Student Loans & Repayment

How Alberta and federal student aid works for career college programs — who qualifies, what counts as full-time, and what repayment looks like.

How student aid works in Alberta

Alberta residents apply for student aid through Alberta Student Aid. A single application is assessed for both Alberta student loans and grants and federal Canada student loans and grants. The amount you receive depends on your program costs, your income and your family situation.

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Which career college programs qualify

For a program at a private career college to be eligible for full-time student aid, it must:

Be licensed under Alberta’s Private Vocational Training Act
Be offered by an institution that has signed the Alberta Institution Designation Agreement
Be post-secondary in nature and lead to a certificate or diploma
Be at least 12 weeks long
Have at least 20 instruction hours per week on average

Change for part-time students

Since August 1, 2025, Alberta Student Aid no longer provides provincial funding for part-time programs. If you plan to study part-time, look at employer funding, the Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant and other options on our financial aid page.

We will publish which Ucademy programs and study formats qualify for student aid once they are designated.

Repayment basics

Topic	What to know
When repayment starts	Normally six months after you finish or leave your studies
Interest	Federal Canada student loans currently do not charge interest. Alberta student loans have their own interest terms — check studentaid.alberta.ca for current rates
Low income after school	Federal and Alberta repayment-assistance programs can reduce or pause payments based on income
Where you manage loans	Through the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) account

Sources: Alberta Student Aid and Government of Canada, checked October 2026. Rules change each academic year — confirm current details before you apply.

Before you apply — a checklist

Before you apply0 of 5

Confirm the program is licensed and designated for student aid
Check that your study load counts as full-time
Gather your income information and your Social Insurance Number
Apply as early as possible — processing takes time
Plan your budget for living costs as well as tuition

Your ticks stay on this device only.

All financial aid optionsEvery funding source in one place. Productivity GrantWhen your employer pays for training. Tuition and feesHow fees will be published.

Frequently asked questions

Not yet. A private career college program must first be licensed under Alberta’s Private Vocational Training Act and then designated for student aid. We will confirm designation status for each program as soon as it is known.

Since August 1, 2025, Alberta Student Aid no longer provides provincial funding for part-time programs. For a private career college program to count as full-time, it must be at least 12 weeks long with 20 or more instruction hours per week on average.

Student loan repayment normally begins six months after you finish or leave your studies. Federal and Alberta repayment-assistance programs can lower or pause payments if your income is low.

Alberta residents apply through Alberta Student Aid (studentaid.alberta.ca). One application covers both Alberta and Canada student loans and grants.

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