International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA)

Award type: 

Scholarships

Award description: 

An International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA) will be provided automatically to eligible students who are registered full-time in a doctoral program at the University of Waterloo. The award value and duration varies depending on: the number of terms the student has been enrolled in a program; whether or not they were admitted from a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or transferred from a master’s to a PhD2, PhD3 or PhD3Y1; and the number of terms in which the student has previously received the award.

Value description: 

The award value and duration varies depending on: the number of terms the student has been enrolled in a program; whether or not they were admitted from a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or transferred from a master’s to a PhD2, PhD3 or PhD3Y1; and the number of terms in which the student has previously received the award. The value of a full IDSA/IDSA4 is approximate to the difference in tuition between full-time domestic PhD and full-time international PhD students.

  • Eligible international students registered full-time in a doctoral program (PhD2) and who were admitted from a master’s degree will receive an IDSA valued at $5,140* per term to the end of the third year of the doctoral program (term 9.0). In year 4 (terms 10.0 to 12.0), the qualified student will receive an IDSA4 funded as follows: 2/3 from the University/Faculty in the amount of $3,427* per term as an award, and 1/3 from the department/supervisor in the amount of $1,713* per term as an award. 
  • All eligible students who transferred from a master's program to a doctoral program (PhD3) in term 4.0 will receive an IDSA valued at $5,140* from terms 4.0 to 12.0.
    • Students who were admitted into a program prior to spring 2019 and transferred from a master’s to a doctoral program (PhD3) will receive an extension of the IDSA at the IMSA (predecessor of IMAE) value of $2,570 from terms 13.0 to 15.0.
    • Students who were admitted into a program effective spring 2019 and thereafter and subsequently transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program (PhD3) will receive an extension of the IDSA at the IMAE fixed value of $2,500 for terms 13.0 and 14.0. Students may receive this cumulative IDSA funding for a maximum of 11 full-time terms providing they are within the allowable program time limits (15.0 terms).
  • All eligible students who were admitted directly from a bachelor’s degree to a doctoral program (PhD3Y1) will receive an IDSA valued at $5,140* from terms 4.0 to 12.0.
    • Students who were admitted into a PhD3Y1 directly from a bachelor’s degree prior to spring 2019 will receive an IDSA at the IMSA (predecessor of IMAE) value of $2,570 in terms 1.0 to 3.0 and 13.0 to 15.0.
    • Students who were admitted into a PhD3Y1 directly from a bachelor’s degree effective spring 2019 and thereafter will receive an IDSA at the IMAE fixed value of $2,500 for terms 1.0 to 3.0 and 13.0 to 14.0.

*Rates effective May 1, 2024

Eligibility & selection criteria: 

International graduate students, registered full-time in a doctoral program at the University of Waterloo who are charged international tuition.

Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program.

Students must not be concurrently receiving tuition awards (e.g., PSI or Lazaridis Tuition Awards) or funding which exceeds the minimum PhD funding value from any government/industry sponsorship (except in the cases where an explicit MOU (or MOA) exists that specifies IDSA inclusion (e.g., Conacyt)), or self-funding.

Effective May 1, 2024 (see updated wording below)*, other student-earned external funding (e.g., scholarships such as MITACS, Vanier) will not result in students being ineligible for IDSA.

*Updated July 18, 2024 - Effective May 1, 2024, the following external funding programs will not result in students being ineligible for IDSA:

  • Mitacs
  • Vanier CGS D

For information regarding international funding programs, please visit the Graduate Studies International Funding webpage.

Level: 

Doctoral

Program:

Open to any program

Citizenship: 

International/study permit student

Selection process: 

Student selected automatically by Faculty/Department

Term: 

Winter, Spring, Fall

Contact person: