Student Loans

St. Stephens’ College students are eligible to apply for provincial and federal student loans.  Please review the following information and follow the application instructions outlined below.  The Registrar’s Office is available to assist you with your loan application, and answer any questions you might have (st.stephens@ualberta.ca). 

ELIGIBLE PROGRAMS AND PROVINCES

The following St. Stephen’s College programs are designated and eligible for federal and provincial student aid (St. Stephen’s College Institution Code: BPJF): 

  • Doctor of Ministry, 
  • Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality, 
  • Master of Theological Studies,
  • Diaconal Ministry degrees. 

When you apply, it is important to check with your home province regarding the eligibility of both St. Stephen’s College and the specific program you are enrolled in (either the DMin, MPS, MTS).

Students at St. Stephen’s College have successfully received student loans for a variety of St. Stephen’s programs (DMin, MPS, and/or MTS) from the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba.  If you are applying for student aid in a province where St. Stephen’s College is not yet designated, or where your particular degree program is not yet designated, please reach out to the Registrar’s Office (st.stephens@ualberta.ca) to request that an application for designation be made.  Each province has its own process for designating/recognizing post-secondary institutions and programs. 

HOW TO APPLY

  1. Review the eligibility requirements, funding guidelines, and application procedures for provincial/federal student loans in your home province (the province you lived in for 12 consecutive months before becoming a student). 
  2. Complete the Academic Plan for Student Loan Application form and send it to the Assistant Registrar (kparson@ualberta.ca).
  3. After you receive a reply from the Assistant Registrar, apply according to the process in your home province.

ELIGIBILITY

Canada government student loans and grants are available to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons (refugees). Visit Alberta Student Aid Eligibility for information on how to determine residency in Alberta.

FULL TIME STATUS AT ST. STEPHEN’S COLLEGE

St. Stephen’s College considers 15 graduate credits annually to be a full course load. To maintain full-time status, students must complete 60 percent of a full load per year (minimum 9 credits annually). (Note: in accordance with Canada Student Loans, students who receive student loans and who have a documented disability are considered full time if they complete 40 percent of a full load (minimum 6 credits annually). Students are considered full time if they either (a) complete at least 0.75 credits per month, or (b) are in the research/writing phase of their program. Master’s students are in the research/writing phase upon formal approval of the Thesis/ITP or Culminating Paper Proposal, or enrollment in the Capstone Project course. Doctoral students are in the research/writing phase upon completion of their Integrative Paper. 

Dropping from full-time to part-time studies may have a significant impact on your student loan funding. If you are considering dropping classes, we recommend you contact the Assistant Registrar. The College will notify Alberta Student Aid (or the relevant provincial body) of an amended registration, which will result in cancellation of undispersed funds.

REPAYING YOUR STUDENT LOAN

When you graduate or stop being a full-time student:

  • Your Canada Student Loans will enter a 6-month grace period. During the grace period you are not required to make any payments towards your Canada Student Loans, but can choose to do so. Your Canada Student Loans will always be interest free (even after the end of the grace period).
  • Your Alberta Student Loans will enter a 12-month grace period. During the grace period you are not required to make any payments towards your Alberta Student Loans, but can choose to do so.
  • Your loan will not enter repayment provided you inform Alberta/Canada Student Loans that you are a full-time student. You can let them know you are a full-time student by either: (1) receiving a new full-time loan, or (2) completing the online interest-free status application.

For details about other provinces/territories, contact your province/territory of residency. Keep an eye on your student loan portals for important information in the months leading up to your repayment date.

Note: Much of the information on this page is specific to students based in Alberta. Students based outside of Alberta should refer to their provincial lending authority for more information.