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Are scholarships given monthly or as a one-time amount in Canada for a Master's?

31 Aug 2026 · Answered by Sumit Singh Chauhan · 1 min read
Quick Answer verified

It depends on the award type. Research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowship stipends are usually paid monthly or per academic term, while entrance awards, donor bursaries, and smaller institutional scholarships arrive as a one-time lump sum applied to your tuition account, with any leftover amount deposited into your bank account.

Sumit Singh Chauhan
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Whether your Canadian Master's scholarship arrives monthly or as a lump sum depends entirely on the type of award and funding source. Knowing this in advance helps you plan your monthly budget more accurately.

How Different Funding Types Are Paid

Funding TypePayment Style
Research or Teaching AssistantshipsMonthly or per academic term, such as Fall, Winter, Summer
McCall MacBain Scholarships (McGill)Monthly living stipend
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)Split and paid out by term or semester
Entrance Awards and Donor BursariesOne-time lump sum applied to your tuition account

How Federal Awards Are Handled

Major national awards like the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's are valued as an annual amount, such as CAD 17,500 or CAD 27,000, but the actual disbursement schedule, whether monthly payroll-style deposits or term-based payments, is decided by your host university's financial aid office.

My Advice

If your funding is meant for living expenses, expect monthly or termly deposits, but if it is an entrance scholarship or prize, expect a one-time lump sum applied straight to your tuition, so plan your budget around whichever type you are actually receiving.

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