from SSHRC (external link) , NSERC (external link) and CIHR (external link) (adjudicated by the program in early spring).
Government Loans
All Graduate Programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management are accredited by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Upon acceptance to one of these programs, students may apply for a government student loan. For more information on how to apply for a government student loan, please visit the OSAP website (external link, opens in new window) .
Ted Rogers School Entrance Scholarship & Awards
Thanks to a $15 million donation from Ted and Loretta Rogers, each year the Ted Rogers School of Management issues Graduate Entrance Scholarships and Awards to support the professional development of our Graduate students.
Ted Rogers School Graduate Entrance Scholarship
The criteria for a Ted Rogers Graduate Entrance Scholarship is based solely on demonstrated academic excellence. This scholarship is open to full-time and part-time domestic applicants and full-time international applicants. All applicants are considered for entrance funding at the point of application. Scholarships are worth up to $15,000 each for full-time and $5,000 each for part-time candidates.
Ted Rogers School Graduate Entrance Award
The criteria for a Ted Rogers Graduate Entrance Award include academic excellence, extracurricular involvement and financial need. Successful applicants (domestic students only) to the program considered for this award will receive an application from the program before or at the beginning of their studies. Awards are up to $15,000 for full-time students and up to $5,000 for part-time students.
Ronald Alphonso Award
The award was created by Jonathan Alphonso and his mother, Helen Eliopoulos-Alphonso, in memory of Jonathan’s father and Helen’s husband, Ronald Alphonso, a TMU alumnus. Read more about how Ronald Alphonso Award champions MBA students who reinvent their careers.
Application deadline:
Applications will open in September 2026 for all confirmed incoming graduate students.
Value and duration:
One (1) annual award of approximately $3,000.
Weighted criteria:
- Candidate that is a graduate student or incoming graduate student at the Ted Rogers School of Management with financial need who is interested in re-investing in themselves as part of a career transition.
- Full-time or part-time graduate student.
- Incoming students for the MBA, Master of Science in Management, PhD in Management, or Master of Health Adminstration programs.
About Ronald Alphonso
Ronald Alphonso was an extraordinary man, a proud Toronto Metropolitan University graduate, respected entrepreneur, and dedicated community member. He lived a life defined by integrity, resilience, and a deep commitment to personal growth. Ronald earned two degrees at his alma mater: an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and, later, an MBA with a specialization in technology and innovation. He exemplified the value of lifelong learning, pursuing graduate education at the age of 50 as part of a significant career transition.
Following this, Ronald founded and served as principal broker of the Mortgage Broker Store, where he built a successful business grounded in honesty, empathy, and client-focused service. Known for his generosity, sharp wit, and ability to make others feel seen and valued, Ronald left a lasting impact on all who knew him.
In honour of his legacy, the Ronald Alphonso Award has been established to support graduate students who, like Ronald, are re-investing in themselves as part of a career transition. This award reflects a commitment to fostering the next generation of business leaders and recognizes the evolving nature of work, encouraging those who are bold enough to chart new paths and pursue meaningful change through education.
Graduate Research Stipend: Observatory for Retail AI (ORAI)
We are recruiting graduate students to join the Observatory for Retail AI (ORAI), a new research initiative examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping the retail landscape.
What you'll do:
You'll support projects that bridge academic inquiry with real-world retail challenges. Your work will directly inform both scholarly publications and course materials used across our undergraduate and graduate programs. You'll gain hands-on experience analyzing AI applications in retail while helping industry stakeholders understand where this technology is headed.
The research focus:
ORAI investigates AI's impact on retail through multiple lenses. We're looking at practical implementation challenges, exploring how consumers and employees develop AI fluency, and examining critical questions around algorithmic bias, labor displacement, and ethical boundaries in AI-driven consumer persuasion. Our work emphasizes the Canadian context while building toward global leadership in this space.
What we're looking for:
Graduate students interested in retail, AI applications, consumer behavior, or the intersection of technology and business strategy. You'll develop skills that make you valuable to employers who need people capable of standing at the crossroads of business and data science.
Eligibility criteria:
To qualify, incoming MScM or PhD students must:
- Be working with a Retail faculty member (as supervisor or co-supervisor)
- Be affiliated with the School of Retail Management
- Be conducting research on a topic directly related to Retail
Note: Students with a co-supervisor from another department remain eligible, provided the above conditions are met.
Value:
- MScM Students: up to $10,000 each
- Full-Time PhD Students: Up to $15,000 each
How to apply:
All incoming MScM and PhD in Management students for the 2026-2027 academic year who meet the weighted criteria will be considered. Incoming students can express interest in this initiative by emailing the MScM mscm@torontomu.ca (opens in new window) or PhD in Management trsm.phd@torontomu.ca (opens in new window) programs.
