Note: Please refer to the U of T Learning Abroad information regarding Travel Advisories.
What is the Coburn Fellowship Award?
Coburn Fellowship Awards are given to one student at the University of Toronto and another at the University of Tel Aviv or the Hebrew University of Jerusalem studying in the fields of fine arts or the humanities for a year of study outside their country (Canada or Israel).
Prize Amount
Fellowships valued at up to $20,000 (CAD) each
The Fund is held and administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. The award of up to $20,000 (CAD) is intended to cover travel expenses, tuition and accommodation for the year. It is taxable and will be disbursed in two installments on submission of the participants’ proof of continued enrolment.
Application Deadline
The Study Abroad Award Application and letters of recommendation must be submitted by the March 1 application deadline. Results will be announced by May.
Please refer to the latest COVID-19 Information from the University of Toronto about Study Abroad. For additional updates from the university related to COVID-19, please visit the VP Students COVID-19 FAQ page.
Terms
This program is open to all students studying in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto, but Victoria College students will get first priority.
Students must be studying in the fields of the humanities or the fine arts. Recipients will be selected on the basis of academic or artistic excellence and their ability to benefit from study abroad.
How to Apply
Applicants should:
- have at least a B+ average (GPA 3.30+)
- be prepared to share with other students the benefits of their experience abroad when they return home
- be entering the third or fourth year of their undergraduate program
- be first registered through the Centre for International Experience in the exchange program for Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, or the Summer Research Program at Tel Aviv University.
Students must:
- meet the admission requirements at Tel-Aviv University or at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- register at one of these two institutions for the academic year
- be capable of studying in Hebrew or register for the English program offered at either University
Students applying for the Coburn Fellowship Award should apply to Tel-Aviv University or Hebrew University as soon as possible.
Each applicant must then submit:
- a Study Abroad Award Application including a personal statement
- transcript
- two academic letters of recommendation from faculty who have taught the student
In the personal statement of the award application, please explain your interest in studying at Tel-Aviv University or Hebrew University and your goals. Also include information on how you intend to fund your year abroad and list other awards or scholarships received. The letters of recommendation must be submitted by email to vic.awards@utoronto.ca by the March 1 application deadline.
History of the Coburn Awards and Fellowships
Kathleen Coburn, who graduated in 1928 from Victoria University and who taught at Victoria for many years, made a bequest to establish a fund to provide travelling fellowships to qualified candidates studying in the fields of Fine Arts and/or the Humanities in Israel and Canada.
“The Coburn Award alleviated many of the financial pressures from a full-year exchange at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where I studied Arabic. Funds from the award covered the essentials but also gave me the financial freedom to not worry about weekend travel around the Palestinian territories or moving out of student accommodation to an apartment in the Old City. These cultural experiences are what I look back on most fondly—and the Coburn Award made them possible.”
— Jack Osselton Denton, 2019 recipient