2025-26 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, 2025 - apply on the 2025-26 application
- Starting school on or before July 31, 2025 - apply on the 2024-25 application
Please note, students are advised to check with the school before applying to confirm whether the progam they are taking is considered full- or part-time enrolment.
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 details, see: Student Aid Verified Accounts.
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship Application
The 2025-26 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.
Air Access Bursary | New Lifetime Maximum as of August 1, 2025
To help more Albertans pursue a career in aviation, Alberta’s Government will increase the lifetime maximum an individual can receive from one to two bursaries. This will allow students to receive one additional Air Access Bursary of $10,000 to complete high demand aviation programs within the province.
Jason Lang Scholarship
As of August 1, 2025, the required Grade Point Average to be eligible for the Jason Lang Scholarship will increase to a 3.5 on a 4.0 point scale, focusing the scholarship on students demonstrating academic excellence.
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, 2025 to July 31, 2026).
Living Allowance Increase
There is an increase to the living allowances used to calculate eligibility for the 2025-26 academic year. This amount is used by Alberta Student Aid as part of the calculation of your total costs.
Note: Students residing in Alberta who are enrolled in eligible full-time programs delivered exclusively online will now be assessed using Alberta living allowance costs. Previously, students were assessed based on the location of the institution to determine their provincial living allowance.
For more information, see Standard Living Costs
Alberta Student Grant for Full-time Students
There are no changes to this grant in the 2025-26 loan year. The amount of the grant is based on family income (Line 15000 of 2024 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.
Changes to When Receipts are Required for Child Care Cost Claims
Child care expenses are generally only allowed to be claimed for children under the age of 12. Students with dependent childcare expenses must provide receipts to claim expenses greater than $326 per month, $15 per day, per child. If you have higher actual costs, you can request additional funding up to $1,200 per month with the submission of receipts. This amount is used by Alberta Student Aid as part of the calculation of your total costs.
The province has aligned with the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The Alberta Government also recently introduced a new flat-fee child care subsidy model making early learning more affordable for families.
For more information, see Monthly Child Care Costs.
Alberta Part-time Grant
The Alberta Part-time Grant will no longer be available in the 2025-26 academic year. Alberta’s Government will continue to support students financially as they progress through their programs. Students will continue to be assessed for eligibility for all other Alberta and Canada student grants and the maximum loan amount available for each year they are in school, if applicable.
Income Verification
Clarification of information required on the online application when a student or their family member (spouse/partner or parents) has not filed an income tax return. Students will now provide an estimate of total unreported income when they submit their application. This change reduces staff reviews to determine eligibility for student aid to improve processing times.
Schedule 4 and Disability Verification Forms | User Enhancements
A signature by an Accessibility Advisor is no longer required on the Schedule 4 form. Contact information from the school official is sufficient. Screen Reader Accessibility is also implemented on both the Schedule 4 and Disability Verification forms making them more accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
School/Program Eligibility | Revised Form Names
Request Designation Review is the new name of the Designation Review form. The renamed form collects the same information; the new name is more intuitive for students who need to submit this form. The same name change protocols impacted the Required-Info-Correspondence-E-learning-Distance-Study form. The new name is Request Designation for Correspondence/E-learning/Distance Study Program.
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 Secure Login for NSLSC.ca Account | Effective May 25, 2025
Students now need a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) to access their NSLSC account. Please register for an MSCA account today to ensure a seamless transition.
Learn more at NSLSC Access Updates.
Income Thresholds | New Grant Maximums and Cut-offs
The income thresholds as determined by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program are increased in the 2025-26 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 | 37,701 | 69,214 |
| 2 | 53,318 | 96,923 |
| 3 | 65,302 | 115,978 |
| 4 | 75,405 | 128,222 |
| 5 | 84,304 | 139,451 |
| 6 | 92,351 | 150,043 |
| 7 or more | 99,751 | 159,275 |
For more information see, Types of Funding.
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
Students are required to submit documents securely to Alberta Student Aid in their personal accounts. Newly revised submission categories and other internal enhancements will make processing documents faster and more efficient. Added clarity for students when uploading and completing fillable forms. -
Reducing Duplication
Students applying online can no longer submit applications with identical information found on an already submitted, pending application. This means more efficient processing of applications for student aid applicants.
Additional Resources
View program changes in the 2024-25 academic year below.
Please continue to visit this section to ensure you are getting up-to-date information. Information is subject to change.
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
Please continue to visit this section to ensure you are getting up-to-date information. Information is subject to change.