Master's and doctorate bursaries

Girardin-Vaillancourt Program

Application period: December 15 to March 1 of each year.

This program fosters one of the fundamental objectives of the Fondation Desjardins, which is to encourage Quebecers to pursue graduate studies.

Eligibility and renewal

To be eligible, applicants must reside in Quebec and be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status¹. Once the winner accepts the bursary, he or she must prove full-time enrolment in a university program at the master's or doctoral level for the fall and winter sessions. To collect a bursary, the winner must be a Desjardins caisse member or agree to become one. Bursaries are renewable once per level by submitting a new application.

Field of study	Number of doctorate bursaries	Number of master's bursaries
Project related to cooperatives	2*	1
Professional master's (no dissertation)	0	2
Economics, finance, administration, management	1	1
Natural, applied and health sciences	1	2
Humanities and arts	1	1
Social sciences	1	2
Creative or performing arts	1	1
Education sciences and related disciplines	1	1
T.B.A. in view of the number of applicants	1	1
TOTAL	9	12

* A $10,000 research grant is available for cooperative projects. Students in the PhD or Master’s with dissertation programs are eligible.

Bursary amounts

Bursaries at the master's level are $7,500 and at the doctoral level, $10,000.

Recipients Winners may accept other bursaries as long as the total received for the year in question does not exceed $17,500 at the master's level and $25,000 at the doctorate level.

How to apply

Applicant must forward Fondation Desjardins the following documents in triplicate (one original and two photocopies or three photocopies):

• The completed application form, filled out legibly, on a computer, with a minimum 10 point font.
• All your university transcripts.
• 3 evaluation forms (preferably sealed) completed by professors, including your supervisor. Pages 7, 9 and 11 of tes application form are for your professors and will describe your project. Pages 8, 10 and 12 are evaluations for Fondation Desjardins; please make sure your name is on them.

 Candidates must ensure all documents, including photocopies, are legible, so that their application can be processed.

Persons with permanent resident status must:

• enclose a photocopy of their permanent resident card;
• if they have not yet studied in Canada, provide documents showing equivalent studies in their country of origin;
• attach a page describing:
  • their integration objectives in Quebec (academic, economic, family, social and regional);
  • what they have already done to reach these objectives;.
  • the way in which they are experiencing their adaptation to the university (new pedagogical approach), the climate and, Quebec culture;
  • what they have already done to facilitate their integration into their new environment.

Registration period: December 15 to March 1 each year. Bursary applications postmarked after this time will not be accepted. No acknowledgement will be sent, but candidates will receive a reply before July 1.

Please forward your bursary application to the following address:

Fondation Desjardins
1, complexe Desjardins
C.P. 7, succursale Desjardins
Montreal (Quebec) H5B 1B2
Tel.: 514-281-7171 or 1-800-443-8611, ext. 1
Fax: 514-281-2391

Application form (PDF format, 527 KB)

1. Students with permanent resident status must fill out the sections to this effect on the application form.