2024-25 Academic Year
Applying for Student Aid
Students must login to apply, and check their application online at studentaid.alberta.ca.
Student Aid recommends you apply as early as possible to ensure adequate processing time. Application processing times may exceed 45 days during periods of high volume.
- Starting school on or after August 1, 2024 - apply on the 2024-25 application
- Starting school on or before July 31, 2024 - apply on the 2023-24 application
Student Aid Verified Accounts
All students need to create or upgrade to a verified Alberta.ca Account to access the Alberta Student Aid system. Getting a verified account can take up to 10 days. For more details, see: Student Aid Verified Accounts.
Alberta.ca Account Update | Effective July 25, 2024
As part of a modernized Alberta.ca Account, all accounts are migrated to federated credentials to allow users the following benefits:
- Ability to sign in using a personal Google or Microsoft account.
- Account verification required only when identification (an Alberta driver's licence or ID card) expires. No longer required annually.
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship Application
The 2024-25 Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship online application will be available in early August.
Alberta Scholarships and Awards
All scholarship and award applications will be available in early August.
Alberta Student Aid Changes
Unless otherwise indicated, the changes to Alberta Student Aid program, systems, and policies are for the upcoming loan year (August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025).
Living Allowance Increase
There is an increase to the living allowances used to calculate eligibility for the 2024-25 school year. This amount is used by Alberta Student Aid as part of the calculation of your total costs.
For more information, see Standard Living Costs
Alberta Student Grant for Full-time Students
The amount of the grant is based on family income (Line 15000 of 2023 income tax form) and family size. The maximum monthly grant amount is $425 per month; the annual grant maximum is $5,100 per year. Eligible students will receive an average award of $3,400 per year.
For more information, see Alberta Student Grants.
Academic Progress
Academic progress policies are intended to ensure students progress and complete their program on a timely basis and prevent excessive loan debts. The following academic progress policies are reinstated:
- Program Length + 1 Limit
- Open Studies
- Successive Short-Term Programs
- Scholastic Progress (Repeating the Same Year of Study)
The History of Withdrawals policy is amended to include students who change to part-time studies. If a student application is rejected for a history of withdrawals and they have extenuating circumstances, they can request consideration by submitting a Request for Review with appropriate documentation.
Early Withdrawal | New Policy
Students who receive full-time funding, and then never attend, change to part-time studies, or withdraw from studies within 30 days of the program study period start date are required to fully repay all funding received for that study period. They must submit documentation of funding having been fully repaid before additional funding can be issued.
More details are available at Student Aid Policy – Academic Progress.
At Home Budget | Alignment with Federal Policy
Alberta Student Aid has aligned with the federal government's stay at home budget policy for dependent students. Dependent students enrolled at a school located in the same community where their parent(s) reside are expected to live with their parents. These students will be assessed as single, dependent students, not paying rent or mortgage payments, and the living allowance will be adjusted.
Learn more at Student Aid Policy - Standard Living Costs and Monthly Living Allowances.
Changes in Eligibility | Private Career Colleges - Effective August 1, 2024
Out-of-Province Private Career Colleges
Alberta Student Aid will no longer issue provincial funding to students enrolled at private career colleges outside of Alberta but within Canada. Students may be eligible for Canada student loans and grants. Go to canada.ca for more information about Canada Student Financial Assistance Program eligibility.
All other private career colleges worldwide are exempt from this policy. Out-of-province private career colleges can request to be exempted from this rule.
For details, see Student Aid Policy - Out-of-Province Private Career College Exemption Criteria.
Programs Delivered Exclusively Online
Alberta Student Aid can only provide funding to cover tuition and books for full-time private career college programs delivered exclusively online (including those offered in Alberta). Students continue to be eligible to receive Canada student loans and grants. Go to canada.ca for more information about Canada Student Financial Assistance Program eligibility.
For definitions of an online course/program delivered via the internet or a correspondence course/program delivered by mail or electronic transmission, see Student Aid Policy – Additional Requirements Programs Delivered Online.
Details on the changes to eligibility listed above are available at Student Aid Policy, Chapter 7: Designation for Student Loans and Grants.
Private Career Colleges Designation Pause Ended on December 31, 2024
As of January 1, 2025, Private Career Colleges whose licensing requirements and 12-month waiting period requirements have been met can now apply for designation of their programs as outlined in Student Aid Policy - Designation Process.
Private Career Colleges that submitted designation requests during the designation pause must submit new designation requests.
Canada Student Financial Assistance Program Changes
There are a number of program changes to increase eligibility for funding for students and families during the upcoming academic year.
