Student Financial Aid

Information Centre

The Financial Aid Team is here to help you navigate the world of student funding!

Here, you will find general information that will assist you as you begin to plan how you will finance your education. The Financial Aid and Awards Office assists students in meeting their education costs through a variety of award and aid programs (scholarships, bursaries, government student loans and grants).

Most funding sources will require you to have an Alberta Student Number. To obtain your Alberta Student Number, please visit the Alberta Learning website, Learner Registry area and use the "Lookup ASN" link on that page. If you have recently moved to Alberta or have never registered with a school or Post-Secondary institution in Alberta, and need to have an ASN you can request an ASN by using the "Request ASN On-line".

We hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact our office at the information below. If you would like more information or assistance in completing the form, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries

Students may be eligible for many scholarships, awards, and bursaries to assist them in obtaining their post-secondary education at Grande Prairie Regional College. Search our GPRC Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries Booklet, below, for complete eligibility criteria.

GPRC Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries Handbook (1,061K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Students attending the Fairview Campus are eligible to apply for awards in this booklet:

GPRC Fairview Campus - Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries Booklet (1,095K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Prospective Students

Students who are entering their first year in several of our programs may be eligible for entrance awards and scholarships. Search our GPRC Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries Booklet, below,  or visit Financial Aid for more information.

Rutherford Scholarships

The Alexander Rutherford Scholarships for High School Achievement, sponsored by the Government of Alberta, recognize academic achievement at the senior high school level. Visit the Apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship for High School Achievement for additional information, including eligibility criteria.

Prospective students please note: There are no application deadlines prior to your arrival at Grande Prairie Regional College.

Current Students

You can find out what scholarships and bursaries are available by visiting Financial Aid.  All award opportunities are sent to your GPRC student email account. Many scholarships and bursaries require applications.

Application Deadlines

Dates below are subject to change, please see deadlines on specific application forms:

Receiving an award

Payments will be issued to you after any outstanding current or previous term fees owing to Grande Prairie Regional College are deducted. Generally, you will be notified within a month of the selection date if you are a recipient. Most scholarships, awards and bursaries are paid by cheque and are mailed to your home address three to four weeks after selection.

External Award Websites

www.alis.alberta.ca
www.canlearn.ca
www.scholarshipscanada.com
www.studentawards.com
www.benorth.ca

Current Award Opportunities

Entrance Awards

Welcome to the 2016-2017 academic year! 

Entrance Award Applications are currently available. The applications for both campuses are below or are available at Financial Aid, located in Student Services.

These awards are available to GPRC students who are entering their program for the first time. Eligibility will be determined by calculating the average mark on a minimum of five high school core courses. A core course has a credit value of 5 credits.

Deadline: October 7/16

2016 Entrance Award Application-Grande Prairie Campus (547K) Adobe Acrobat Document

2016 Elizabeth Jean Butler (103K) Adobe Acrobat Document

2016 Entrance Award Application-Fairview Campus (443K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Indigenous Careers Award

Supporting Indigenous Albertans in their pursuit of post-secondary studies in certificate, diploma, applied degree and bachelor's degree programs in Alberta high-demand occupations.

Eligible Programs:

• Business
• Physical, Natural & Applied Sciences
• Health Sciences, including Kinesiology
• Education, including Early Childhood Education and Childcare
• Technologists
• Social Sciences, limited to Child and Youth Care, Community Support Worker, Social Work, Addictions Studies/Counselling/Service Worker

You must be enrolled in the 2016-17 Fall and/or Winter semester in order to be considered for these awards. Contact Financial Aid for more information.

Deadline: October 28, 2016 for full year, February 3 for Winter 2017 only

2016-17 Indigenous Careers Award (233K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Bezanson Bursary

Available to students who have attended at least one year at Bezanson School. Applicants must include well defined education and career goals. Consideration will be given to volunteer activities and applicants must intend to continue studies in the next academic year. Preference to full-time GPRC students; in the event that there are no full-time applicants, part-time applicants will be eligible.

Deadline: June 30/17

Bezanson Bursary (445K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Student Loans

The Federal and Provincial/Territorial Government provides student loan and grant assistance for Canadian citizens and permanent residents studying at the post-secondary level. Student loan programs are designed to help you reach your educational/career goal so you can experience the full range of college student life without having to work too much while you study.

To access student loans

• Apply through your province/territory of residency. Applications open June 1 for the upcoming academic year (for studies beginning on or after August 1).
• After applying you will receive a Notice of Assessment and your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement forms (MSFAA).  Your Notice of Assessment informs you of how much your award will be for the year.  You must fill out your MSFAA forms and take them to a designated Canada Post Outlet. You must have government issued photo identification (e.g. drivers' license or passport), government issued proof of social insurance number (SIN card) and banking information (e.g. direct deposit form or void cheque) with you.
• Register in a full-time course load in all of your terms so GPRC can confirm your enrolment with your student loan provider. You must be accepted to your program to register in your courses.
• Don't pay twice! We will make every attempt to request your tuition to be sent to us directly from your student loan.
• To ensure your funds will assist you throughout the academic year; Financial Aid encourages students to make a budget.

If it seems like you did not receive enough funding to cover your expenses for the year, you might be able to appeal your loan. Please visit our Financial Aid office or contact us at the information below.

You must apply for funding each academic year.

Completing the Application

Determine your province/territory of residence: You must apply for your funding through your province/territory of residence.

