Various sources of student funding and scholarships are available. Whether you are a mature student returning to school for academic upgrading or an elementary school student, there are sources for funding. Click on the images below for information on financial aid.

For more information on funding, contact Students Finance:

Students Finance
PO Box 28000 STN MAIN
Edmonton AB T5J 4R4
Phone: 1-800-222-6485 (toll-free in Canada)
Fax: 780-422-4516
www.alis.gov.ab.ca/studentsfinance

ADLC Awards

Alberta Distance Learning Centre students may be eligible for various awards. Students should contact ADLC's Counsellors for more information.

Additional information and application forms for scholarships for senior high school students are available at the Alberta Education Information Service website: www.alis.gov.ab.ca/scholarships/info.asp

Gonam and Kannah Raju Family DistanceLearning Award

• Eligible students must be full-time ADLC students who have demonstrated diligence and consistency in their distance learning studies and have shown good citizenship, particularly in caring for others.
• This annual award is presented to a full-time student (one who has taken all or most courses through ADLC) in the following categories:
  • Elementary (Grades 1 – 6)
  • Junior High (Grades 7 - 9)
  • Senior High (Grades 10 - 12)
• ADLC shall determine the number of recipients of awards in each category and the amount of each award. The amount is shared among recipients as determined by ADLC.
• ADLC principals accept students’ letters of application for this award throughout the school year but before August 31.

Pembina Hills Citizenship Award

• An award of $1000 is presented annually to a graduate from each senior high school in Pembina Hills Regional School Division #7, including Alberta Distance Learning Centre, who is proceeding to a post-secondary institution or apprenticeship program.
• The principal of the school nominates an individual based on qualifications including local community involvement, volunteerism, positive attitude, and an overall academic standard of at least 70% in the four core subjects (English, Math, Sciences, and Social Studies).
• Students should submit an application letter to ADLC’s senior high school principal in July of his or her graduation year.

Alberta Teachers’ Association Pembina HillsLocal #22 Education Scholarships

• An annual Education Scholarship of $1000 is presented to a graduate of each PHRD senior high school in ATA Local #22, including Alberta Distance Learning Centre, who pursues a career in Education.
• The principal of ADLC chooses an individual based on qualifications including success in distance learning and overall academic standard of at least 70% in the four core subjects (English, Math, Sciences, and Social Studies).
• Students should submit an application letter to ADLC’s senior high school principal in July of his or her graduation year.

Financial Assistance for School-Aged Students

Alberta Education's Funding Manual states a student must be at least 5 years and 6 months old and less than 20 years of age on September 1 of the school year. A student who is 19 years of age on September 1 of theschool year is eligible for funding.

Students who are not either Canadian citizens or landed immigrants are generally not eligible for funding through the Alberta Government. Exchange students are encouraged to contact us before registering in courses.

School-aged students in Alberta may be eligible for funding from several different sources:

• A school district places the student on an authorized home education program. For more information, parents may contact their local school or school district office.
• Students attending an accredited high school in Alberta may be eligible for some funding for distance education courses. Students may check with the principal or guidance counsellor of their school for details.
• First Nation or Métis Nation students who have official treaty status and live on a reserve may be eligible for funding through the First or Métis Nation educational offices.

Financial Assistance for Mature Students

Mature students (20 years of age or older on September 1 of the school year) in Alberta may be eligible for several sources of funding:

• Employers: Some employers reimburse employees when a course is successfully completed.
• First Nation or Métis Nation funding: Students having official First Nation or Métis Nation status might be eligible for funding through the First Nation or Métis Nation Education Office.
• Workers Compensation Board:Clients of the Workers' Compensation Board might be eligible for some funding when retraining could assist that person in finding suitable employment.
• Canada Pension Plan: Young adults who have a parent collecting Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits or who died might qualify for funding. Information is available at the Canada Pension Plan website.
• Part-time Bursary: Adults upgrading by distance education may be eligible for a Part-time Bursary administered by the Alberta Students Finance Board and Human Resources and Employment. Eligible students can receive up to $5000 per year.

Because adult students often have a pressing combination of job and families duties, we recommend registering in only one or two courses at a time.  Students may find the funding agency restricts the registration time to a 5-month period.  Completing two 5-credit courses in 5 months would require students to spend about 20 hours a week on their studies.  Students completing one 5-credit course in 5 months would need to devote about 10 hours a week to their studies.

Financial Assistance Post-Secondary Studies

Students should start their financial planning for college or university when they are in Grade 9 or Grade 10. Some money earned in part-time or summer jobs can be saved to help cover the cost of college or university.

Some scholarships are given to students who have both high grades and arecord of community or humanitarian service. Students are encouraged to create a file to contain information that is part of a persona lportfolio. This portfolio can include records of all of the paid jobs as well as volunteer work such as humanitarian and community service.Volunteer work completed with religious organizations, churches,mosques and synagogues can also be included. The records may include the kind of work completed and the hours spent performing the work.Letters from people who supervised the service work should be included in the portfolio. When applying for scholarships, the letters of reference and the descriptions of the work completed can be submitted with the application.

Note: Sources of funding can frequently change. All information on this page must be confirmed with the institution or agency providing the funding.

Students applying for scholarships administered through the Alberta Government may be required to provide a Social Insurance Number.  The Government of Alberta may decline to process faxed applications.   Officials of the Alberta Government may insist on receiving the original application form. 

General Scholarship/Funding Information

Some possible sources of funding for college and university studies include the following:

• Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. Eligible students may receive a scholarship of $1000. Students must be from municipal districts, counties, or special areas. Town, village, and city students are not eligible. Candidates are selected on the basis of citizenship and community involvement, academic performance, and a letter of application. Additional and up-to-date information is available on the website.
• Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. Eligible students may receive a scholarship of $1000. Students must be from municipal districts, counties, or special areas. Town, village, and city students are not eligible. Candidates are selected on the basis of citizenship and community involvement, academic performance, and a letter of application. Additional and up-to-date information can be found on the website.
• Alberta Opportunities Bursary. Amounts range between $500 and $1500. Students must be eligible for an Alberta Student Loan and be in first or second year of post-secondary studies.
• Alberta Press Council Scholarship. The $1000 scholarship is given to students based on ability to write an essay. Applicants must be Grade 12 students who have lived in Alberta for a year or more and who are planning on attending a post-secondary program. More information is available on the Government of Alberta website—Alberta Education Information Service (ALIS).
• Alexander Rutherford Scholarship. The Rutherford Scholarship offers scholarships to Alberta students based on academic performance in each of Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12. The scholarships provide up to $2500 for students graduating after April 1, 1999, or up to $1500 for students who graduated on or before April 1, 1999.
• Awards section of the Alberta Education website. This site describes some of the scholarships available for students taking post-secondary studies (college, technical college, or university).
• Bill Kehler Memorial Awards. Four awards of up to $2500 each were awarded in the fall of 2005 for students who are interested in broadcasting or agriculture or have a background in professional rodeo.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Alberta. Awards of $500 are designated for current or former members of a Boys and Girls Club in Alberta enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in a post-secondary program.
• Burger King Scholars. Burger King has awarded up to 1600 scholarships of $1000 to students who have part-time, year-round employment. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of need and community service. More information can be found on the Burger King website.
• Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships to outstanding high school students with demonstrated leadership and entrepreneurial and service skills who are planning to enter universities. Awards of different amounts are available, with the top award of $75,000 over the four-year degree program.
• Canadian Millennium Bursary. Assistance ranges from $2250 to $3000. Students must be in at least the second year of study at a post-secondary institution.
• Charmaine Letourneau Fund. The bursary is mainly for hearing impaired or deaf students attending or registered in an accredited college or university. The award is given on the basis of financial need and involvement and leadership in deaf organizations, the school, and the community as well as commitment to the field of study the student is planning to attend. Information is available at the Edmonton Community Foundation Scholarships website.
• Financial Assistance and Scholarships. The Government of Alberta site has an online video and a funding eligibility calculator.  Information on student loans, grants, scholarships, budgeting, and saving for schooling is provided.
• Garfield Weston Merit Scholarships. Scholarships are available for students planning to attend participating community colleges in programs lasting two or more years. Applicants must demonstrate intent to be full-time students, leadership potential, school or community service, and academic excellence. A complete description of the requirements and application forms are on the Garfield Weston Merit Scholarships website. The national scholarships are up to $8000 per year, regional scholarships are up to $4000 per year, and provincial scholarships of up to $2500 per year.
• Global Television Scholarship for a Canadian Visible Minority Student. A scholarship of $4500 is awarded for studies in a radio and television arts or journalism program at a recognized Canadian university or college.
• Grant MacEwan Literacy Awards. A $2500 Young Writer's Scholarship is for students 16 to 25 years of age. The Young Writer's Scholarship is for an essay or a short story. Information and application forms for the Scholarship can be found by clicking here.
• Grant MacEwan Author's Award is a $25 000 Author's Award. The award is presented each year to an Alberta author who wrote a book that reflects and represents the interests of both Alberta and Grant MacEwan College. Information and application forms for the scholarship can be obtained by clicking here.
• James Rintoul Occupational Health and Safety Memorial Scholarship.  The scholarship encourages students to complete the Occupational Health and Safety Certificate offered by the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta.  The Job Safety Skills Society provides a scholarship of up to $5,500.
