Student Conference Bursary

Applicants to the UTGSU Student Conference Bursary must meet all of the following requirements:

1. The applicant must be a UTGSU Member at the time of application.
2. The applicant may submit only one application per Conference Bursary cycle.
3. The application must relate to an eligible academic event, as defined in the Student Conference Bursary Terms of Reference.
4. The applicant must not have received a Student Conference Bursary within the previous two fiscal years.
5. An applicant who receives a bursary but does not submit a claim within the required timeframe will be ineligible to apply for any remaining Conference Bursary cycles during the current fiscal year.
6. Applications containing false or inaccurate information will be disqualified.

Eligibility is verified by UTGSU staff before applications are entered into the lottery.

An application may be disqualified where:

1. The applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements.
2. The application is submitted outside the applicable application period.
3. The application contains false, incomplete, or inaccurate information.
4. The application relates to an event that does not meet the eligibility criteria established in the Student Conference Bursary Terms of Reference.
5. The applicant submits more than one application during the same application cycle.

The UTGSU may verify information provided in applications and claims. Applications found to contain false or inaccurate information may be disqualified for the current cycle, and successful applications may be nullified if the required claim documentation is not submitted within the applicable timeframe.

All eligible applications are entered into a random lottery. A minimum of sixty (60) bursaries will be allocated during each distribution cycle; the Finance Committee may increase this number to account for unallocated or unclaimed bursaries from the immediately preceding cycle.

Bursaries are allocated as follows:

• Twenty percent (20%) to applicants within each of the four School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Academic Divisions; and
• The remaining twenty percent (20%) through the general application pool.

Rounding adjustments are drawn from the general application pool. Applicants are notified of the outcome of their application once the lottery and eligibility verification process is complete. The maximum bursary amount is $400 per successful applicant.

The UTGSU is migrating all forms and applications to a new membership platform, Hello Rubric. The platform allows applicants to track the status of their application, and enables the UTGSU to process reimbursements by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and collect payment information securely.

Rubric accounts are set up using your University of Toronto email address (mail.utoronto.ca) through Single Sign-On authentication: sign in on the Rubric website with your university email, then complete Duo two-factor authentication if you have it enabled.

Members are encouraged to set up their Rubric account to access information on events, financial grant opportunities, and other student life updates as the UTGSU completes its migration to the platform.

Applications must be completed and submitted through the designated UTGSU application platform during the applicable application period.

Each application must include, at minimum:

1. Applicant information
2. Conference information
3. Estimated or incurred eligible expenses, limited to:
   1. Conference registration fees
   2. Transportation
   3. Accommodation
   4. Conference presentation-related expenses
4. Information on any other sources of funding

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all information provided is complete and accurate. UTGSU may request supporting documentation to verify the information provided in an application.

Successful applicants must submit their claim within thirty (30) days of the date of notification, unless an extension is granted by the Vice-President Finance.

The claim submission must include:

1. Proof of conference attendance
2. Itemized expense receipts and proof of payment
3. Confirmation of any additional sources of funding
4. Direct deposit information

Eligible expenses are limited to conference registration fees, transportation, accommodation, and conference presentation-related expenses.

Funds are released only after the required documentation has been reviewed and the applicant’s eligibility and expenses have been verified. An applicant who does not submit a claim within the required timeframe may have their successful application nullified, and the unclaimed funds will be returned to the Student Conference Bursary Fund.