SGS Graduate Student Emergency Bursary

We understand this is a challenging time for many graduate students. The SGS Graduate Student Emergency Bursary is intended to help graduate students overcome temporary financial emergencies due to unforeseen circumstances. Please email sgs@mun.ca for information on the eligibility criteria and the application process.

The Dr. C. Robert Lucas Graduate Fund is also intended to help graduate students in the Faculty of Science overcome temporary financial emergencies that prevent them from completing a degree program. Please email sgs@mun.ca for information on the eligibility criteria and the application process.        

Working hours permitted for graduate students

On May 12, 2020, Senate approved an amendment to General Regulation 3.3.8 that would allow graduate students facing extenuating circumstances, including financial need, to seek approval from the AVPA and Dean of Graduate Studies to work more than 24 hours a week outside of their degree program and still be deemed a full-time graduate students. Such requests must be made to the AVPA and Dean of Graduate Studies by the student’s supervisor (when applicable) and Head of the appropriate academic unit to sgs@mun.ca, and should include grounds for the request, expected duration of the extra work and a revised study plan that accounts for extra work to be undertaken.

On October 7, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved a temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that eligible post-secondary students are allowed to work off-campus from November 15, 2022 to December 31, 2023. This temporary lifting was extended on December 8, 2023 until April 30, 2024 (for students who applied for a study permit by December 7, 2023). Students who were not eligible under the October 7, 2022 announcement and eligible under the December 7, 2023 announcement will have to wait until January 1, 2024 to be able to work more than 20 hours off-campus

You will find detailed information on this on the IRCC website. While the standard regulations regarding the 24-hour-per-week limit for full-time graduate students still applies, in exceptional cases international graduate students may wish to consult with their academic units regarding the possibility of requesting a waiver through the process noted in the previous paragraph.

Specifically for international graduate students in course-based programs in engineering and applied science (Master of Applied Science), computer science (Master of Science (Computer Science and Master of Artificial Intelligence)), and education (graduate diploma, Master of Education), we have created a streamlined process for you to seek this approval of a waiver of the 24-hour-per-week limit for full-time graduate students. In this case, please email sgs@mun.ca with your formal request along with following information: 1) the exact period (start and end dates) during which you are seeking the waiver applied, and 2) a brief description of your study plan that will ensure you will still be able to successfully complete your program in spite of the increased working hours. You will receive a response within one business day.

You may have additional questions about the new work policy. You can contact the Immigration Advising Team (IAT) for more information and to verify whether you have the right documentation to authorize work in Canada at immigrationadvising@mun.ca.

Food

If you do not have resources now to purchase food, the Thrive Youth Network has a directory of food banks in St. John’s and Mt. Pearl. This list is updated weekly. Please note that Memorial University’s Campus Food Bank in St. John’s is offering monthly deliveries for graduate students in need. You’ll find more information on this on the Campus Food Bank website.

If you are a graduate student in immediate need of food, please contact akim@mun.ca.

Resources and Support Services (AFC)

The Actors Fund of Canada has created a directory of resources and support services for Newfoundland and Labrador inlcuding; crisis lines, mental health awareness, income assistance, housing, and local food banks. For more information please visit the Actors Fund of Canada website.