PhD Study Permit — Is Funding Letter + 10K Savings Enough?

[Ali_reza]

Hi everyone,

Applying for a study permit for a funded PhD in Econ at the University of Alberta, starting Fall 2026. I'm an international student applying from Germany. Planning to submit next week.

My numbers:

• University funding: 30K CAD (Year 1), 28K CAD (Years 2–4)
• Annual tuition: ~10K | IRCC living expenses: ~23K | Total needed: ~33K/year
• Gap: ~3K (Year 1), ~5K (Years 2–4)
• Personal savings: ~10K CAD in my bank account

Year 1 is fully covered (funding + savings = 40K vs. 33K needed). The gap only matters for Years 2–4.

Questions:

1. Is the funding letter + 10K bank statement enough, or does IRCC expect me to show coverage for all four years upfront?
2. Which option is better: submitting with current savings vs increasing my savings (for instance to 15-20k)? I am afraid that would look suspicious just before applying.
3. Did anyone with a similar situation address the gap in their Letter of Explanation?

Thanks for any advice.