Funding Opportunities
for departments and employees at UofT
Funding options / overviews
The University of Toronto offers partial funding opportunities to departments and individual employees via the following two categories of funds below.
Departmental funding opportunities (3): funds under this category are meant to help departments offset some registration costs with sending employees to professional development events external UofT.
- Professional Development – for unionized employees and Professional Managerial (P.M.) and Confidential (Conf.) employees
- Supplemental Professional Development PM 6-11
- Conference fund – for Research Associates (R.A.) and Senior Research Associates (S.R.A.)
Employee funding opportunities (2): funds under this category are meant to help the individual employee offset some tuition costs with continuing their formal education external to the U of T or internally within the U of T.
Educational Assistance Fund for Faculty, Librarians & Unionized Staff at U of T
For Courses taken outside of
U of T
Overview
Staff benefit intended to help employees offset some costs associated with continuing education.
Eligibility
Employees holding appointments whether full-time, part-time of 25 percent or more, or sessional can apply for reimbursement. In the case of part-time employees, for the first three years’ continuous service, the funding is pro-rated in accordance with the part-time appointment.
Applications for approval should be submitted to Centre for Learning, Leadership & Culture (LLC) at least 1 week prior to registration.
Applications are submitted on a course-by-course basis.
On approved applications money goes directly to employee upon successful completion of the course.
Final documents required after successful course completion – final grade, proof of payment, account summary.
Payment will be issued via direct –deposit upon LLC receiving all requested back-up documentation.
All applications must be processed in the same academic year as the course/courses occurred.
Coverage
Covers : 50% cost of tuition only before any miscellaneous fees or taxes for undergraduate certificates, diplomas, and degrees taken on a part-time basis outside of U of T at recognized educational institutions.
Not Covered: Masters degrees or graduate level certificates.
Application
For more information on this fund go to Application & Guidelines for Faculty, Librarians & Unionized Staff
Educational Assistance (E.A.) Fund for PM/Conf./RA
For Courses taken outside of U of T
Overview
The Educational Assistance Policy is a staff benefit designed to provide Professional Managerial, Confidential, and Research Associates employees with the opportunity to further their formal education at recognized post-secondary institutions external to the UofT. Professional Managerial, Confidential and Research Associates employees holding appointments whether full-time, part-time of 25 percent or more, or sessional are eligible for the following provisions. Please note in the case of part-time employees, for the first three years’ continuous service, the funding is pro-rated in accordance with the part-time appointment.
Eligibility
Employees holding appointments whether full-time, part-time of 25 percent or more, or sessional can apply for reimbursement. In the case of part-time employees, for the first three years’ continuous service, the funding is pro-rated in accordance with the part-time appointment.
Applications for approval should be submitted to Centre for Learning, Leadership & Culture (LLC) at least 1 week prior to registration.
Applications are submitted on a course-by-course basis.
On approved applications money goes directly to employee upon successful completion of the course.
Final documents required after successful course completion – final grade, proof of payment, account summary.
Payment will be issued via direct –deposit upon LLC receiving all requested back-up documentation.
All applications must be processed in the same academic year as the course/courses occurred.
i) Credit Courses taken at a Recognized Post-Secondary Institution External to UofT:
50 percent of the cost of tuition only will be reimbursed to qualifying Professional Managerial, Confidential and Research Associates employees upon receipt of proof of tuition payment and the successful completion of course(s), taken on a part-time basis and pre-approved by LLC, leading to certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and master’s degrees. Such courses must be either an asset to the employee in the performance of his/her present job or directly related to his/her potential career.
