Alberta’s student-funding stack rests on the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund, a long-running endowment that underwrites most of the province’s merit scholarship programs. Combined with Alberta Student Aid (loans and grants) and a deep roster of university and trades awards, a well-prepared Alberta student carries a noticeably lighter funding burden than a peer in Ontario or BC, especially once you factor in Alberta’s lower tuition relative to Toronto or Vancouver.
Who this page is for
You’re an Alberta resident applying to post-secondary in Alberta or elsewhere. You’re looking at the full Alberta provincial stack alongside federal supports and institutional awards.
Alberta Student Aid
Alberta Student Aid administers Alberta’s portion of the student-loan program, plus Alberta-specific grants:
- Alberta Student Loan + Alberta Grant for Full-Time Students: provincial loan with both need-based and grant components.
- Alberta Grant for Students with Dependants: additional grant for students supporting dependants.
- Alberta Grant for Disabled Students: additional support for students with permanent disabilities.
- Alberta Low Income Grant: additional grant for students from low-income families.
Apply at studentaid.alberta.ca. Application windows are per-program-year; apply early.
Alberta Heritage merit programs
The Heritage Scholarship Fund backs a suite of merit scholarships that are distinctly Albertan and, compared to national awards, see noticeably fewer applicants relative to award count:
- Alexander Rutherford Scholarship: up to $2,500 total based on Grade 10, 11, and 12 averages at specific thresholds. Awarded for use in first-year Canadian post-secondary. Most Alberta Grade 12 students qualify for at least some tier; few apply.
- Jason Lang Scholarship: $1,000 per year for returning Alberta undergraduates with 80%+ average in 24 credits the previous year. Renewable.
- Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship: $2,500 per year for top-performing continuing Alberta undergraduates. Merit-based.
- Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan (ACES) Grant: education-savings grant for Albertan children.
- Laurence Decore Award for Student Leadership: for Alberta Grade 12 students demonstrating leadership, $500 to $1,500.
- Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship (Alberta): graduate-level award.
These are administered by Alberta Advanced Education and, for institution-tied awards, by your school’s awards office.
Alberta universities and colleges
- University of Alberta: President’s Citation ($120K over four years full ride), Academic Excellence Scholarship, entrance awards by Faculty, in-course awards renewable year-over-year.
- University of Calgary: Chancellor’s Club Scholarship, International Entrance, Seymour Schulich Scholarship.
- Mount Royal University: Founders Scholarship, President’s Entrance.
- MacEwan University: Board of Governors Scholarship, Founder’s Circle.
- SAIT + NAIT: trades + technology-specific entrance and continuing awards. SAIT’s Board of Governors Award and NAIT’s Entrance Awards are both competitive but under-applied.
Trades + apprenticeship in Alberta
Alberta’s trades economy is large and the funding ecosystem reflects it. Federal apprenticeship grants and the Canada Apprentice Loan stack with provincial supports like the Alberta Apprenticeship Incentive Grant and the Registered Apprenticeship Program for high school students. The “Scholarships for Trades Students” guide (linked below) covers Alberta-specific trades funding alongside the federal framework.
Indigenous-specific
- Métis Nation of Alberta: bursary + scholarship programs.
- Indian Resource Council of Canada: awards for First Nations students with ties to member nations.
- Indspire: administers national + Alberta-specific streams.
What our directory lists
Below: Alberta-eligible awards currently in our directory. For the full Alberta student funding guide (step-by-step AlbertaStudentAid application walkthroughs, stacking strategies for the Heritage awards), see the “Read next” link.