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Chapter 2:
Full-Time Student Loans and Grants- Applying for Student Loans and Grants
- Alberta.ca Account
- Application Deadline
- Application Details
- After Applying
- Confirmation of Registration (COR)
- Service Providers
- Student Aid Agreements/Master Student Financial Assistance Agreements (MSFAAs)
- Disbursements
- Application Changes
- Request for Reconsideration (RFR)
- Switching Educational Institutions
- Changes to End Dates
- Amended Registration
- Withdrawal Policy for Students Attending Alberta Private Career Colleges (licensed under the Private Vocational Training Act)
- After Registration is Amended (All Institutions)
- Overpayments
- Request for Emergency Processing
- Tax Forms
- Releasing Personal Information and Authorizing Others to Act on Your Behalf
- Submitting Forms
Applying for Student Loans and Grants
Reg.: Schedule 2, ss. 1(1)(k) and 11(1.1)
This chapter addresses how to complete a full-time application (Application for Financial Assistance for Full-Time Post-Secondary Studies), how to make changes after the application is submitted, and how to request additional funding.
Alberta Student Aid’s loan year is based on the study period start date and runs from August 1 to July 31. If a student’s study period begins:
- prior to August 1, 2023, they must complete the 2022-2023 full-time application
- on or after August 1, 2023, they must complete the 2023-2024 full-time application
- on or after August 1, 2024, they must wait for the release of the 2024-2025 full-time application available June 2024.
The maximum length of time a student can apply for student aid on a single application is 12 months. If a study period exceeds 12 months, the student must submit two separate Alberta Student Aid applications (one for each applicable loan year).
Any time a student has a break in studies of 30 calendar days or more, a new application is required.
Students must apply for funding online at studentaid.alberta.ca.
After applying online and verifying their identity, students can login to their account to view correspondence from Alberta Student Aid, upload any required documentation, update their contact information, report changes to their application, submit a request for review of a funding decision through the Review Process, and submit applications for subsequent study periods.
Examples of forms that should be uploaded after applying online are:
- Aviation Training Form
- Disability Verification Form
- Schedule 4 for students with a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability
These forms are available in the Applications and Forms section of the Student Aid website.
There are some situations when students must apply on a paper application, including (but not limited to):
- student is concurrently enrolled
- dependent students who apply for special independent status
Paper applications are available for students who are unable to apply online.
Students can visit How to Apply on studentaid.alberta.ca for step-by-step instructions on:
- how to apply, and
- more information on how returning students can verify their identity to gain access to their account.