New Login for NSLSC.ca Account | Effective May 2025
Students will need a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) to access their NSLSC account. Please register for an MSCA account today to ensure a seamless transition.
Note: You cannot use the MSCA site to access NSLSC.ca until May 2025. Ensure you remember your login details for future use. Until then, you can continue accessing your NSLSC account using the current login process. Registering now will ensure a seamless transition to the system.
Learn more at NSLSC Access Updates.
Canada Student Grants Enhancements
The Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment - Students with Disabilities has been enhanced to allow students to be eligible for reimbursement of the costs of all eligible assessments or medical documentation used to verify either a Permanent Disability or Persistent or Prolonged Disability for the total paid, to a maximum of $3,500 per loan year. The Alberta Grant for Students with Disabilities continues to allow students to be eligible for up to a maximum of $3,000 per loan year.
For more information, see the Full-time Grants section.
Lifetime Loan Limits
After full-time Lifetime Loan Limits have been reached, part-time cannot be used.
Income Thresholds | New Grant Maximums and Cut-offs
The income thresholds as determined by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program are increased in the 2024-25 school year. These income thresholds are used to help determine the student’s eligibility for the:
- Canada Student Grant for Full-time Students
- Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependants
- Canada Student Grant for Part-time Studies
- Canada Student Grant for Part-time Students with Dependants
This is also used to determine the Federal Student Contribution and Federal Spouse/Partner Contribution.
| Family Size | Low Income Threshold/Income Threshold for Maximum Grant (in $) |
Income Threshold at Which Grant Eligibility is Cut-off (in $) |
| 1 | 36,811 | 68,324 |
| 2 | 52,059 | 95,664 |
| 3 | 63,760 | 114,436 |
| 4 | 73,624 | 126,441 |
| 5 | 82,313 | 137,460 |
| 6 | 90,170 | 147,862 |
| 7 or more | 97,395 | 156,919 |
There are no changes to the income threshold charts used to determine eligibility for Alberta grant funding, including:
- Alberta Student Grant for Full-time Students
- Alberta Part-Time Grant
For more information see, Income Thresholds for Canada and Alberta Eligibility.
Russian Schools
The Canadian Government recently introduced the Special Economic Measures Act. In alignment with this measure and the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, students are ineligible to receive Alberta and Canada financial assistance while studying at a Russian post-secondary institution.
Alberta Student Aid Services
There are number of service improvements to make it easier for students to manage their applications and submit documents with their applications.
-
Upload e-Documents
Revised submission categories and other internal enhancements to make processing documents faster and more efficient. Added clarity for students when submitting signed spouse/partner Consent and Declaration forms. -
Information Integrity
Updates to the online application for financial assistance to ensure quality assurance and encourage applicants to protect their personal information when applying for student aid. Mandatory fields added to ensure students submit the correct information on the application. -
Students with Disabilities
Streamlining of processing of Schedule 4 applications and the submission of entitlement of services and equipment supporting documentation. Disability Advisor/Reviewer (title of school officials who provide accessibility services) is replaced with Accessibility Advisor/Reviewer.
Additional Resources
View program changes in the 2023-24 academic year below.
Please continue to visit this section to ensure you are getting up-to-date information. Information is subject to change.
2023-24 Academic Year
Applying for Student Aid
Students must login to apply, and check their application online at studentaid.alberta.ca.
Student Aid recommends you apply at least two months prior to the start of school:
- Starting school on or after August 1, 2023 - apply on the 2023-24 application
- Starting school on or before July 31, 2023 - apply on the 2022-23 application
Student Aid Verified Accounts
All students need to create or upgrade to a verified Alberta.ca Account to access the Alberta Student Aid system. Getting a verified account can take up to 10 days. For more details, see: Student Aid Verified Accounts.
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship Application
The 2023-24 Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship online application will be available in early August.
New Air Access Bursary
The Air Access Bursary was established to encourage students to enter high demand aviation programs to help meet future labour demands and help strengthen Alberta's economy. Eligible students can receive up to $10,000 to help cover the costs of a full-time aviation/pilot training program in the current academic year at Mount Royal University.
Learn more at: Air Access Bursary
Alberta Scholarships and Awards
All scholarship and award applications will be available in early August.
Alberta Student Aid Changes
Unless otherwise indicated, the changes to Alberta Student Aid program, systems, and policies are for the upcoming loan year (August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024).
Living Allowance Increase
There is an increase to the living allowances used to calculate eligibility for the 2023-24 school year. This amount is used by Alberta Student Aid as part of the calculation of your total costs.
