Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program provides merit-based scholarships to recognize academic excellence in all disciplines of academic studies at the master’s and doctoral level. The scholarship is jointly funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (‘Ministry’) and Carleton University. The Ministry provides two-thirds of the value of the award and the university one-third.

Value and Duration

The OGS is valued at $15,000 for one year: $5,000 per term up to a maximum of three (3) terms, and must be held for a minimum of two (2) consecutive terms.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of the application deadline; International students who are studying in Ontario with a study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of application are eligible to apply for the allotted OGS international student awards
Applicants must have a 10.0 GPA (A-) in each of their last two years of full-time study
Applicants must be enrolled full-time or intend to be enrolled full-time in a graduate program at Carleton University in the 2026-27 academic year. Students with disabilities may study part-time
Applicants who are in or will be going into an extension term in the graduate program for which they are requesting funding are not eligible to hold an OGS
Applicants cannot be in default on any Canadian government-sponsored loan
Applicants cannot hold an OGS award in the same term (overlapping) or in the same award year as a scholarship from SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, Vanier, QEII, or another OGS. Students cannot receive payment from two OGS awarded in consecutive years in the same term.
Applicants cannot exceed the following Maximum Support Limits:
- Master’s students can receive an OGS award for a maximum of two (2) academic years
- PhD students can receive an OGS award for a maximum of four (4) academic years
- All students cannot exceed a lifetime maximum of six (6) years of government-funded graduate awards. This includes the following programs:
  - Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR); Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS); Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC); Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST); Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)
- Both program maximums and lifetime maximum must be followed

Deadline

Applications open on August 22, 2025 and close on November 19, 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. Ensure you allow enough time to submit your application prior to the deadline. The referee deadline is December 1, 2025.

Application Process

All students, who have MC1 credentials and can access Carleton Central should be using the online application, available through Carleton Central. If you have applied to Carleton in the past but never attended, or you have graduated and are planning to come back and have MCI credentials, please log into Carleton Central and use the online form. You must complete the online application (found in Carleton Central under Awards and Financial Assistance, Graduate Online Application Forms) and upload the requested documents by the deadline specified.
All other applicants should fill out the OGS application forms available below. Your complete OGS application package, including all forms and supporting documentation, must be submitted to the Graduate Administrator in the department you applied to at Carleton by the specified deadline.
Request two References: Reach out to potential referees well in advance. Once they have agreed, ensure their names and contact information are correctly entered in your application. Once your application is submitted online, your referees will be notified by email that you have listed them as a referee and they will be provided a link to complete their assessment. If completing the PDF application, applicants must contact their referees and request they complete the Academic Assessment form below. The completed assessments must be submitted directly to the Graduate Administrator, either from an official email address or by mail. All referees will have until December 1 to complete their assessments. Applicants are responsible for ensuring referee assessments are submitted by the deadline.
Get Transcripts: Transcripts are a mandatory requirement to demonstrate eligibility and are carefully reviewed by selection committees. Applications that do not meet these requirements may be rejected.
- Requirement: Up-to-date official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate studies must be included in your application.
  - *NEW* for 2025-26: Current registered Carleton University students may submit up-to-date unofficial Carleton University transcripts.
- Definition of “Up-to-date”: Transcripts must be dated in the fall session of the application year (if currently registered) or issued after the last term completed (if not currently registered). If you are registered in a degree program during the fall, your transcript must show proof of registration.
- Definition of “Official”: Transcripts must be issued by the institution’s Registrar’s Office. Printouts from student accounts are not accepted. Some institutions offer official electronic transcripts that are sent directly from the Registrar’s Office, these are considered official. Please check with each institution (outside of Carleton University) to confirm availability.
- Transfer Credits: If transfer credits appear without grades, you must include the original transcript from the institution where the courses were taken (including exchange programs).
- Translations: Transcripts not in English or French must include a certified translation.
- Submission Format:
  - Scan paper transcripts into a single unprotected PDF.
  - Include only one copy of the legend (per transcript).
  - Opening and scanning a sealed transcript does not make it unofficial.
  - Ensure transcripts are complete, legible, and meet formatting requirements, especially if security features may affect readability.
- Retention: Keep paper copies of all uploaded transcripts. You may be asked to provide them for verification.
Submit Your Completed Application: Applicants with MC1 credentials should submit their complete application online prior to the specified deadline. Applicants without MC1 credentials that are submitting a PDF application must submit their complete application including official transcripts to the Graduate Administrator in the department they intend to apply to at Carleton prior to the specified deadline.

It is your responsibility to ensure your application is complete and accurate by reviewing the final version before submission.

Application Forms for the 2026-27 Paper Application

*Only to be used if applicant does not have MC1 credentials*

Please download and save a blank copy before completing these forms. PDF applications should be submitted to the Graduate Administrator in the Department you intend to apply to at Carleton. A complete OGS package must include all required forms and transcripts. Optional forms can also be included, if applicable.

Transcripts (Required)

Copy of Student Study Permit (Required for temporary resident visa students ONLY)

OGS Application Form (Required)
Application Checklist (Required)
Research/Program Statement (Required)
Academic Assessment Form (Required) – two referee assessments are required. These must be submitted directly to the Departmental Graduate Administrator from an official email address or by mail. See Application Process details above.
Awards Page (Optional/If Applicable)
Publications Page (Optional/If Applicable)

Application Resources

Decisions

Applicants will be notified of the results of the competition in April each year.

If successful, award recipients must provide their decision to accept or decline their award. Students who applied through Carleton Central should accept through there as well. If you submitted a paper application, you will need to print out the OGS Notice of Decision Form 2026-2027 and submit it to Graduate Studies, 512 Tory Building or email it to graduate.awards@carleton.ca.

Note: If you have a pending decision from SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR and have been successful in the OGS competition, please accept your OGS offer. If you then receive a positive result regarding a different external award, your funding will be revised.

Still Need Help?

If you cannot find answers to your questions, please contact Graduate Studies at graduate.awards@carleton.ca.