Tuition and Cost of Living

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As an exchange student, you will NOT pay tuition to UAlberta - you will instead pay tuition to your home institution.

Fees that must be paid to UAlberta:

  • Exclusions to Program and Tuition Fees (certain courses only) - for example, if one or more of your courses require art supplies or include expenses for field trips.
  • Some courses might have mandatory fees (e.g., for textbooks, software, lab equipment, lab smocks, etc.) that might not be shown on the page for Exclusions to Programs and Tuition Fees.  If you choose to take courses with mandatory fees then you would be required to pay the fees.
  • University of Alberta Health Insurance Plan (UAHIP)
     UAHIP is required for exchange students. Coverage by any other insurance plan (with the exception of the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) will not allow you to be exempted from UAHIP.
  • Arc Card for public transit (formerly known as the U-Pass)
    All UAlberta students must contribute a fee to the group transit plan, which then provides unlimited access to public transit.
  • If you choose to live on campus then you can expect to pay residence fees.  

Pay only the sum of any Exclusions to Program and Tuition Fees that should be charged to you + any mandatory fees that come with the courses you have chosen + UAHIP + Arc Card + any residence fees.  Anything left over is a mistake and should not be paid.  Our Office of the Registrar will usually remove any excess charges from your account by October 15 if your exchange started in September or by February 15 if your exchange started in January.  If you still notice what you think might be an excess charge after the dates mentioned above then please contact your UAlberta Exchange Coordinator so that he/she can investigate on your behalf and, if possible, have it removed from your account.  If you don't know who your UAlberta Exchange Coordinator is then please send an email describing the situation to goabroad@ualberta.ca.

How to pay fees

There are different ways to pay your fees, including online through your Bear Tracks account.

If you will be applying for on-campus housing, please do NOT use your on-campus housing account to pay for any of the other mandatory fees listed above.

Please note that your UAlberta transcript will not be released until you've paid all of your UAlberta fees and/or fines. Late payments will accrue interest charges.

Cost of living

Edmonton offers a moderate cost of living when compared with other major cities in Canada.

  • UAlberta no longer provides cost of living estimates for graduate students but you might still be able to find useful information by using the Undergraduate Cost Calculator instead. 
Instructions for use of the Undergraduate Cost Calculator
  1. Go to the Undergraduate Cost Calculator
  2. Select "International Student"
  3. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  4. Select the faculty in which you will be taking all or a majority of your courses.
  5. Select the program in which you will be taking all or a majority of your courses.  If it's not obvious which program you should select then it's likely ok to select any program.
  6. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  7. Select the option, "In Residence" (i.e. on-campus) or "Off-Campus" that represents your living situation while on exchange at UAlberta.  
  8. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  9. Click on the green button for "Estimate my fees"
  10. Ignore the tuition amounts shown and look only at the "Estimated non-tuition costs".
  11. From the "Estimated non-tuition costs" total please subtract all of the costs shown with the exception of those for "Books, Supplies, and Instruments", "Room and Board", and "U-Pass"
  12. Divide the remaining amount by 8 (which represents the number of months in a typical school year) and multiply by the number of months of the exchange (i.e., either multiply by 4 for a Fall or Winter term exchange or multiply by 8 for a Fall+Winter exchange)
  13. Please note that the resulting amount would be a *very* rough estimate and wouldn't include all categories of expenses you might encounter.  For example, Canadian immigration costs (i.e., costs for any necessary visas, study permits, etc.), travel to and from Canada, clothing, entertainment, and the mandatory UAHIP fee wouldn't be included.

Prepare in advance!

All funds required for your exchange should be readily available before your exchange begins or you should have a commitment (from parents, student loan providers, etc.) that such funds will be provided to you as necessary during the exchange.  UAlberta will not be able to lend or give you money during your exchange.

Also, please don't assume that you will be able to find part-time work, or even that you will be permitted by the Government of Canada to work, while you are on exchange.  Part-time work is not a guaranteed part of your exchange experience. 

Return to the sitemap of the Incoming Exchange Student Application Guide.

Updated for 2025/26 applications