Alberta Student Aid is the provincial program that helps eligible Alberta students fund their post-secondary education. Whether you're attending the University of Alberta, NAIT, SAIT, Mount Royal University, or any other designated institution, Alberta Student Aid can provide a combination of loans and grants to help cover your costs.
Alberta's student aid system is integrated with the federal Canada Student Loans Program, so when you apply through the Alberta portal, you receive a combined federal-provincial award in a single application process.
To qualify for Alberta Student Aid, you must:
The Alberta Student Grant is the non-repayable component of Alberta's student aid. It is need-based and automatically assessed when you apply. For lower-income students, the grant can significantly reduce how much you need to borrow.
Alberta offers several grant streams:
The combined federal and provincial grants can be substantial for lower-income Alberta students — potentially $5,000–$100+ per year in non-repayable aid depending on your circumstances.
Apply through the Alberta Student Aid portal at studentaid.alberta.ca. The application typically opens in spring for the following fall semester.
Apply early. Applications accepted from May onward. Late applications are still processed but can delay your September funding.
Alberta Student Aid uses the same needs-based formula as other provinces. Your assessed need = educational costs − expected resources.
Educational costs include:
Expected resources include your income, your parents' income (if dependent), savings, and scholarships. The gap between costs and resources is your need, which is filled by a mix of grants and loans.
Unlike British Columbia, Alberta's provincial student loans still carry interest during the repayment period. The current rate is prime plus 1% on a floating basis, or a fixed rate option.
For a student with $100 in provincial loans at 6.7% interest over 10 years, total interest paid would be approximately $3,600. This is a significant addition to the principal, and it's worth paying down the provincial portion aggressively if you have the means to do so.
Repayment begins 6 months after you leave full-time studies. Both federal and provincial portions are managed through the NSLSC at nslsc.canada.ca.
The standard repayment period is 10 years. Options include:
Alberta graduates who can't afford their student loan payments can apply for the federal Repayment Assistance Plan through the NSLSC. RAP caps payments as a percentage of income and can reduce payments to $0 for very low-income borrowers.
Alberta also has provincial provisions that mirror the federal RAP structure for the Alberta portion of loans. The process is managed through the same NSLSC portal.
If you are studying between 20% and 59% of a full course load, you may qualify for part-time student assistance. Part-time aid provides smaller loan amounts and has different eligibility criteria, but it can help students who are balancing work and school commitments.
If you are 22 or older and have been out of secondary school for 4+ years, you are likely assessed as an independent student. Only your own income (and your partner's, if applicable) is used in the assessment — not your parents'. This can dramatically increase your eligible funding if you come from a higher-income family.
Alberta has a strong trades culture, and student aid is available for apprentices and trades students at designated institutions like NAIT, SAIT, Portage College, and others. Apprentices in registered trades programs who attend technical training can access student aid for their schooling periods.
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