For more information, see Standard Living Costs
Alberta Student Grant for Full-time Students
The amount of the grant is based on family income reported on line 15000 on the previous year's tax return and family size. The maximum monthly grant amount is $425 per month; the annual grant maximum is $5,100 per year. Eligible students will receive an average award of $3,400 per year.
For more information, see Alberta Student Grants.
Affordability Supports for Students
A number of Alberta Government measures to help improve affordability for Alberta post-secondary students will take effect on July 1, 2023:
- Reducing interest rates on Alberta loans to the prime rate.
- Alberta student loan interest-free grace period will be extended from six months to 12 months. This change will benefit students who completed their studies on or after December 1, 2022.
- Income thresholds for the Repayment Assistance Plan increasing from $25,000 to $40,000
For more details, see Student Aid Affordability Supports
Students Studying at Private Career Colleges | Funding Allotments
Effective January 1, 2024:
a) Student aid funding will be capped at 10 per cent annual growth.
- Private career colleges will be allowed 10 per cent growth in the number of students accessing Alberta Student Aid. This is not a cap on enrolment, but a cap on the number of students accessing student aid. Growth for the cap will be measured over the previous student aid funding year (August 1 through July 31, annually).
- This cap is being implemented under Section 10 of the Alberta Institution Designation Agreement.
b) New applications for designation of schools for student aid program funding will be paused for one year.
- The mandatory designation waiting period for applications currently underway will be extended by 12 months. If a private career college is partially through its initial 12-month waiting period, the total designation waiting time could be up to 23 months.
- Designation of programs at private career colleges previously approved for student aid will continue.
More information is available at Student Aid Policy – Alberta Private Career Colleges.
Canada Student Financial Assistance Program Changes
There are a number of program changes to increase eligibility for funding for students and families will continue during the upcoming academic year.
Canada Student Grants Enhancements
The following Canada Student Grants will increase by 40 per cent over the 2019-2020 pre-pandemic amounts during the 2023-24 academic year:
- Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students
- Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students
- Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependants
- Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependants
- Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities
There are no changes to the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment - Students with Disabilities.
The Skills Boost Top-Up to the Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students is discontinued. The Government of Canada introduced this grant during the 2018-19 loan year, and it was extended from 2021 to 2023 as a further support for students during the pandemic.
For more information, see the Full-time Grants and Part-time Grants sections.
Canada Student Loans | Weekly Maximum Amount
The maximum Canada student loan that can be issued is 60% of the student’s Canada calculated need, up to a maximum of $300 per week. This is increased from the maximum amount of $210 per week in the 2022-23 loan year.
Income Thresholds | New Grant Maximums and Cut-offs
The income thresholds as determined by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program are increased in the 2023-24 school year. These income thresholds are used to help determine the student’s eligibility for the:
- Canada Student Grant for Full-time Students
- Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students with Dependants
- Canada Student Grant for Part-time Studies
- Canada Student Grant for Part-time Students with Dependants
This is also used to determine the Federal Student Contribution and Federal Spouse/Partner Contribution.
| Family Size | Low Income Threshold/Income Threshold for Maximum Grant (in $) |
Income Threshold at Which Grant Eligibility is Cut-off (in $) |
| 1 | 35,429 | 66,942 |
| 2 | 50,104 | 93,709 |
| 3 | 61,365 | 112,041 |
| 4 | 70,859 | 123,676 |
| 5 | 79,222 | 134,369 |
| 6 | 86,784 | 144,476 |
| 7 or more | 93,737 | 153,261 |
There are no changes to the income threshold charts used to determine eligibility for Alberta grant funding, including:
- Alberta Student Grant for Full-time Students
- Alberta Part-Time Grant
For more information see, Income Thresholds for Canada and Alberta Eligibility.
Waiving of Credit Screening
The requirement for students (aged 22 years or older) to undergo credit screening to qualify for Canada Student Grants and Canada Student Loans is waived for the first time in the 2023-2024 loan year. This change does not impact existing credit screening protocols for provincial loans and grants.
Alberta Student Aid Services
There are number of service improvements to make it easier for students to manage their applications and submit documents with their applications.
- Cancel Applications
Students can now select additional reasons for closing/cancelling an online application. - Consent and Declaration Changes
System enhancements to make it easier for students to access the current Consent and Declaration form. Forms will now be displayed in chronological order. - e-Document Upload
Further instructions on how to submit Schedule 4 form and disability receipts through e-document upload. - Part-time Application Process
A new resource called the Part-time Application Process helps guide students to apply on the part-time application for financial assistance.