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Awards and Financial Assistance

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Government Student Aid Plans

Alberta residents who require financial assistance in order to pursue post-secondary education may obtain student loans through Alberta Students Finance. This department administers both Province of Alberta and Canada Student Loan Programs. Students complete one application to be considered for both loans. However, upon receipt of the funds, they must be handled as two separate loans. Students must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and must be registered and maintain full-time status. Note: As policies and guidelines are revised frequently, students are encouraged to visit the following website for the most up-to-date information regarding government student loans, grants and bursaries offered through the Province of Alberta: .

Assistance is also available to students who are considered to be residents of other provinces. Non-Alberta students should contact their provincial funding office directly to obtain detailed information regarding student loans, grants and bursaries offered through their province. Links to the out-of-province government student loan websites are available from the Student Awards and Financial Aid website: .

Financial assistance is provided only where financial resources available to students from parents, summer work, part-time earnings or other sources are insufficient to meet the estimated educational costs of full-time study.
Between the Canada Student Loan Program and the Alberta Students Finance Act, the maximum loan available for an academic year (Fall/Winter) is normally $13,000. Provincial loans cannot be issued which would increase the total Canada and Alberta student loan indebtedness beyond the following lifetime loan limits set for that program of study:

• Undergraduate: $50,000
• Graduate Studies (Masters): $60,000
• Master of Business Administration (MBA): $60,000
• Graduate Studies (Doctoral): $70,000
• Medicine (MD Program): $95,000
• Law: $70,000

The Alberta Opportunities Bursary (AOB) Program is cost-shared between the Government of Alberta and the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½. High need Alberta residents studying full-time and applying for a student loan may qualify for up to $1,500 from the government portion of the AOB. Students must be in either their first or second year of post-secondary studies. For more information contact Alberta Students Finance at:  Phone: 1-800-222-6485 or Website:
Canada Millennium Bursaries are open to full-time students at post-secondary institutions recognized by the Canada Student Loans Program. General Awards valued from $2,250 to $3,000 are given on the basis of financial need to students in the second or subsequent year of their undergraduate studies. Each province is administering these awards for its residents through its student loan program. Students applying for student loans through Alberta Students Finance are automatically considered for Canada Millennium Bursaries. Students entering their first year of post-secondary studies may apply for the Excellence Awards Program. For more information visit:

Full-time student loans are interest free during periods of full-time university attendance. To ensure that interest-free status continues during full-time study, students must provide adequate proof of enrolment to their lenders.
Applications for student loans, part-time bursaries and part-time loans and grants may be obtained from the U of C Service Stop (MacKimmie Library Block, Room 117).
Alberta residents may apply online for student loans using the electronic student loan application available on the ALIS website under “Students Finance”:  

Payment of tuition, fees and Student Emergency Loans is the first charge against student loans received from the Government Student Loan plans.

Grants

Non-repayable grants are made available to full‑time students who because of special circumstances (eg. single parents or students with disabilities) cannot be considered to have normal prospects of completing their education without additional financial assistance in addition to that provided under other programs (eg. government student loans). The types of grants students may be eligible for include Maintenance Grants and Canada Study Grants (for students with dependants, female doctoral students, students with permanent disabilities and students from low income families). For more information contact Alberta Students Finance at:  Phone: 1-800-222-6485 or Website:

Alberta Student Loan Relief Benefit & Loan Relief Program Completion Payment

The Alberta Student Loan Relief program is provided to assist students in keeping their student loan debt at a manageable level. Alberta students are automatically considered for both the Alberta Student Loan Relief Benefit (for first-time, first-year, full-time students) and the Loan Relief Program Completion Payment (for students completing their studies). Both of these needs-based benefits are calculated based on the students total Alberta and Canada Student Loans. For more information contact Alberta Students Finance at:  Phone: 1-800-222-6485 or Website:

Student Budgeting

To determine financial need, students should estimate their living costs (rent, food, local transportation, clothing, entertainment, utilities, miscellaneous expenses, etc.); add tuition, fees, and books and supplies for the period they plan to attend (one or two terms) and deduct from total expenses all cash resources such as: savings, scholarships or bursaries, money received or to be received from parents, and any other income to be received during the period of attendance. The net result should be the amount of financial assistance needed.
The following is a guide to establishing a budget within the limits set by Alberta Students Finance. Note: These figures are based on the 2007-2008 Alberta Students Finance budget figures and should be used only as a general guideline.

