Alexander Rutherford Scholarship

Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship

This scholarship was named in honour of Alexander Rutherford, who had the distinction of being Alberta’s first Premier and Minister of Education. He was known for his strong support of public education, particularly the University of Alberta and his active involvement in community affairs.

Purpose

To recognize and reward academic achievement of senior high school students and encourage them to pursue post-secondary studies.

Value

Up to $2,500

Eligibility

Apply once your official high school transcript marks are available and when you are currently enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies. Requirements for high school transcript marks will vary.
       
To receive this scholarship, you must also meet all of these eligibility criteria:

• be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident of Canada or Protected Person under
  Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, (Visa students are not eligible).
  
  
• be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident the following conditions must apply:
  • one parent or legal guardian must have maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the applicant commencing a program of study;
    
    
  • applicant has maintained permanent residence in Alberta at least 12-months prior to commencing a program of study;
    
    
  • applicant is not eligible to receive a scholarship with respect to any grade unless the applicant or the applicant's parent(s)/legal guardian were a resident in Alberta throughout the whole of that grade. 

• have completed high school on or after September 30, 1980.
  
  
• be enrolled in a full course load in a designated undergraduate post-secondary or an apprenticeship program of at least one semester in length.

Note: Graduate level studies and Professional programs (e.g. medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, etc.) are not eligible for this scholarship.

You may only be awarded the Alexander Rutherford scholarship once.

Selection

A student must have a minimum combined average based on five designated courses in at least one grade. Grade 10, 11 or 12 as calculated from:

• Alberta Residents
  Courses/marks on an official Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement
  
  
• Completed High School Outside Alberta
  Courses/marks that appear on an official high school transcript attained in another province

Students will automatically be considered for the following awards when they apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship. There is no separate application required for these awards.

• Rutherford Scholars Award
• Dr. Ernest and Minnie Mehl Scholarship
• Mildred Rowe Weston Memorial Scholarship

Deadlines 

Apply online when your official high school marks are available, and when you are enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies. 

Disbursement

Once your enrollment or attendance in your undergraduate or apprenticeship program has been confirmed by your post-secondary institution, Alberta Student Aid will mail a cheque to you within one month.

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FAQ - Rutherford Scholarship

Application Process

1.  Can I apply using a temporary Social Insurance Number (999 xxx xxx)?

No. You must have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) before applying for the Rutherford Scholarship.

For Government of Canada information on applying for a SIN, visit:

• Social Insurance Number - Apply

2.  I am an Alberta resident and I will attend a post-secondary school outside of Alberta or Canada. Can I still apply?

Yes, you can attend a post-secondary school anywhere in the world as long as it is an eligible post-secondary school as defined under the:

• Alberta Heritage Scholarship Regulation

Course Eligibility

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Course Requirements

Use the charts below to understand course requirements and take note of the changes to the award amounts you may be eligible for depending on the year you completed high school.

COVID-19 Pandemic Support - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools may have assigned a credit for some elective courses, meaning students will be missing numerical grades on their official transcript. Typically, students without numeric grades are not eligible for the Alexander Rutherford scholarship. However, Alberta Student Aid assigned a 90% grade to Unassigned Credit (UCT) courses completed in the 2019-2020 school year to help students meet the scholarships eligibility criteria.

High School - Graduated after April 1, 2008

High School - Graduated before April 1, 2008

Notes:

• French and Français are not the same course and not interchangeable.
• A course cannot be repeated after a higher level course has been taken in the same series.
• Average marks are not rounded up when calculating eligibility for scholarships.
• The value of the scholarship is calculated on the overall average in five designated courses as listed under each grade level.
• Courses listed in the "Coursework in Alberta Accredited Schools" section and the "Private Music Study" section of an official Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement are acceptable (excludes Driver’s Education)
  • Only marks obtained before the start of post-secondary study can be used.
  • Courses with a 'Pass' on a high school transcript are equivalent to a 50% mark.
  • CALM course can be taken in any grade, but the final mark will be calculated in Grade 11.

Career and Technology Studies (CTS) Courses

Grade 10 & Grade 11 | Groups of up to two:

• Three one-credit CTS modules can be combined and used as an elective course at the Grade 10 and Grade 11 level, or 
• One-credit CTS modules and one and two-credit option courses can be combined to total three credits.

Grade 12 as of April 2006 | Groups of up to two:

• Five one-credit CTS modules can be combined and used as an elective course, or
• One-credit CTS modules and one to four-credit option courses can be combined to total five credits.

