2023-2024 Operational Policy & Procedures
Introduction

Full-Time Status

Reg.: Schedule 2, ss. 1(1)(h), 1(5) and 1(6)

To be considered full-time by Alberta Student Aid, a student must be registered in at least 60% of a full course load in a designated post-secondary program.

For full-time enrolment:

  • Educational institutions determine what constitutes a full course load in each of their programs.

  • No averaging of course loads between semesters is permitted (e.g., a student cannot take 80% one semester and 40% in the following semester).

  • Courses counting towards the 60% must be post-secondary courses and must be taken for credit.

  • Students attending a private career college (licensed under the Private Vocational Training Act) are considered full-time when their licensed program is 12 weeks or longer and has 20 or more instruction/practicum hours per week.

  • For students with a documented disability (i.e., a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability), that are registered in 40 to 59% of a full course load, see Disability Chapter: Reduced Course Load. For the student to be considered full-time, the reduced course load must be indicated on the Schedule 4 form to accompany their Application for Financial Assistance for Full-Time Post-Secondary Studies.

For part-time student eligibility, please see Part-Time Student Aid Chapter.

Concurrent Enrolment

A student is considered concurrently enrolled when the student:

  • attends more than one designated educational institution at the same time, and
  • is not considered a full-time student at any one of the institutions, and
  • is considered a full-time student when the courses at each institution are added together, as determined by Alberta Student Aid.

Concurrently enrolled students must apply for full-time funding by submitting a paper application along with the following documents:

  • a completed Part 1 (Concurrent Enrolment) of the Schedule 3 Form
  • documentation from each educational institution stating:
    • course name(s)
    • course weight(s)
    • study period dates
    • tuition, mandatory fees, books and supplies costs.

The student must choose one of the institutions to be their ‘primary institution’. Students should contact their educational institutions to determine which institution should be the primary institution.

Once Alberta Student Aid verifies the student is full-time, a concurrent enrolment letter that verifies full-time status and identifies the primary institution is sent to the student and to each of the educational institutions.

The primary institution is responsible for confirming the student’s registration by signing a Manual Confirmation of Registration (COR) worksheet. The Manual COR worksheet will be provided to the student no earlier than 37 calendar days before the study period begins.

Combination of Post-Secondary and Academic Upgrading Courses

Students enrolled in a combination of post-secondary level courses and courses that are not part of a designated program can only be funded by Alberta Student Aid for the post-secondary level courses.

Examples:

  • A student taking 2 post-secondary level courses and 1 high school upgrading course while attending a designated institution that considers 5 courses to be 100% of a full course load will be considered taking less than 60% of a full post-secondary course load, and therefore may apply for part-time student aid for the 2 post-secondary level courses. Tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies, and instrument costs for the high school upgrading course will not be funded.

  • A student taking 3 post-secondary level courses and 1 high school upgrading course while attending a designated institution that considers 5 courses to be 100% of a full course load will be considered taking 60% of a full post-secondary course load, and therefore may apply for full-time student aid. Tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies, and instrument costs for the high school upgrading course will not be funded.

Students with questions about funding options available for upgrading may contact: