AU's Graduate Funding and Sponsorship Guide

Help to get ahead Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

Awards, sponsorships, and other funding support for graduate studies.

Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

Life goals, meet career goals.

At Athabasca University (AU), we pride ourselves on helping people achieve goals they never thought possible — like getting a graduate degree without giving up on a career or sacrificing quality of life.

Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

We know that reaching those goals, however, can be tough without financial support. To make it easy to find the assistance you need, we’ve assembled this list of awards and scholarships available to AU learners. Because let’s face it — we could all use a little help to get ahead!

Quick facts about AU graduate studies funding

STUDENT AWARDS FROM AU Currently, AU administers 47 different student awards for master’s degree learners — that’s a lot of dough! Each of these awards have their own unique set of criteria and guidelines, depending on what you’re studying and what your financial needs are.

47

Discover which AU awards you might qualify for.

graduate learners awards sponsored directly by AU

STUDENT AWARDS FROM OUTSIDE OF AU AU’s online master’s degree programs are all

100+

additional awards available to AU graduate learners through government and private organizations

accredited — which means you’re eligible for the same national student awards as learners from other Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Discover external awards for masters level students here.

Find additional external awards for masters, PhD and postdoctorate level students here.

184 17

learners were given awards for graduate studies in 2019/2020

(These lists are updated as new awards are available, so check back often!)

BURSARY OPTIONS FOR AU LEARNERS different graduate programs received awards in 2019/2020

AU has a range of bursary options that can help ease the cost of your education, depending on your financial situation.

Explore student bursary options.

$700,000 in awards were given to learners by AU in 2019/2020

Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

If you have any additional questions about these funding opportunities, contact our offices and connect with an AU funding expert.

Investing in you AND your career Many employers see the value in helping their staff reach their education goals, because what’s good for employees is usually good for business. The decision to ‘sponsor’ an employee’s graduate degree is a big one — but it can be made easier knowing that organizations are eligible for a reimbursement of up to $10,000 per year through the Canada Job Grant.

Talk about a win-win!

Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

To help employers with their decisionmaking, we’ve included a letter you can forward to your organization that helps clarify the value of a graduate degree and the financial support available for sponsors.

Employer Sponsorship Letter Dear __________________

Thank you for considering this request to sponsor my ____________________________ program studies at Athabasca University (AU). I wanted to tell you a little bit more about AU, why investing in this kind of growth and development makes sense, and what financial support is available to our organization for sponsoring me.

Athabasca University is Canada’s Online University; its learners can study on their own time and at their own pace, allowing them to continue working and managing life’s other commitments along the way.

AU’s team of experts and academics have designed accredited and nationally recognized programs specifically for online delivery — and for the changing needs of organizations like ours. I chose to study at AU because of the flexibility it provides me in balancing work and study.

I know how much our organization values its people and providing them with growth opportunities wherever possible. It’s through these growth opportunities that our organization grows too. Investing in my development in this tangible, meaningful way will help build the skills I can apply each and every day in my role. Graduate studies today is vastly different than it has been in the past. Thanks to the advent of online education, learning can be directly applied to day-to-day tasks in ways that were never possible before. This is why I chose AU and this particular program.

I understand that sponsoring my graduate studies will come with a cost. However, the Canada Job Grant can reduce the expense of employee training by as much as two-thirds, up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee per year. Athabasca University has a team dedicated to helping organizations like ours navigate the application process for this grant and are available to assist whenever we need them.

Thank you for considering this request, and I’m happy to provide any additional information you require.

Sincerely,

Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship

If you’re ready to start your graduate degree journey with AU, apply for a program today.

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Athabasca University | Graduate Funding and Sponsorship