Graduate Student Medical Leave Award at University of Waterloo 2026

Graduate Student Medical Leave Award at University of Waterloo 2026

The Graduate Student Medical Leave Award at University of Waterloo 2026 is designed for full-time research-based Master’s and PhD students who must take medical leave during their studies. This award provides partial funding of up to CAD 5,000 on a one-time basis to help support students during their period of inactive status.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Graduate Student Medical Leave Award, applicants must meet specific requirements. Students must be registered full-time in a research-based Master’s or PhD program for at least one academic term before going inactive for medical reasons. There are strict program time limits: Master’s students must not be beyond term 6.0, doctoral students beyond term 12.0, and those fast-tracked from a master’s to a PhD are ineligible after term 18.0. Additionally, applicants must have received a departmental or school financial package in the term prior to the leave, have enrolment officially approved as “Inactive for Medical Leave,” and submit appropriate medical documentation to AccessAbility Services for verification. The award can only be received once per program level, meaning once during a master’s and once during a PhD.

Application Process

To be automatically considered for the Graduate Student Medical Leave Award, students must complete a Change of Enrolment Status form. The process requires submitting required medical documentation to AccessAbility Services and obtaining official approval for “Inactive for Medical Leave” status. This streamlined process ensures that eligible students receive support without needing a separate application beyond these administrative steps.

Value and Deadline

The Graduate Student Medical Leave Award offers a one-time maximum value of $5,000. The deadline for application is 10 August 2026. The scholarship is provided by the University of Waterloo, Canada, and is open to all nationals. For more information and to access the application form, visit the official Graduate Student Medical Leave Award page.