Single Students
Living away from home:
- $897 per month living allowance
- tuition and fees
- $1,200 - $1,850 books and supplies in most faculties

Living at parent’s home:
- $412 per month living allowance
- tuition and fees
- $1,200 - $1,850 books and supplies in most faculties

Married Students
Married without children:
- $1,784 per month living allowance
- spouse’s student loan payments
- tuition and fees
- $1,200 - $1,850 books and supplies in most faculties

Married with children:
- $1,784 per month living allowance
- $428 per month per child
- actual child care costs
- spouse’s student loan payments
- tuition and fees
- $1,200 - $1,850 books and supplies in most faculties

Single Parent Family including first child:
- $1,551 per month living allowance
- $428 per month per additional child
- actual child care costs
- tuition and fees
- $1,200 - $1,850 books and supplies in most faculties

Part-Time Students

Alberta grant assistance is available to part-time students enrolled in approved courses and is limited to $300 per four-month academic session. These bursaries are awarded to Alberta residents on the basis of financial need, as determined by Alberta Students Finance, and are intended to help cover the costs of tuition, books, child care, and travel if required.
The federal government offers two funding programs for part-time students. Loans for part-time students and Canada Study Grants for High Need Part-time Students are awarded on the basis of financial need and provide for tuition, fees, books, transportation, child care and incidentals. Loans are interest bearing, with repayment beginning 30 days after funds are received. A borrower may have an outstanding principal of no more than $4,000 at any one time. Canada Study Grants of up to $1,200 per loan year are available to high need students who cannot study full-time. Both programs are administered by the provincial government on behalf of the federal government. For more information contact Alberta Students Finance at:  Phone: 1-800-222-6485 or Website:

Other Sources of Government Financial Aid

Northern Alberta Development Council Bursaries
The Northern Alberta Development Council Bursary program is intended to offer students (who have been residents of Alberta for the last three years), special bursary assistance where these students demonstrate that they intend to apply their education after graduation in the northern area of the Province. Successful candidates will be awarded a $3,500 bursary for one full academic year of study or, if the length of the program is less than one full academic year, students may be awarded $1,750. Any student who receives a bursary will sign an agreement acknowledging that he/she will work in the northern area of the province one year for each year of full bursary support. For more information/application forms visit:
The deadline is May 15.

Federal-Provincial Official Languages in Education Program
Comprised of two bursary programs and two language assistant programs designed to assist students in acquiring fluency in Canada’s official languages, the Federal-Provincial Official Languages in Education Program is administered by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, in cooperation with the provinces/territories. Application forms, deadline dates and further information may be obtained online at:

Other Sources of Financial Assistance

University of Calgary Emergency Loan Fund
This loan fund is available to students for short term, urgent financial requirements. In most cases, loans are only advanced to students who are expecting the arrival of other financial assistance and the maximum amount is normally $500. Emergency loans are issued only after the student has met with a loans advisor. Apply to the U of C Service Stop.

To supplement the emergency loan fund established by the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½, we are very grateful to First Energy Capital Corp. for their generous contributions.

Graduate Students' Association Bursaries
Open to candidates who at the time of tenure will be registered in a graduate program in the Faculty of Graduate Studies or the Faculty of Environmental Design at the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½. Candidates must demonstrate financial need. Application deadlines will be twice per year, once in October and once in February. For more information visit:

The Maude Abbott Loan Fund
This fund was established by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada to aid female medical students. Loans up to $1,000 per year are available to applicants who are members of FMWC. For more information/application forms visit:

The George Callahan Foundation Grants
The George Callahan Foundation is an organization designed to assist medical students who have exhausted all other means of support and still find themselves in serious financial difficulty. Students must complete a bursary form (available at the Medical Undergraduate Office), write a personal letter explaining their financial situation, and provide a letter from the Dean’s Office confirming their satisfactory academic progress. The completed application package must be submitted to the Medical Undergraduate Office at the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ on or before the deadline of December 1.

Commonwealth Foundation Medical Electives Bursaries

Offered to students in the MD program interested in using their elective period to gain practical experience in a Commonwealth country other than their own (preferably in a Third World country), the Commonwealth Foundation Medical Electives Bursaries are funded by the Commonwealth Foundation, London, England. These bursaries are valued at up to £1,000.
Applications are available from the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education, ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½. Application form should be accompanied by the following: a 200 word curriculum vitae, name and address of receiving institution/hospital; letter of acceptance from receiving institution/hospital; area of medical specialization for elective; benefits from the elective experience (200 words); budget, including funds from other sources; address for correspondence; letter from faculty confirming registered in the program and making satisfactory academic progress. Two applications will be randomly selected from those submitted and forwarded to the foundation for the final competitive selection procedure. Awards will be announced by the foundation on or about June 30.
Deadline: January 15

Orphans’ Allowance
A monthly allowance, dependent upon the war service or pension status of the deceased parent, is available for children of veterans. Inquiries should be directed to Veterans Services, Department of Veterans Affairs. VAC District Office in Calgary:  Sam Livingston Building
Ste. 104, 510 - 12 Avenue S.W. Calgary, AB T2R 0X5 Website: