Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES)

Government of Alberta / University of Alberta

Get a $12,000 one-time payment for graduate studies at the University of Alberta — your faculty must nominate you by November 13, 2026, or apply yourself for AGES Indigenous by October 13, 2026.

Published by G Paul · last checked September 26, 2026

Total value

$12,000

Next deadline

Oct 13, 2026

Level

Graduate, Certificate

Open to

Alberta

Apply on the official site ↗

What you will need

Completed AGES Student Declaration form submitted to your home faculty by its internal deadline
Citizenship status and Alberta home address updated in your Bear Tracks account, plus a Canadian bank account to receive the funds
For AGES Indigenous applicants: an online application in the GSMS Awards Portal by October 13, 2026
For AGES Indigenous applicants: an up-to-date unofficial U of A transcript, a CV (maximum 5 pages), and a research proposal (thesis-based) or an explanation of courses and end goals (course-based), maximum 1 page
For AGES Indigenous applicants: an academic reference requested through the GSMS Awards Portal
For AGES Indigenous applicants: proof of Indigenous ancestry (Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Métis, or Inuit)

About this award

You receive a $12,000 one-time payment. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. It is not renewable, though your faculty can nominate you again in a future year if you still meet the requirements. This is for you if you are a high-achieving graduate student—including international students—studying at the University of Alberta. AGES is also offered at other Alberta post-secondary schools, with values from $11,000 to $15,000; ask the Student Awards Office at your school about its deadline and process. Your faculty must submit nominations to GPS (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies — the office that manages graduate funding) through the GSMS Awards Portal by November 13, 2026, and it sets an earlier internal deadline, so ask your faculty for it. For AGES Indigenous, you apply yourself through the GSMS Awards Portal by October 13, 2026, and no nomination is needed. GPS notifies winners directly. Selection is handled by your home faculty, which decides how to choose nominees based on a funding allocation assigned by GPS. Ask your faculty how they choose their nominees so you can judge your odds. Ask Government of Alberta / University of Alberta during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. You must have a Canadian bank account and an Alberta address updated in Bear Tracks (the university's student information system) to receive the funds. Renewal conditions aren't listed because these scholarships are not renewable. If you want to be considered for this funding in a later year, confirm with your faculty when they begin their next round of nominations.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or have refugee or protected-person status in Canada. International students with a study permit are also eligible. You must live in Alberta while you are enrolled, whether you take classes in-person or remotely. You can be in a course-based or thesis-based program, including graduate certificates that lead into a Master's degree. You must be in years 1-4 of a master's program or years 1-6 of a doctoral program. Current students must be registered full-time in Fall 2026 and/or Winter 2027; those admitted in January 2027 must be full-time in Winter 2027. If you are registered with Student Accessibility Services or have a documented need for accommodation, you can apply if you are enrolled in at least 40% of a full course load. You must show academic excellence through a GPA of 3.3 or greater over your most recent 15 units of course weight, or through research contributions like published manuscripts, presentations, or previous awards. For AGES Indigenous applicants: you must be a Canadian citizen with aboriginal ancestry and be Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Métis, or Inuit.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person or international student
Open to graduate or certificate students
Resident of Alberta

How to apply

Read the award's official page
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Order your transcript1–2 weeks
Your school's registrar can take a week or two.
Ask for reference letters2 weeks
Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.
Submit your application
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

Academic RecordAvoid only mentioning your overall GPA. Instead, highlight specific research contributions such as published manuscripts, posters, or community engagement projects that prove your scholarly achievement. List these clearly on your declaration form.
Departmental SupportAvoid assuming your department knows your full history. Instead, provide your professor or department head with a concise list of your awards and publications to make their nomination easier. Send this to them well before their internal deadline.
StrategyAvoid waiting until the November 13 deadline to act. Instead, identify your faculty's internal deadline, which is usually much earlier to allow for adjudication. Submit your documents to your faculty early to ensure you are considered.
RealismAvoid counting on this money. Instead, remember that each faculty has a limited funding allocation from GPS, meaning they can only nominate a few students regardless of how many meet the GPA bar. Focus on building a strong relationship with your nominating faculty.

Questions students ask

How do I apply?

Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.

When is the deadline?

Applications close on October 13, 2026. Submit a day or two early: application sites get busy at the end.

Can international students apply?

Yes. It is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons and international students.

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FundMyCourse.ca · checked Sep 26, 2026