What is a matching fund award?
A matching fund award is comprised of money donated by a private donor that the University matches. The proportion that is matched varies per award (e.g. some are 50% donor funds, 50% university funds; while others are 60% donor funds, 40% university funds).
I’m a full-time graduate student. How do matching fund awards interact with my funding?
- If your award starts in the first term of your degree program, it is considered an entrance award and it will not impact your funding. You will receive the full value of the award on top of your funding (new as of September 2019).
- If you receive a matching fund award as a continuing student (in your second year or later), the University portion counts towards your York Graduate Fellowship. This means that your fellowship will be reduced by the amount of the award’s university match.
For example: A student holds a York Graduate Fellowship of $5403. They win a matching fund award of $10,000. They will receive a total of $10,403, calculated as follows in this example:
| Masters Domestic FT | |
| York Master’s Fellowship (over 3 terms) | $5,403 |
| Sub-total Funding (A) | $5,403 |
| Matching Fund Award #1 (50% donor-funded, 50% University funded) | $10,000 |
| Sub-total Awards (B) | $10,000 |
| Fellowship adjustment based on University funds already received through Matching Fund Award | -$5,000 |
| Sub-total Fellowship adjustment (C ) | -$5,000 |
| Total Funding (A+B+C) | $10,403 |
Why is the Fellowship reduced and not the award amount?
We reduce the York Graduate Fellowship to ensure that the full value of the external donor funding can be utilized and reflected on a student’s CV as a named award. This ensures that the prestige of the award is recognized.