Tuition & Finances

To estimate your expenses for a 12-month (three term) academic year, including tuition, visit the Graduate Student Affordability Calculator.

Tuition & Fees for the Master of Library & Information Science program are set by the University. For full information, visit the Office of the Registrar's Fee Schedules page.

Askunessippi (Antler River) Scholarship
Awarded annually to a graduate student entering the Masters of Library and Information Science program, based on academic achievement. Preference will be given to an Indigenous student (First Nations, Métis or Inuit). The recipient will be selected in accordance with the FIMS Awards and Scholarships Policy. This scholarship was established with a generous gift from an alumnus of the MLIS Class of 1992. Askunessippi means Antler River, which is the name of the Thames River in the Anishnaabe language. The name comes from a time when a very influential and highly regarded leader of the community lived at the mouth of the river at Lake St. Clair or the Lake of the Swirling Eddies. The area held a prominent place for Treaties and gatherings. The descendants of the great leader now live on Walpole Island.

E. Stanley and Nadine M. Beacock Travel Bursary
Awarded each term to a full-time or part-time graduate student in the master's or Doctoral program in Library and Information Science who demonstrates financial need, to enable them to attend conferences, workshops or field trips, or to cover travel expenses and fees associated with a co-op placement.

Margaret Beckman Gold Medal in Library and Information Science
Awarded to the graduate of the MLIS Program with the highest academic standing in the previous calendar year. This award was named for Margaret Beckman, a librarian known internationally for library planning, innovations in library management, and the introduction of technology in libraries. First awarded in 1991. Value: Gold medal and monetary award.

Laura Colvin Cataloguing Prize
Awarded to the student receiving the highest mark in course 9200, Descriptive Cataloguing Theory and Practice, over the three terms beginning in September. In honour of the late Library and Information Science Professor Emerita Laura Colvin-Harrison.

William J. Cameron Award
Awarded annually in the fall term to a student registered in the MLIS program who has successfully completed at least five courses. All MLIS students are eligible (including international). The award will be given to the student who, in addition to superiority in grades, demonstrates the greatest interest in the areas of bibliography, interdisciplinary scholarship and research.

Christopher Mathew Dixon LIS Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to a graduate student, Master or PhD, with a minimum 78% academic average in the Library and Information Science Program. Preference will be given to someone who has not received another award or scholarship (excluding OGS or SSHRC). Students must demonstrate ongoing active involvement in community service outside of their academic studies (e.g., volunteer work, fundraising, coaching, etc.) in any arena (local, national, international). Candidates must submit a letter describing their community service, along with references. The FIMS awards committee will select the recipient, with at least one member of the committee holding current membership in the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This award was established by Sandra Miller (MLIS '01) in memory of her beloved husband Christopher Dixon (MLIS '00), who was a PhD student in LIS at the time of his death.

Samuel D. Neill Scholarship
Awarded to a student with high academic standing who has completed ten courses of the Master of Library and Information Science program. Preference will be given to a student who has not received other scholarship funds. Two scholarships per year will be awarded. All eligible students will be considered.

Donald K. Norrgard Award
Awarded to a student currently enrolled in the MLIS program who has demonstrated financial need and who has completed at least five courses including a designated technology course. Final selection will be based on academic excellence and accomplishment in the areas of information technologies and systems. Three scholarships will be awarded each year, one in each term.

Catherine Sheldrick Ross Masters Recruitment Scholarship
Awarded to full-time graduate students entering the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) based on academic achievement. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate leadership through community service and/or who face disadvantage. A committee in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies will select the recipients. At least one representative of the committee must hold membership in the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This scholarship was established by a generous bequest from Catherine Sheldrick Ross.

Jean Tague-Sutcliffe Fellowship
Awarded annually to a full-time student in the MLIS program who is in financial need and whose performance in advanced courses in information science, information retrieval or information systems shows research potential.

HW Wilson Foundation Graduate Scholarships
Awarded to the MLIS student(s) with the highest academic standing after at least one full term in the program. At least one scholarship is awarded each term.

Lily F.W. Chiu Scholarship
Established in memory of Lily F.W. Chiu, a graduate of the MLIS program. Awarded each term to the entering MLIS student with the highest academic standing, provided this person is not already the recipient of a major award.

Friends of the Library and Information Sciences Program OSOTF Award
An endowment sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Information Sciences Program and the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF) Program. Awarded to a full-time graduate student entering the MLIS program in January. Financial need and a minimum 78% academic average are the criteria for eligibility. Eligible students will be requested to apply.

The E. Stanley and Nadine M. Beacock Bursary
Awarded to a full-time mature MLIS student or to a full-time mature applicant upgrading qualifications at Western for admission to the program. Applicants must have been in the workforce for at least three years and be in need of financial assistance. May be renewed for a second term depending on qualifications and availability of funds. Awarded in the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms.

