Bursaries + Emergency Funding
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The Office of the Registrar offers various forms of financial support designed to assist students experiencing financial shortfall for the current school year's academic and basic living costs or a temporary unexpected financial emergency during the academic year.
Review the information below to help you find a program you may be eligible for. Additional information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the appropriate program page. If you have questions or require assistance with the applications, please contact the Student Service Centre.
If you need accessibility support to complete your application, learn more and apply early for applicant accommodations, or contact dosdean@ualberta.ca for assistance.
Bursaries
Bursaries, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. To be eligible for bursary funding, you must demonstrate financial need for the current academic year after exhausting all available funding resources and meeting the academic and enrolment requirements.
Domestic Supplementary Bursary
Domestic undergraduate and graduate students only. Apply for this if you have a financial shortfall for the current school year's academic and basic living costs.
International Supplementary Bursary
International undergraduate and graduate students only. Apply for this if you have a financial shortfall for the current school year's academic and basic living costs.
Graduate Students' Association Bursary
Open to graduate students only. Apply for this if you have a specific emergency expense and you have no way to pay for the expense; this application is not for a financial shortfall for the current school year's academic and basic living costs.
Bursaries by faculty
Bursaries by faculty are available to look through. By filling out the supplementary bursary applications, you are automatically considered for all bursaries you are eligible for, including faculty-specific bursaries.
Emergency loans
Emergency loans are open to all students. Apply for this if you have a specific emergency expense and you are able to repay a loan at a later date.
Emergency expenses include support for temporary financial shortfalls, such as:
- delays in funding (e.g., government student loan is late)
- unexpected expenses (e.g., necessary car repairs, emergency dental work)
- temporary inability to cover essential living expenses, such as rent or groceries.
Emergency loans are not issued to pay for any university tuition or fees.
Indigenous Student Financial Support
Indigenous Students’ Support Fund
Domestic undergraduate and graduate students only. Apply for this if you are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit and you are experiencing a short-term financial emergency.
The Indigenous Students’ Support Fund (ISSF) is managed strictly for FNMI students who may be experiencing an immediate financial crisis and need money quickly. Funding is usually based on an emergency that may also result in a barrier to continuing your studies.