Getting an admission offer is only the first step. Here’s how to turn that acceptance into a fully funded journey - even if the original offer came without scholarship support. Subscribe here for FREE to get information like this straight to your inbox:
Eligible Levels
Master’s & PhD
Common Funding Paths
Graduate Assistantships (TA / RA), Internal Departmental Awards, External Scholarships
Notable Canadian Funding Programs
OGS / QEII (Ontario) - application window Nov 2025
Canada Graduate Research Scholarships (Master’s) - deadline Dec 1, 2025
Timing Advice
Begin funding conversations as soon as you get the offer - don’t wait until term begins
You’ve done the hard work - submitted transcripts, written your statement, secured your letters - and now you have an admission offer. But no funding came with it. Many students believe that “no scholarship = no hope,” but that’s not true.
Admission is your ticket to the conversation. With strategic steps, you can convert that offer into full funding - sometimes weeks or months after acceptance.
Here’s how.
Step-by-Step Strategy to Convert an Offer into Funding
1. Identify internal funding streams right away
Departments often reserve funds for new admits. Check your department’s grad funding page, search for “Graduate Awards,” “Entrance Scholarships,” “Recruitment Fellowships.”
Some Canadian universities bundle funding into offer acceptance phases - ask your graduate coordinator whether there are “offer + funding” packages.
Example: University of Alberta’s Graduate Entrance Scholarship provides $17,500 (Master’s) / $21,000 (PhD) to admitted students with high ranking.
Don’t assume “offer without funding” means “no funding exists.” In many cases, the funding process is separate and initiated after admission.
2. Reach out to potential supervisors & labs
Even after receiving an offer, reaching out to professors you’d like to work with can unlock RA positions.
Template idea:
“Hello Professor X, I am excited to have received an offer to your [Program] for Fall 2026. I’m especially interested in your work on [topic]. Are there funded projects or assistantships in your group I could join?”
Attach your CV, proposal, and a concise statement of interest. Be polite, clear, and specific.
3. Apply for graduate assistantships (TA / RA)
Once you’re enrolled or as you finalize your status, many Canadian departments open TA or RA positions for incoming students.
These positions often offer a stipend plus tuition waiver.
Watch departmental job listings, bulletin boards, and the graduate studies portal.
Apply early - many positions are filled before the first term begins.
4. Tap external scholarships open post-offer
Many Canadian awards allow you to apply after admission. A few to watch:
Scholarship
Level
Key Details / Deadline
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (Master’s)
Master’s
Deadline: Dec 1, 2025
OGS / QEII (Ontario)
Masters & Doctoral
Ontario’s provincial scheme; internal deadlines differ by university. Eg. at Carleton, OGS applications close Nov 19, 2025
Even if a scholarship targets new applicants only, sometimes it also accepts recently admitted students. Always check with the awarding body.
5. Write a “funding justification letter” to your department
Once you have a sense of possible funding sources, write to your graduate chair or head of department:
Explain your current offer, your qualifications, and why funding would unlock your ability to accept.
Cite your achievements, research plan, and any external awards you will apply for.
Politely request to be considered for internal awards, TA positions, or any departmental support.
This shows initiative and professionalism - sometimes the difference between funding granted or passed over.
6. Track and follow-up strategically
Maintain a calendar of funding deadlines and internal funding windows per university.
Follow up politely but persistently (e.g. after 2 weeks if no reply).
Combine multiple small awards (internal + external + TA) to cover full costs.
Author’s Tip
“Offers without funding are not rejections- they’re negotiations. The students who succeed are the ones who ask, follow, and show value.”
Keep your tone humble but confident - funding is often allocated to students who are visible, proactive, and articulate about their research goals.
Institutional & National Funding to Watch
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS / QEII-GSST) - Carleton’s OGS closes Nov 19, 2025; referees’ deadline Dec 1, 2025
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (Master’s) - typical deadline: December 1, 2025
University of Alberta Graduate Entrance Scholarships - awarded to highly ranked new entrants at Alberta
Graduate Support Initiative (GSI) at UBC - entrance scholarships, multi-year funding & top-ups (likely December 2025)
Use these as benchmarks and apply to relevant ones even post-offer.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Join our SA Scholarship Accelerator Bootcamp where I walk you through:
Identifying hidden funding streams in your department
Crafting persuasive funding letters & proposals
Building a realistic funding plan from multiple sources
Join the Bootcamp now & get your first funding-review session
Engage With Us
Did you receive an offer without funding before? What steps did you take - and what was the outcome? Drop a comment below. Your experience may help others still looking for funding.
Meet the Author!
Hi, I’m Nzube Ohalete, the voice behind ScholAfrica. I am pursuing a fully funded Ph.D. in Data Science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, USA. I have received over $439,508 in scholarships, and I’m on a mission to help 1 million African scholars achieve the same.
If you found this opportunity helpful, the best compliment I could receive would be if you shared it with one person or restacked it.
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