Minimum Funding for Ph.D. Students

All full-time and current or incoming UBC students (domestic and international) in Ph.D. programs of the Okanagan campus will be provided with a minimum funding package of at least $20,000 per year for up to the first four years of a Ph.D. as of September 2021. Graduate programs may set their own policies to require a funding level that is 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, or graduate academic assistantships. If a student receives additional funding (e.g., a scholarship) or other income that elevates their package above the minimum funding package, support from on-campus funding sources may be reduced. Departments are encouraged to establish processes that allow students to retain all or part of 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 work and financial situation were to change, the department and supervisor will make their best effort to provide a minimum funding package, but this might not be possible as funding is planned well in advance.

For the purpose of this policy, internships will be considered similar to research assistantships, i.e. funds received from an internship position count toward the minimum funding package.

The minimum funding package is inclusive of vacation pay and benefits, as well as external awards or sponsorships, if applicable. The International Partial Tuition Award (IDPT) does not count towards a student’s minimum funding package. Students must apply for scholarships as required by their graduate program to continue to qualify for the minimum funding package. Students will be required to disclose their 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).

The minimum funding package does not apply to students enrolled part-time. Students are required to make satisfactory academic progress throughout their funding period. (see UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar for a definition of satisfactory progress).

When the student completes their program (or withdraws without completing) while receiving financial support, this support may be subject to repayment or pro-rating for the remainder of the term.

Students transferring from a UBC master’s to a Ph.D. program without completing the master’s will be eligible for the minimum funding package effective the date of transfer to the Ph.D. program. Consistent with UBC academic policies, 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. after one year of master’s study will be provided with a minimum funding package for the following three years.

In some cases, a program may choose to only accept a student if they are successful in a particular scholarship competition. In this case, 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 UBC supervisor and/or UBC graduate program to another UBC supervisor and/or UBC graduate program. The new supervisor and graduate program will be responsible for ensuring that the student continues to be provided with a minimum funding package.

This Minimum Funding Policy requires that graduate programs only admit 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. Departments and Faculties are encouraged to develop their own methods of dealing with emergency funding. It is expected that the Graduate Program Coordinator will consult with the Department Head and/or Faculty Dean.

Students who do not receive the funding they anticipated under the Minimum Funding Policy should first discuss this with their supervisor. If the issue is not resolved, they should then speak with their Graduate Program Coordinator. The Graduate Program Coordinator 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, as well as the student, can consult with the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Effective September 2023, the value of the minimum funding package will increase to $22,000 per year. After 2023 the Minimum Funding Policy will be reviewed annually by Graduate Council. Any annual increases will apply to both new and current eligible doctoral students.