Please speak with your department administrator.

University of Alberta International has provided these updates addressing various issues related to international graduate students' finances. This resource, produced by FGSR, may also be useful (CCID required). Note as well that current international students facing immediate financial concerns due to COVID-19 may explore the sources of emergency funding detailed here. 

Please also review this page and contact an advisor at International Student Services by submitting a general inquiry through our service portal) to ensure that you have explored all options available to you.

International students requiring financial support to assist in covering additional costs associated with Canada's quarantine requirements may be eligible for an International Quarantine Support Grant. Learn more here.

Should you have additional questions, we at FGSR will do our best to help out; you can reach us at grad.mail@ualberta.ca.

The agencies will continue to support training award holders who, given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation, can only devote part-time hours to their research. They may continue to hold their awards and will be paid at the full amount. The amount will not be prorated, and the end date of the award will remain unchanged.

Please continue to refer to the COVID-19 webpages for CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC for the most current agency program updates.

Award recipients who are interested in applying these exceptions to their award should contact the FGSR Awards team at grad.awards@ualberta.ca.

During these unusual times you may find yourself unable to make progress on your research due to a lack of access to libraries, labs, and field work. You may also be prevented from devoting your full attention to your studies because of childcare demands, homeschooling your children, or caring for other family members, among other reasons. In these situations, you may consider taking an exceptional leave of absence (LoA), which is an administrative option to help preserve your time in program when you are unable to continue working on it full time.

We understand the complexities that COVID-19 has created for our students' lives and want to reassure students that taking a LoA will not prejudice your academic standing or continued progression in your program in any way. This is an administrative option to help reduce stress as it relates to your studies so that you can focus on other things in these trying times.

Is a Leave of Absence Right for Me?
There may be financial implications to this option so you should discuss your particular situation with your supervisor. For example, when you are on an LoA you are not registered as a student, meaning that you will not be paying tuition and your time in your program is paused. You are therefore unable to hold any TAships or RAships during a LoA. Any awards that you hold through Tri-Council or through the U of A will be paused until the time that you are once again registered. (Awards outside of the Tri-Council or U of A may have different requirements.)

Note as well that international students should consult with University of Alberta International (UAI) before applying for a leave of absence or transitioning to part-time registration status to avoid unintended impacts on study permits, visas or ability to obtain a post-graduate work permit. (Please discuss your circumstances with an advisor by submitting a general inquiry through our service portal.

Students who do not wish to take a leave of absence now but nonetheless find their research is not advancing at the pace it otherwise would have in a non-COVID-19 reality can also consider, at a later date, applying for a program extension, as needed, in order to finish final program requirements. We understand that COVID-19 will be an event affecting our graduate students for the foreseeable future and FGSR will do everything it can to support student success and program completion.

Students in thesis-based programs who find that certain kinds of COVID-related personal circumstances prevent them from working full-time on their programs may be eligible to apply for part-time registration status. Please note that not all circumstances qualify a student to submit such an application; the full policy can be found on the FGSR website. Students who are eligible to apply can find the Part-Time Registration Status form in the FGSR Forms Cabinet under Records.

It is very important to reason through this decision with your supervisor since a move to part-time status will affect a student's eligibility to hold or apply for most scholarships and awards.

Note as well that international students should consult with University of Alberta International (UAI) before applying for a leave of absence or transitioning to part-time registration status to avoid unintended impacts on study permits, visas or ability to obtain a post-graduate work permit. Contact an International Student Advisor by submitting a general inquiry through our service portal.

If you are currently in the midst of a research project that has been or will be affected by circumstances related to COVID-19, we encourage you to discuss it with your supervisor and department, and to consult the directives and guidelines on research posted by the university here. (Note that it is important to ensure full compliance with the university's guidelines.)

If you, your supervisor or your department contacts are looking for additional information, we are happy to help as and where we can. Contact us at grad.mail@ualberta.ca.

As of Monday, March 23, 2020, the physical FGSR office in Triffo Hall is no longer open. Our staff are, however, working remotely and continue to meet the academic mandate of the Faculty for graduate programs.

From 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mountain time on Monday to Friday (except statutory holidays), students can arrange to speak to a graduate student advisor via Zoom. Access our Virtual Counter here.

You may also reach us at the following contacts for general and specific inquiries:

• General Inquiries: grad.mail@ualberta.ca
• Admissions Inquiries: grad.admissions@ualberta.ca
• Online Applicant Inquiries: grad.webadm@ualberta.ca
• Program Services Inquiries: gradserv@ualberta.ca
• Awards & Scholarship Inquiries: grad.awards@ualberta.ca
• Professional Development Inquiries: gradpd@ualberta.ca