• John M. Kerr Memorial Scholarship Award. Yearly scholarships are awarded to gay or lesbian students enrolled in accredited post-secondary programs in Alberta. The number of scholarships awarded and the amount of the scholarships vary yearly. Generally, the amount of the scholarships is between $500 and $750.
• Loran Award.  Loran Awards provide four years of funding for eligible undergraduate students.  Applicants for Loran Awards are selected on the basis of marks in school subjects, character, service, leadership, breadth in academic and extra-curricular interests, entrepreneurship, and autonomy.  The award provide up to $75,000 for four years of university study. 
• Mark S. Bonham Scholarship for Queer Studies in Film and Video. A $5,000 scholarship is available for gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans-identified students, who are pursuing full-time, post-secondary film studies programs related to GLBT culture, or that help educate society about GLBT people and issues.
• Miller Thompson Foundation . The foundation encourages people who have high academic ability and who have contributed to their school and to society. The foundation generally awards $1000 scholarships to about 200 people in Canada. The deadline is in March. Information about the scholarships and application forms are on the Miller Thompson website.
• Northern Alberta Development Bursary. Bursaries of $3000 for one year of study are available to students living in northern Alberta and who are willing to work in northern Alberta when they graduate. Students must be within two years of graduation to be eligible for the bursary. Medical students and pharmacy students who are willing to work in northern Alberta after they graduate can obtain up to $5000 (medical students) or $6000 (pharmacy students) per year in bursaries. Additional information is available on the Northern Alberta Development Council web site.
• Persons Case Scholarship. A scholarship of up to $5000 is available to Alberta students who are contributing to the advancement of women through their post-secondary studies. More information about the scholarships can be found on the Alberta Education Information Service website.
• RBC Royal Bank Financial. Scholarship of up to $2000 for studentswith a specified grade average and acceptance into a Canadian college or university. Information is on the RBC Royal Bank Financial website.
• Rhodes Scholarships in Canada.  Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who are wanting to complete graduate studies (master's degrees, or doctorate degrees) at the University of Oxford.  Rhodes Scholarships assist with the cost of living and tuition at Oxford.
• Schulich Leader Scholarship. Four-year Schulich Leader Scholarships, valued at $60,000 are available to math, science, technology and engineering students studying at select Canadian universities.
• Rose Margaret King Merit Awards. The awards range from about $500 to $3500. The awards are for people took at least part of their Grades 1 to 12 schooling in Edmonton. Additional information is available on the Dollars for Learners website.
• Scholarships and Financial Aid . Free scholarship search service for scholarships is available in Canada and the United States.
• ScholarshipsCanada.com. This site has information on scholarships available in Canada. Scholarships Canada searches a database of over 23,000 scholarships. In the key word search function, scholarships can be searched by keywords in the title, by college or university name, or by name of field of study.
• Students Finance Board. The website has online application forms for full-time funding. There are part-time bursaries from the Alberta Students Finance Board. Generally, the part-time bursaries are available for up to $1200 per semester or $3600 for a full year. For more information, contact your local Canada/Alberta Service Centre, Human Resources and Employment Office, or the Student Finance Office of the college or university you wish to attend.
• TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership. Scholarships are available for up to $70 000 for students who have demonstrated community leadership in areas such as employment programs, the environment, support groups, and family services. The TD Scholarship Application Forms site provides more information.
• Terry Fox Humanitarian Award program. The award is for a maximum of $7000 per year for a maximum of four years for a first degree. Applicants must have demonstrated humanitarian service and good citizenship. The award is available for students in Grade 12 or students registered in full-time Canadian post-secondary institutions. The application deadline is February 1 of each year.
• Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program. The awards for 2005 were $5000 each. Applicants are expected to show academic excellence, environmental commitment, community service, and leadership.
• Young and Free Alberta Scholarship . A scholarship of $1,000 is provided to students who were positively influenced by a mentor to improve the world.
• Youth Formerly in Care Bursary. The award for 2004 was $1000. This bursary is for Canadian citizens living in Edmonton or northern Alberta who spent at least two years under the care or guardianship of Children's Services in Alberta. Information about the bursary is available on the Dollars for Learners website.