The maximum reimbursement for all degree/credit courses taken at a recognized post-secondary institution external to U of T is $1500/academic yr.
ii) Enhanced coverage – Non-Credited Courses:
a) Taken at a Recognized Post-Secondary Institution External to U of T:
50 percent of the cost of tuition will be reimbursed to qualifying Professional/Managerial, Confidential and Research Associates employees who show successful completion of a pre-approved work-related course which is either related to the employee’s present job or to jobs in the same field to which the employee might logically aspire.
b) Taken at Other Non-Post Secondary Institutions:
Qualifying Professional Managerial, Confidential and Research Associates employees will be reimbursed for up to 2 pre-approved work related non degree/non credit courses/academic yr. to a maximum of $500/course.
Submit application/applications on a course-by-course basis to the Centre for Learning, Leadership and Culture (LLC) at least 1 week prior to registration for pre-approval llc.funds@utoronto.ca
Employee pays full registration cost of the course and would be reimbursed upon successful completion of the course.
Final documentation to submit to LLC upon completion:
- Final grade – required as a certificate of completion will not work
- Copy of invoice
- Copy of receipt
- Account summary – showing the tuition cost among associated fees/taxes (this information will normally be found in your student account dashboard if not please contact the school registrar’s office for this breakdown of course costs)
Reimbursement would be issued via direct deposit upon LLC receiving all requested documentation.
Note: E.A. follows the academic year (September – August). Requested documentation must be submitted in the same academic year as the course occurred. Documentation/applications submitted in another academic year will not be processed.
Access the form on service now or directly here.
Staff Tuition Waiver
For Courses taken within the U of T including the School of Continuing Studies
Overview
Tuition Wavier forms are available on the People Strategy, Equity & Culture website for all Unionized staff at U of T for Internal U of T degrees and School of Continuing Studies courses.
Link to the form site can be found here
Professional Development Fund
Departmental benefit: covers conferences, workshops/seminars taken outside of the U of T
Overview
Departmental benefit meant to help departments offset some costs associated with sending appointed employees outside of the U of T to conferences of up to (one week duration) or less, workshops / seminars (max. of three consecutive days).
Professional Development fund is available to all departments.
Note: PD does not apply to staff members who have access to the PERA fund.
Applications for approval should be submitted to LLC at least 1 week prior to registration.
On approved applications money goes directly to department account after the conference, workshop or seminar.
Documents required after the event – proof of payment along with completed event evaluation form.
All applications must be processed in the same fiscal year as the event occurred.
Coverage
Covers: 60% cost of registration only to a maximum of $300 (unionized staff) and $500 (PM / Conf. staff).
Not Covered: Courses. e.g. Building Codes and Regulation certificate, etc.
Application
For Unionized staff, go to Application & Guidelines for Unionized Staff
For PM/C, go to Application & Guidelines for Professional & Managerial and Confidential Staff
Conference Fund
For Research Associates & Senior Research Associates
Overview
Departmental benefit meant to help departments offset some costs associated with sending RA and SRAs to conferences.
Conference fund available to all departments.
Applications for approval should be submitted to LLC at least 1 week prior to registration.
On approved applications money goes directly to the department after the conference.
Documents required after the conference – completed/processed expense reimbursement form with all supporting documents and completed event evaluation form.
All applications must be processed in the same fiscal year as the event occurred.
Coverage
Application
For more information go to Research Associates / Senior Research Associates Conference Fund Application Form
Supplemental Professional Development Fund
for PM 6 to 11
Overview
Departmental benefit meant to help departments offset some costs associated with sending Professional Managerial Staff levels 6-11 on professional development training.
Supplemental Professional Development Fund PM 6-11 is available to all departments.
Applications for approval should be submitted to LLC at least 1 week prior to registration.
Documents required after the event – completed/processed expense reimbursement form with all supporting documents and completed event evaluation form, certificate of completion or final grade
All applications must be processed in the same fiscal year as the event occurred.
Coverage
Eligible expenses: conference, workshop, course registration, travel and accommodation costs up to a maximum of $5000 / fiscal year / eligible employee.
On approved applications money goes directly to department account after event.
Application
For more information go to Supplemental Prof. Dev Fund
CONTACT
For Questions relating to these funds, please email llc.funds@utoronto.ca
