Government Student Loans
Are you planning on applying for a government student loan for your program abroad/international program? Below are some tips on how to apply for a full-time Alberta student loan for your education abroad!
If you are from a province other than Alberta, please contact your province of residency. If you are not sure which province you should apply to and/or your program will be part-time, visit the Student Service Centre for more information.
If you are a student with a permanent disability, please visit Accessibility Resources early for the best information on how to apply for your funding.
If you are from a province other than Alberta, please contact your province of residency. If you are not sure which province you should apply to and/or your program will be part-time, visit the Student Service Centre for more information.
If you are a student with a permanent disability, please visit Accessibility Resources early for the best information on how to apply for your funding.
1. Register in your international study or work abroad program
- Chat with your program advisor or University of Alberta International if you have questions about registration. Your program advisor should provide you with information about the course names, course credit weight, dates and costs. Visit 142 Telus Centre to speak with an advisor.
- If your program is not administered by University of Alberta International, you will need to speak with a student advisor from the faculty, department, centre, etc offering the program to get the same information.
- If you know or even suspect that you will need a student loan, be sure to mention this to the advisor and point out that you will need to demonstrate some sort of course registration at UAlberta in your full-time Alberta student loan application.
2. Start your government student loan application early!
- Once you are registered in your course, you can start your Alberta Student Loan application. You can apply online through studentaid.alberta.ca.
3. Complete the full-time loan application
- Students registered in the Study Abroad/Exchange program should apply for student loans from the institution where they are registered. If your class registration for their Study Abroad/Exchange program is at the University of Alberta, you should apply for student loans from the University of Alberta. If their class registration for their Study Abroad/Exchange program is at that University abroad (you do not have any class registration at the University of Alberta), you should apply for student loans from that University abroad.
- After you submit your online application, you will need to complete a special form called a Schedule 3 along with supporting documents.
- You will only need to complete Part 2 of Schedule 3.
- You will need to include a letter from the University of Alberta (or the international institution) that details the start/end dates, tuition and fees of your program. Your program advisor from University of Alberta International can provide this letter.
- If you know your airfare costs, you can include them on Part 2 of Schedule 3. No receipts are needed for the airfare estimate.
4. Upload Schedule 3 and supporting documentation to your Alberta Student Aid-My Loan account using the 'upload electronic document' feature.
- You will only be able to submit these documents after you have submitted a full time application.
If you have any questions about your student loan, contact the Student Service Centre
Other Important Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much student loan funding will I get?
A. The maximum amount of student loan funding available for an undergraduate is $7,500 per semester. You may receive some grant funding in addition to this amount. The most common amount of grant funding is $1,500 per semester for students from low income families; however, there are also grants available for students with permanent disabilities or with children. Depending on the resource you have available to you, you may receive less than $7,500 per semester. If the costs of your studies are high, you are still only eligible to receive up to $7,500 in loan funding per semester and you may need to find other funding to help cover your expenses.
Q. How will student funding be disbursed?
A. Your funding will first be sent to your University of Alberta tuition account to pay all or a portion of your tuition. Any remaining amount will be sent to the bank account that you include on your MSFAA or Loan Agreement. If you have questions about how your loan will be disbursed to your tuition, you can contact University of Alberta Financial Services after your loan is processed for more details.
Q. Is this your first time applying for a student loan?
A. If it is your first time applying for a student loan, you may have to complete a document called the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) or Loan Agreement. The MSFAA and Loan Agreement will be available in your Student Aid account once your loan is processed.
- The MSFAA for federal student loans can be completed online through the National Student Loan Service Centre portal (NSLSC).
- The Alberta Loan Agreement is a paper form that will need to be completed and taken to a Canada Post outlet with a piece of government issued photo ID and your SIN card. If you are unable to take the Alberta Loan Agreement to a Canada Post in person, there will be mailing instructions included when you download the Alberta Loan Agreement.
- Note: Your MSFAAs must be completed before your funding is disbursed and because the Alberta MSFAA needs to be processed at a Canada Post Office, it is best to complete this form before going abroad.
Q. What is a Power of Attorney?
Alberta Student Aid recommends students studying abroad establish a Power of Attorney before leaving for their studies. This is a free service that can be helpful if there are any issues with your Alberta Student Loan when you are abroad. You can find more information about a Power of Attorney online.