Graduate Research Stipend: Retail Research, Urban Vitality, and Digital Insights
We are inviting motivated Master’s students to participate in a research project focused on retail change, consumer behaviour, and the future of commercial districts, particularly Canadian main streets and shopping areas.
Project overview
Retail environments are evolving due to shifts in consumer behaviour, technology adoption, e-commerce, and changing urban dynamics. This research examines how commercial centres remain vibrant or face challenges over time, and how new forms of digital data can be used to better understand patterns of retail activity and consumer movement.
Students will contribute to a research program that explores:
- The vitality and resilience of commercial areas such as main streets and retail districts
- Changes in consumer movement, shopping patterns, and place usage
- The role of technology and digital data in retail strategy and urban decision-making
- Opportunities and challenges facing small businesses and local retail ecosystems
Key research themes:
Students may engage with topics such as:
- Retail resilience and long-term adaptation
- Consumer behaviour in physical and digital retail environments
- The future of main streets and community commercial spaces
- Technology, data, and innovation in retail research and strategy
- Urban sustainability and economic vitality
Eligibility criteria:
To qualify, incoming MScM or PhD students must:
- Be working with a Retail faculty member (as supervisor or co-supervisor)
- Be affiliated with the School of Retail Management
- Be conducting research on a topic directly related to Retail
Note: Students with a co-supervisor from another department remain eligible, provided the above conditions are met.
Value:
- MScM Students: up to $10,000 each
- Full-Time PhD Students: Up to $15,000 each
How to apply:
All incoming MScM and PhD in Management students for the 2026-2027 academic year who meet the weighted criteria will be considered. Incoming students can express interest in this initiative by emailing the MScM mscm@torontomu.ca or PhD in Management trsm.phd@torontomu.ca programs.
Graduate Scholarships and Awards
For more information and a comprehensive list of university-wide; provincial; federal and international awards to help fund your graduate studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, please visit the university's Scholarships and Awards webpage.
Terms and Conditions
By accepting funding from Toronto Metropolitan University, you agree to the following Terms and Conditions.
Black Graduate Student Awards
The Black Graduate Student awards are a suite of awards and bursaries established by Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (YSGPS) to support Black Students pursuing graduate studies.
Indigenous Graduate Student Awards
The Indigenous Graduate Student Awards comprise of an award and a bursary established by the Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to support Indigenous students in pursuing graduate education at Toronto Met. These awards recognize excellence and/or alleviate some of the financial burden associated with graduate education.
Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) Award
The Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) Award has been established by a friend of the Rotary Club through the Toronto Eglinton Rotary Charitable Foundation to encourage Indigenous students to pursue graduate studies with the hope of increasing the number of Indigenous Peoples entering careers in academia.
Indspire (external link, opens in new window)
Indspire is a national Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous Peoples for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. They offer a number of bursaries, awards and scholarships (external link) for post-secondary students with deadlines throughout the year.
BMO Student Line of Credit
A BMO Professional Student Line of Credit is a flexible, affordable way to pay for your business studies.
How it works:
- You have access to funds whenever you need them and only pay interest on what you borrow
- There are no annual or monthly fees
- You can pay the entire outstanding balance whenever you want, without a penalty
- Make interest-only payments while you are still in school and up to two years after graduation, followed by a monthly repayment schedule
The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration
The Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Migration and Integration is the first ever CERC awarded to Toronto Metropolitan University, building on the university’s strengths and commitments in the area of immigration and settlement studies.
CERC Migration, led by Professor Anna Triandafyllidou, is producing innovative and usable knowledge on the links between migration and post-migration processes, forced and voluntary mobility, internal and international migration, and the role of countries of origin and transit. The Canada Excellence Research Chair offers stipends to full time MA and PhD students who are studying at Toronto Metropolitan University on a migration and/or migrant integration-related topic.
Funding Amount:
Masters: up to $10,000 (top-ups for students with external funding are available on a case by case basis, up to $5000). Available to first or second year MA students.
Prodigy Finance (external link, opens in new window)
Prodigy Finance offers loans to international students without the need for a co-signer or collateral.
Because of their borderless lending model, they can provide competitive rates to students from over 150 nationalities. Your loan amount is based on your potential post-graduation earnings, allowing you to invest in your future.
Lending is available for our supported programs, including the Master of Science in Management program.
Please note: Prodigy Finance governs and manages all loan applications and makes all decisions regarding approval and eligibility.