• Aboriginal Business Leadership Awards. Awards of $1500 for aboriginal students wishing to take an educational program in business or commerce. Information seems to be unavailable from the Internet, but information can be obtained by contacting the Grant MacEwan College Foundation, PO Box 1796, Edmonton AB T5J 2P2, Phone 780-497-5545, Fax 780-497-5050.
• Aboriginal Health Careers Bursary. The amount of the bursary varies. The criteria may include academic performance, financial need, and community service.
• Alberta Blue Cross Scholarship for Aboriginal Students. The scholarship is based on Grade 12 marks. Three scholarships are awarded each year in varying amounts of $375 to $1250 per year.
• Alberta Pacific Forest Industries. The Aboriginal Scholarship Program is for Aboriginal students living in specified regions who are accepted for studies at post-secondary institutions.
• Belcourt Brousseau Métis Awards. Awards amounts between $1000 and $7000 are available to students who are Canadians, Alberta residents, and Métis accepted in post-secondary programs. Additional information is available on the Dollars for Learners website.
• Global Television Aboriginal Peoples' Internship Award. Winner receives $10000 and serves a salaried internship period at a Global Television station.
• Husky Oil Aboriginal Educational Awards Program. Awards for Aboriginal people of up to $3000 each are available.
• Inspire Bursaries and Scholarships. Working in partnership with major companies and with governmental bodies, Inspire offers bursaries, scholarships and awards to First Nation, Metis Nation and Inuit students. Financial assistance can be obtained for students entering health careers, fine arts, post-secondary education and oil and gas trades and technology fields. Inspire has provided over $49 million of financial assistance, helping more than 14,000 people.
• Legal Studies for Aboriginal People Program. The amount of assistance varies. Financial assistance is provided for Métis and non-status Aboriginal students who want to enter or are in law school. Students must be Canadian students living inside Canada who have applied to law school. Awards are based on financial need and merit. More information is on the Department of Justice Canada website.
• Métis and Non-Status Bursary. Bursary program for Métis and non-status First Nations individuals. The bursary is available for students who are interested in a careers in Social Services. Students without dependents may be eligible for up to $8000 per year for college programs and up to $9000 per year for university programs. Students who have dependents may be eligible for up to $12000 per year for college programs and for up to $13000 per year for university programs.