Irene Harris and Mildred MacPherson Entrance Award
This award was established to honour and thank Irene Harris and Mildred MacPherson for their commitment to the importance of education, their encouragement of young people who want to further their opportunities through advanced study, and their service to the community. Awarded to a full-time student of outstanding quality entering the Master of Library and Information Science program, based on academic achievement. Awarded in the Fall term.

Brian Robert Beacock Scholarship
Established in honour of Brian Robert Beacock by E. Stanley and Nadine Beacock. To be awarded to the Master of Library and Information Science student applying to enter in the Fall term who has the highest admission average (minimum 78%).

Manjunath and Roja Pendakur South Asian Student Scholarship in Library and Information Science
Awarded annually to a full-time graduate student in the Master of Library and Information Science program based on academic achievement (minimum 78% admission average). Priority will be given to students who can provide documentary evidence that at least one of their ancestors (parent, grandparent, great-grandparent) came from a South Asian country either directly or by diaspora. These countries include: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Bhutan. The Faculty of Information and Media Studies Scholarships and Awards Committee will select the recipient. This scholarship was made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Manjunath and Mrs. Roja Pendakur, gifts from the South Asian community, and matching gifts from the University and Foundation Western.

Below are links to awards that have been advertised to LIS students in past. Please check individual websites for application deadlines and most recent updates.

AALL - American Association of Law Libraries - George A. Strait Minority Scholarship & Fellowship
ACS - American Chemical Society - Division of Chemical Information - Lucille M. Wert Student Scholarship - $1500
AAO - Archives Assn of Ontario - Shirley Spragge Bursary (apply if currently working or volunteering as an archivist)
ABOS - Association of Bookmobile & Outreach Services - Conference Travel Grant ($500) and Bernard Vavrek Scholarship ($1000)
ACRL - Association of College and Research Libraries - RBMS Rare Books and Manuscripts Section conference bursary ($1000+ total value)
AKLA- Alaska Library Association Scholarship- For Alaska residents pursuing MLIS, returning to Alaska ($4000)
AMIA - Association of Moving Image Archivists - Mulitple scholarships ($4000)
AJL - Association of Jewish Libraries - AJL Student Scholarship/Subvention Award (Up to $5000)
ALA - Justin Winsor Library History Essay Award ($500)
APLA - Atlantic Provinces Library Association - Carin Somers Scholarship Trust ($1000)
ARL - Association of Research Libraries - Julia C. Blixrud Scholarship ($1000 plus Fall Forum registration to attend the President's Institue)
ARL - Association of Research Libraries - Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW) - Kaleidoscope Program
ARL/SAA - Association of Research Libraries and the Society of American Archivists - Mosaic Program ($10,000 and a one-year complimentary membership in the Society of American Archivists and complimentary registration to the Society’s Annual Meeting for the year in which the scholarship is received)
ARLIS/NA - Art Library Society of North America - Wolfgang Freitag Internship Award ($3000)
ARLIS/NA - Art Library Society of North America - Gerd Muehsam Award ($500 prize + one-year membership to ARLIS/NA)
ATLA - American Theological Library Association  - Diversity in Librarianship scholarship ($4000)
BRASS - Business Reference and Services Section of RUSA - Student Travel Award ($1250)
CALA - Chinese-American Library Association - various scholarships ($500 - $1000)
Calgary Foundation - Shelagh Neary Mikulak Memorial Scholarship for Leadership and Innovation in Library Sciences ($4000)
CALL - Canadian Association of Law Librarians - Diana Priestly Memorial Scholarship ($2500)
CARL - Canadian Association of Research Libraries - Graduate Student Research Grant - up to ($7000)
CRTC - Prize for Excellent in Policy Research ($1500)
JCHLA/JABSC - Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association/Journal de l’Association des bibliothéques de la santé du Canada
Kress Foundation - Summer Education Institue Scholarships 

Margaret Williams Trust Fund Award - Promotes librarianship in Newfoundland (Up to $1500)
MLA - Medical Library Association - Gwendolyn S. Cruzat MLA Scholarship ($5000)
MLA- Medical Library Association - Ana D. Cleveland MLA Scholarship ($1000)
MLA- Medical Library Association - Beverly Murphy MLA Scholarship for Underrepresented Students ($5000)

NASIG - North American Serials Interest Group ($600)
NCSU - North Carolina State University - Libraries Fellowship Program
NLM - National Library of Medicine Associate Fellowship Program - Bethesda, Maryland.
OLA - OLA Dr. Janette Baker Scholarship (Up to $5,000 and a 1 year OLA Membership)

OLA - OLA/OSLA/Ken Haycock SuperConference Travel Grant ($500)

OLA - OCULA Lightning Strikes Award

PAPL – Prince Albert Public Library – Helen Ferris Award ($2000)

SALALM - Seminar of the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials - Conference Attendance Scholarship ($2000)
Schuman Trainees at the European Parliament
Saskatchewan Library Association - Maureen Woods Education Bursary ($5000)
UNYOC - Upstate New York/Ontario Chapter of the Medical Library Association - Ursula H. Poland Award ($5000 plus membership)
ViMLoC - The Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) Mentorship Program - Visual Resources Association Foundation