Black Graduate Student Bursary

The Black Graduate Student Bursary (BGSB) was created by the UTGSU in partnership with the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS) in February 2024 to provide financial support to help improve fair and equitable access to educational opportunities for students who identify as black in graduate studies at the University of Toronto.

A total of fifteen (15) bursaries of $1000.00 each are available for distribution in the academic year. It aims to provide additional financial support to help offset the costs associated with academic endeavors for black students, completing graduate studies at the University of Toronto. Priority will be given to first-year students commencing graduate studies. The bursary will require a completed SGS Financial Needs Assessment Form.

Application Status: OPEN
Application Period: December 9, 2025 to January 31, 2026
Grant Amount: $1000.00
Number of Grants: Fifteen (15)

Please note: You will required to login with a Rubric account. We have set up single sign-on with your mail.utoronto.ca accounts. If you have a society / student group login, please open the tab incognito.

BGSB Form Assessment Form

Grant Eligibility

Applicants must:

Self-Identify as Black.
Demonstrate financial need through the application process.
Be registered full-time in a Master’s or Doctoral program at the University of Toronto.
Be a member of the UTGSU. All graduate students, except students in the School of Theology, are members of the UTGSU. UTGSU members must have paid the UTGSU incidental fee for the current academic session to be eligible.
Has not received this award from the UTGSU in the previous academic year.

Application Process

Applicants must fill out an online Rubric form by the application deadline.

A complete application will include ALL of the following items:

Completed Black Graduate Student Bursary (BGSB) application.
Demonstration of financial need through the completion of the Financial Need Assessment form (results remain confidential and will be viewed and assessed by SGS only).

Financial Need Assessment Form

Applicants must demonstrate financial need by completing a financial need assessment. Instructions for completing the assessment are available on School of Graduate Studies Form. Student financial information will be reviewed by SGS and remain confidential.

Selection of Successful Applicants

All successful applicants to the UTGSU Black Graduate Student Bursary are selected by using a random lottery system. The amount of a single bursary is $1000.00. A total of fifteen (15) successful applicants will be selected during each year.

Disqualification

If an applicant has been found to have falsified their application, they will be disqualified and ineligible from future awards by the UTGSU.

Contact Information and Accessibility

If you require accessibility accommodations or have any questions related to the Black Graduate Student Bursary, please email finance@utgsu.ca.