Ontario Trillium Scholarship

The eligibility criteria may differ based on scholarship type and the university it is offered with. Suitable candidates are nominated in the winter session for getting admitted to the following fall, spring or winter terms.

To be eligible for receiving OTS, an applicant must:

• be an international student with a valid Canadian student visa.
• be proficient in English by the time of application.
• intend to enroll in a doctoral-level, full-time degree-granting graduate program.
• Applicants Must Current not Hold other Canadian Scholarships including but not limited to the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST), UW Provost Graduate Scholarship.
• Must be willing to enroll in a doctoral program at a university in Ontario.
• Have achieved a minimum average of 8.0 on 10.0 scale in the full-time master’s degree which is equivalent to 80% in Ontario. 
• The candidates not have completed a ug or pg degree at any university or college in Ontario immediately after applying for admission to the doctoral program under the OTS. 
• not be a current student at a post-secondary institution in Ontario at the graduate or undergraduate level.

Each eligible university’s unit of graduate studies oversees the application and selection processes for the Ontario Trillium Scholarship. Every institution has its own application process for the OTS program.

Following are the documents required to apply for the Ontario Trillium Scholarship:

• Appropriately filled application form
• A copy of all the university transcripts
• A valid Canadian study permit
• A copy of the applicant’s average calculation
• Proof of standardized tests like IELTS, SAT, etc.
• Candidate’s letters of recommendation
• A list of the applicant’s research contributions
• A list of awards and scholarships received by the applicant
• Applicant’s CV
• Candidate’s plan of studies
• The OTS letter of support from an authorized supervisor
• Proof of good health

Most universities like the University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, York University, etc. automatically nominate eligible high-performing students who have applied for admission.

A selection committee, chosen by the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS), is charged with evaluation of the files and selection of the recipients of the Ontario Trillium Scholarship. Students are selected on the basis of their merit and program criteria.

Terms and Conditions

A candidate can request for an interruption of a Trillium by getting approval for up to a year’s leave. The interruption of a Trillium cannot exceed 12 consecutive months and can be approved in case of:

• Maternity or parental leave
• Immigration process
• Compassionate leave (example: bereavement)
• Medical or family leave

A recipient will have to repay the award received if he/she:

• Transfers to another institution
• Completes the program prior to the scholarship’s natural end
• Withdraws from the program
• Could not maintain acceptable academic standing
• Loses full-time status
• Loses eligibility for the renewal of OTS