The Bursary for Internationally Educated Nurses is a return service bursary of a maximum of $30,000 in supports, includes a portion of fixed and variable costs (such as assessments and exams, tuition, program fees, licensing and living costs) to complete a bridging program at one of the following post-secondary institutions:

  • Bow Valley College
  • MacEwan University
  • Mount Royal University
  • NorQuest College

The bursary is intended to encourage international students to train to complete a term of nursing employment in a rural area in Alberta.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • live in Alberta,
  • have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number,
  • be enrolled in a full-time, bridging program as of January 1, 2023 at one of the above post-secondary institutions, and
  • sign a Return of Service Agreement to work in rural Alberta within 6-months of completing an eligible bridging program, and obtaining a professional certification to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse in the Province of Alberta.

This one-time bursary consists of:

  • $3,500 non-repayable incentive to cover assessment, examination, criminal record checks, licensing and program fees, etc.
  • Tuition support between $2,625 per term to a maximum of $12,000 in tuition funding.
  • Living expenses of $3,625 per term to a maximum of $14,500.

Note: This bursary does not cover travel and immigration costs.

Return Service Commitment

The bursary is non-repayable if you agree to live and work as a nurse for a period of time after graduation in a rural area in Alberta.

  1. Your return service is one year of full-time nursing employment for every $6,000 in support received.
  2. The maximum term for return service is five years.
  3. Selected recipients will sign a return service contract with Advanced Education and the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) who will track their progress and fulfillment of their return of service obligations. Recipients who fail to fulfill their return service commitments will be required to return their bursary funding.

Bursary Application

Students must contact the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP), or one of the above listed schools for how to apply and deadline dates.

Selection Process

An individual may receive a lifetime maximum of one bursary. Recipients may hold other scholarships and accept remunerative assignments depending on the policy of the institution they attend.

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