You are considered to be a resident of Alberta if:

• Alberta is the last province you have lived in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time post-secondary student, or
• You are attending a school in Alberta and have never lived in any Canadian province for 12 months in a row. In this case, attach a letter to your application to explain your residency situation, or
• You have been out of high school for less than two years and at least one parent is residing in Alberta, or
• If spouse/partner meets the residency requirements for an independent student.

Apply online or mail in a paper application

By filling in one application form, you will be assessed for Canada and Alberta Student Loans, as well as grants and bursaries.  Online applications are processed in two to three weeks (www.studentaid.alberta.ca). Paper applications are processed in four to six weeks.

Deadline to apply

You must apply to Student Aid Alberta at least thirty days before the end of your yearly period of studies end date.

Need application help? Visit our Financial Aid office or contact us at the information below.

Paying Your Fees

Grande Prairie Regional College will make every effort to “remit” your tuition and fees directly from your loan certificate when we confirm your enrolment. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to ensure that tuition is paid in accordance with GPRC payment deadlines.

The Financial Aid Team is here to assist students every step of the way! Any questions or concerns please be sure to call, email or visit our office located in Student Services.

2016-2017 Estimated Loan Program Costs (303K) Adobe Acrobat Document

Cashing Your Loan

Instructions for submitting the MSFAAs are mailed along with the agreements. The instructions can also be found at studentaid.alberta.ca. The preferred submission method is through a participating Canada Post location.

In order to receive funding on a current application, students must submit their MSFAAs prior to the study period end date. Students must provide two pieces of identification along with their MSFAAs:

• One must be a government-issued photo ID
• The other must show the student’s Social Insurance Number

Electronic Funds Transferred

When submitting MSFAAs, students are encouraged to either:

• Complete Part C – Electronic Funds Transfer on each MSFAA or
• Attach a void cheque or direct deposit form to each MSFAA

This allows the loan service providers to direct deposit loans for eligible students whose schools have not requested the entire disbursement for tuition. If a student either does not attach a void cheque or leaves Part C of either MSFAA blank, the loan service provider will contact the student to encourage them to provide this information prior to processing the MSFAA. Students who do not wish to provide bank account information will be mailed paper loan cheques.

Issuing Grants

Grants are not issued until the student has submitted both MSFAAs (Canada and Alberta) and the educational institution have confirmed registration. Grant cheques are mailed to the student’s home address.

Keeping Loans Interest Free

Students with Previous Loan Funding

If you are a full-time student without current student loan funding but have had loans in the past, you can request that your loan be put into interest-free status by filling out the proper confirmation of enrolment forms. Confirmation of enrolment forms must be signed by our Financial Aid office.

Alberta Works Grant Funding

Alberta Works Learner Income Support Program, administered by Alberta Human Services:

• Provides grants for books, tuition and living allowance
• Provides financial support for adult residents of Alberta who are attending full-time or part-time Academic Upgrading
• More information can be found at XXX (put a link to information here)

Application Process

Step 1
Apply for Admission to Academic Upgrading.  Write placement test if required.

Step 2
Once admission letter is received, pay the Tuition Deposit and register in your courses.

Step 3
Download and complete your application for Alberta Works Learner Benefits at the following website: https://myalbertasupports.humanservices.alberta.ca/CitizenPortal/application.do 

Step 4
Bring in your signed consent form.  We will complete your Training Provider Information Form for you and we can send them both in by government courier.  If you completed your application on paper we can send that in for you too!

Please note:
Students need to apply, pay the application fee, write the placement assessment (if necessary) and meet with a Financial Aid Liaison to determine Alberta Works eligibility.

Sponsorship

If your agency would like to sponsor a student for some or all educational costs, and would like to be billed directly, please complete the Confirmation of Sponsorship form found below.

Confirmation of Sponsorship (97K) Adobe Acrobat Document

On the form is also an area which covers the non-refundable tuition deposit that students are required to pay at the time of registration. Students are not formally registered in classes until this deposit is paid. If your organization is willing to pay this deposit on their behalf, please indicate that in the appropriate location on the form.

The following document provides some information on how GPRC’s application, admission and registration process works.

Sponsorship Guidelines (275K) Adobe Acrobat Document

If you would like more information or assistance in completing the form, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Apprenticeship

If you are a registered apprentice in Alberta and require financial assistance while attending full-time technical training, there are several options:

Student Aid Alberta

Apprenticeship programs are now eligible for Alberta Student Aid at designated institutions.

For more information, please visit studentaid.alberta.ca

Canada Apprentice Loan

CAL is loan funding offered by the Government of Canada to apprentices registered in a Red Seal trade apprenticeship program who are enrolled in technical training. CAL is meant to help apprentices pay for tuition, tools, equipment, living expenses, cover forgone wages or support their family.  For more information please visit www.canada.ca/apprentice

Canada Apprenticeship Grants

The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG) is a taxable cash grant of $1000 per year/level up to a maximum of $2000.  This grant helps registered apprentices in designated Red Seal trades get started.  The Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) is a taxable cash grant of $2000.  This grant helps registered apprentices who have completed their training become certified journeypersons in designated Red Seal trades. For more information on these grants please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/apprenticeship/index.shtml

Scholarships

Apply for scholarships available only to apprentices at www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca

Room of Plenty

We understand that money can sometimes be tight when you are waiting for your funding to come through.  GPRC has a very generously stocked on campus food bank available for struggling students. To access this prompt, discreet service please visit Financial Aid in Student Services.