To be combined:

• All courses must be from the same level e.g. Introductory, Intermediate or Advanced, and
• Courses can be from different subject areas, e.g. computer courses with welding courses, and
• Marks will be calculated and the total average combined will be used for Grades 10, 11 and 12.

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How to Apply

Submitting Your Application for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship

Apply Online

All students must have a verified account to access the Alberta Student Aid system. For help creating your account, go to How to Apply and check out the step by step instructions and videos.

Always have access to your account information!

Student Aid recommends you use your personal email address, rather than your school email address, to create and verify your Alberta Student Aid account.

Providing Parent/Guardian Access to Your Secure Account

Your parent(s)/guardian may want to assist with aspects of your student aid/scholastic awards. To grant access to application information in your secure account, complete a Consent to Disclose form or assign a Power of Attorney. The forms are available in the Applications and Forms section.

Apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship

The online application for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship will be closed for annual maintenance on Friday, April 26. Students who have a 'Work in Progress' application, and do not submit it by April 26 will need to reapply when the new online application is available in early August.

Apply once your official high school transcript marks are available and when you are enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies. Requirements for high school transcript marks will vary.

Step 1: Student Aid recommends you apply when:

• You will attend full-time post-secondary studies between August 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024.
  Note: You must be currently enrolled in full-time undergraduate studies to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
• Your official high school transcripts are available.
• You have completed any high school upgrading credit courses you are taking - because you can only apply once, and you will want to submit your highest marks.
  Note: Your high school upgrading credit courses must appear on an official Alberta High School Transcript of Achievement.

AND

• You have completed high school on or after September 30, 1980.

Helpful Tip! High school transcript mark requirements will vary. See details below.

Step 2: Login to your Alberta Student Aid account and choose the Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship in the Apply section.

Information you need to complete your application

Personal Information

• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  Your SIN will be validated with the Government of Canada before your application is reviewed
  
  
• Alberta Student Number (ASN)
  • Your ASN can be found on your Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement
  • If you do not have an ASN, you can request one:
    • Request/Lookup ASN

School Information

• Post-secondary school you are going to attend
• Start date
• High school you attended

Receiving Your Rutherford Scholarship

You will be notified in writing of the results of your assessment once Student Aid confirms your grades/marks on your final official high school transcript. If you are eligible, Student Aid will send a request to your post-secondary school, asking them to confirm your current enrolment:

• Apply before start of post-secondary studies
  A Confirmation of Enrolment request is sent to your school by the end of your first month of study.
  
  
• Apply during/after post-secondary studies
  A Confirmation of Enrolment request is sent to your school one month after your application is approved.

Once your school receives the request for Confirmation of Enrolment, they have 30 days to respond.

If the confirmation is not received within 30 days, Student Aid will send you a Confirmation of Enrolment form. You will take the form directly to your school for them to complete. The form sent to you must be completed and submitted to Student Aid within 30 days from the date you receive it.

Student Aid will mail a cheque to you approximately 1 month after your school confirms your enrolment.

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High School Transcript Marks

In Alberta

• Only marks recorded on an official Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement are accepted. 
• You are not required to submit a transcript. Student Aid will receive your official marks from Alberta Education.

Border Communities

Students attending the following high schools do not have access to Alberta Diploma marks. These students should refer to out-of-province below.

• Holy Rosary High School
• Lloydminster Comprehensive High School

Upgrading Courses

• Upgrading high school credit courses appearing on an official Alberta High School Transcript of Achievement are accepted. General Education Development (GED) exam marks are not eligible.
  
  
• Consider completing your upgrading high school credit courses before applying - because you can only apply once - and you will want to submit your highest marks.

Out-of-Province

Eligible students who complete high school outside of Alberta must submit a Scholarship Residency History form and a copy of an official transcript of their high school marks for that province.

This form is available in Applications and Forms.

For more information on how to request high school transcripts from another province, visit:

• High School Transcripts

You can log in to your account and upload your official transcript.

• Login

Alberta Student Aid will review the courses/marks to determine whether Alberta Education curriculum equivalencies and the Rutherford scholarship requirements are met.

Submit a Mark Change

In the event of a mark change, log in to your account and upload a letter indicating the appeal with your grade, mark change.

• Login

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Other Resources

Many other scholarships and awards are offered by other organizations – and we encourage you to visit Alberta’s public university and college websites to research the scholarships that they offer.

For more information, see Alberta post-secondary institutions.

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