Specific College and University Aid

The information that follows provides a general idea of some of the scholarships and awards one might be able to obtain. The scholarshipsand awards may vary significantly from one year to another. Students must contact the specific college or university they are considering attending to determine the kinds of scholarships or awards for which they might qualify.

• Alberta College of Art and Design - The college has awards, prizes, and endowed scholarships for students in their first, second and third years of study. The scholarships are for $500 per semester tuition credit. Interested students are encouraged to visit the Alberta College of Art and Design website for more information.
• Athabasca University - The awards and scholarships include scholarships in numerous academic disciplines of up to $1000 as well as community and university leadership scholarships, First People's technology bursaries, and access bursaries for students with disabilities.
• Canadian University College - Various scholarships or discounts include scholarships for students who work for the college during the summer, summer ministry or community service scholarships, student missionary scholarships, family and distance discounts, second degree discounts, awards for high school marks or leadership, presidential awards of up to $5000, and scholarships and awards for specific academic disciplines.
• Concordia University College - Concordia University College has a variety of awards and scholarships including academic achievement scholarships, athletic awards, entrance scholarships, guild and alumni scholarships, students' association scholarships, various missionary league scholarships, Don Mazankowski scholarship, Royal Bank scholarship, and numerous memorial scholarships. The awards and scholarships range from about $250 to $2000. The president's scholarship is up to $15 000 and the dean's scholarship is up to $5000. Entrance scholarships, based on academic standing in Grade 12 courses, range from $1000 to $2000.
• Grande Prairie College - Grande Prairie College has a very well-organized website that lists in alphabetical order the many sources of scholarships, awards, and financial aid.  Students interested in attending Grande Prairie College are strongly encouraged to read through the electronic awards booklet.
• Grant MacEwan University - Grant MacEwan University has an extensive internet resources for Student Scholarships and Awards. MacEwan's database of scholarships and awards can be searched by name, by department and by key term.
• Keyano College - Keyano College has numerous awards and scholarships including numerous awards ranging from about $300 to $1000 for students entering their first year. Students with high grades in high school might be eligible to win free tuition to a maximum of about $2600 for the first year of studies. Awards are available for students who transfer from Keyano College to specific degree programs. Various athletic awards range from about $300 to $1000. Scholarships for specific academic programs range up to a about $1000. Memorial, privately-funded, and corporate scholarships range to about $5000.
• Kings University College - Admissions scholarships of up to $1000 are based on high school and college marks. An international service bursary of up to $2500 is for students whose parents are employed in developing countries in specified service occupations. Kings University College students have access to a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries of up to $2500. The range of scholarships available is broad enough to justify spending time reviewing the Kings website.
• Lakeland College - Private, corporate, and community agency awards and scholarships range up to about $4000. Lakeland College has a scholarship for athletics and a $1000 scholarship for academic excellence. 
• Lethbridge Community College - Lethbridge College has leadership, academic, entrance, and general awards. Entrance awards of up to $1000 are available.  Academic awards include scholarships of up to $2000 for students in programs such as health and human services, design, technology, nursing, conservation, upgrading, rehabilitation, communications, apprenticeships, and agriculture.
• Medicine Hat College - Specific information is not available on the website now. Interested students are encouraged to contact officials at Medicine Hat College to obtain more information.
• Mount Royal College - Mount Royal College has entrance awards based on Grades 10, 11 and 12 marks. Eligible students may receive awards of up to $500. Awards, scholarships, and bursaries for returning students in different academic programs are available in amounts up to $4000. Awards of variable amounts are also available for returning Mount Royal College students.
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology - NAIT has excellent Internet award information. Students can apply for awards and scholarships online. An Internet tutorial helps students learn how to apply for financial assistance. Various corporate and industry awards and scholarships are in alphabetical order. Entrance awards range from $500 to $5500. NAIT has many awards and scholarships for different programs, ranging to about $2500. Some academic programs have awards for students with visual minorities and physical disabilties.
• Northern Lakes College - In addition to the general scholarships and bursaries available to students attending post-secondary institutions in Alberta, Northern Lakes College has some specific financial assistance. There are scholarships, bursaries, and awards for students who completed upgrading with the college and plan to attend post-secondary institutions. A tuition bursary for up to 50% of the cost of tuition fees is available. Northern Lakes College has financial needs bursaries, convocation awards, and scholarships ranging to $1200.
• Olds College - Olds College has an Internet booklet detailing awards, scholarships and bursaries. The college has numerous entrance awards from about $250 to $2500. Some awards are given during the winter. Those awards and scholarships range from $75 to $1500. Awards are established for students who are graduating from Olds College. Students may also be eligible for government and external awards, many of which are listed on the Olds College website.
• Portage College - The web site has an awards and scholarship booklet online. In addition to private and corporate awards, athletic, entrance, academic upgrading, and academic subject scholarships are available. Numerous sources of awards for Aboriginal students are listed. College scholarships and awards range to about $1000.
• Red Deer College – The Red Deer College web site organizes the awards and scholarships by category so students can focus on the type of scholarships that apply to them. Entrance, continuing student, graduate, athletic, continuing education, and apprenticeship scholarships are available. Red Deer College funded scholarships tend to vary in value to about $1000.
• Southern Alberta Institute of Technology - The SAIT website has an extensive online awards and scholarship booklet. The booklet is well-written and includes suggestions of how to apply for scholarships. SAIT students are eligible for bursaries, prizes, and scholarships. Entrance scholarships are available for up to $5000. General awards of up to $2000 are offered to qualified students. There are numerous departmental awards of up to $4000. Athletic awards of up to $600 can be won.
• University of Alberta - The University of Alberta has a wide range of awards and scholarships, including entrance, transfer student, and international student awards. Scholarships for students entering the University of Alberta include awards for Academic Excellence in Grade 11 and Grade 12 courses ($500 to $5000), Scholastic Distinction for Grades 10, 11, and 12 courses ($7500 to $25 000), Entrance Leadership for outstanding leadership and grades ($1000 to $10 000), Eldon Foote Track and Field Scholarships ($2000 per year for a maximum of five years), International Baccalaureate Diploma Scholarship Competition ($500), Advanced Placement Scholarship Competition ($500), The Universiade '83 Scholarships for excellence in fine arts or athletics ($2000 each were available for the 2003-04 academic year) and a wide variety of scholarships awarded by the various faculties of the University. Information about the awards and other scholarships can be found on the University of Alberta website.
• University of Alberta - Michael Phair Leadership Award. The Michael Phair Award is the first University of Alberta award that is specifically for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-identified, or queer students. Applicants need to demonstrate leadership qualities. Preference may be given to students who demonstrate leadership within queer communities.
• University of Calgary - The University of Calgary has Outstanding Achievement Awards with a value of up to $30 000 and entrance awards for as much as $20 000. International Baccalaureate Scholarships are up to $3500. Entrance awards based on Grade 11 course grades have a value of up to $5000. Awards for engineering students are as high as $20 000. Information about the awards and other scholarships are available on the University of Calgary website.
• University of Lethbridge - University of Lethbridge scholarships and awards include scholarships of up to $5000 for students applying from high school. An $800 award is based Grade 11 grades. The criteria for the high school awards may include factors such as financial need, academic ability, community service and/or leadership, and talent. Awards of between $300 and $2000 are available for transfer students, up to $3000 for returning undergraduate students, and up to $1250 for athletes. Some awards and scholarships are available for graduate students.