Before You Apply
Before you apply for student funding, find out about eligibility requirements and funding allowances:
Eligibility Requirements
Am I Eligible for Alberta Student Funding?To be eligible for Alberta student funding, you must:
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be a resident of Alberta |
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You are considered a resident of Alberta if:
- Alberta is the last province you have lived in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time post-secondary or upgrading student, or
- you are a dependent student and your parents reside in Alberta
Other situations may affect residency requirements. Contact the Student Funding Contact Centre if you have questions.
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prove financial need |
When you apply for funding your financial need is calculated based on the information you provide.
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be enrolled as a full-time student |
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You are considered a full-time student if:
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NOTE: The definition for full-time studies may vary with each post-secondary institution. Contact your post-secondary institution to determine what is considered a full course load.
If you drop to part-time status you are considered withdrawn, and your loan will be adjusted.
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maintain passing grades
You must maintain passing grades in at least 60% of a full course load to meet the minimum academic requirements.
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pass a credit check |
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You will undergo a credit check before receiving student funding if:
- you are a first-time applicant, and
- you are 22 years old or older
If you have a bad credit history within the three years prior to applying for student funding, you may not be eligible to receive student funding.
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Am I Eligible for Student Funding if Studying Outside Alberta?
Eligibility of Alberta undergraduates studying within Canada
Alberta undergraduates have full access to Alberta student funding programs and benefits when studying outside Alberta but within Canada.
Am I Eligible for Student Funding if Studying Outside Canada?
Eligibility for Alberta students studying outside of Canada
If you are a student studying outside of Canada, you may receive Alberta Student Loan funding if you are:
- enrolling in a medicine, dentistry, law, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic study or pharmacy program
- enrolling in a graduate level program
- pursuing an undergraduate program of studies when:
- your program of study is not offered in Canada - requires a copy of the program and/or courses as shown in the institution calendar
- you have received advanced post-secondary credits that enable you to graduate one full semester earlier - requires confirmation of your credit standing and expected graduation date from both an Alberta institution and from the institution you will attend
- you receive a major scholarship that reduces the overall cost of your program - requires confirmation of the amount of your scholarship and the number of years the scholarship may be received
- your spouse/partner is studying outside of Canada and qualifies for provincial assistance under one of these criteria or is enrolled out-of-country in graduate studies, medicine, law, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic study or pharmacy
Important: You will be considered for Canada Student Loan funding only unless you provide the required documentation.
Am I Eligible for a Canada Student Loan?
To be eligible for a Canada Student Loan, you must demonstrate financial need and be a:
- Canadian citizen, or
- permanent resident (landed immigrant), or
- protected person (including convention refugee), as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Defaulting on Loan Payments
When you default on your student loan it means you have not made loan repayments according to your formal financial agreement.
If you have defaulted on previous Alberta Student Loans, you will not be eligible for any further Alberta Student Loans unless you:
- make the required outstanding loan repayments
- bring your interest payments up-to-date
If you have defaulted on previous Canada Student Loans, you will not be eligible for any further Canada Student Loans unless you:
- provide Students Finance with a letter from the Canada Student Loan Program and/or your lending institution authorizing clearance for further funding
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal declaration that you are unable to pay your debts. Bankruptcy affects your eligibility for student loans.
Important Information About Bankruptcy
Under federal bankruptcy legislation, the waiting period before a student loan debt can be discharged from bankruptcy is seven (7) years from the last time you attended post-secondary school (and, in the case of exceptional financial hardship, five (5) years). This means that payments must continue to be made on your government student loans because they are excluded from your estate. After five (5) years have passed from your study end date, you are then eligible to apply to the courts for discharge. These timelines apply only to students who have their loans discharged from bankruptcy on or after July 7, 2008.
There are important differences in bankruptcy policy between the Alberta and Canada Student Loan programs.
Alberta Student Loan Program
If you have filed or intend to file for bankruptcy while you are a student, any provincial financial assistance that you may otherwise be eligible for will be cancelled. You must then either pay off your student loans in full or receive a court-ordered discharge from student loans and wait three (3) years before you are eligible to apply for provincial financial assistance. Canada Student Loan Program
- If you have already received Canada Student Loans and have filed or intend to file for bankruptcy and you are continuing your studies, you may:
- receive further Canada Student Loans for a maximum of three (3) years, to complete your current program of study, and
- retain interest-free status for your Canada Student Loans while in study
- If you have already received Canada Student Loans and have filed or intend to file for bankruptcy and you have been out of school for more than six months, then:
- you must either pay off your Canada Student Loans in full or receive a court-ordered discharge from student loans and wait three (3) years before you are eligible to apply for further federal financial assistance
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