Financial Aid

The Canadian Student Financial Assistance Program offers financial aid to full- and part-time post-secondary students. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons are eligible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

You apply for funding through your province of residence. You’ll be automatically assessed for provincial and federal financial aid and grants.

Your province of residence is usually the last province you lived in for 12 or more months without attending a post-secondary institution. 
For instance, a student who moves from Ontario in August 2026 to attend UCalgary in September 2026 would apply for financial aid from Ontario.

If you aren’t sure of your eligibility, contact your province of residence to confirm with them.

If you’re applying through Alberta, you can only get funding for 12 months in a row, no matter how many courses you take.

Open Studies students from Quebec and Ontario aren’t eligible for funding. All other provinces usually fund Open Studies.

Courses are weighted differently for Fall/Winter terms versus Spring/Summer terms. Please note that this may differ from the course load requirement for other offices on campus including UPass.

1. One course (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 20%
   Enrolment status: Part time
2. Two courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 40%
   Enrolment status: Part time
3. Three courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 60%
   Enrolment status: Full time
4. Four courses (per three units) 
   Course load percentage: 80%
   Enrolment status: Full time
5. Five+ courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 100%
   Enrolment status: Full time

1. One course (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 40%
   Enrolment status: Part time
2. Two courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 60%
   Enrolment status: Full time
3. Three courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 80%
   Enrolment status: Full time
4. Four+ courses (per three units)
   Course load percentage: 100%
   Enrolment status: Full time

1. Full-time students
   Students in course-based credentials (such as certificates, diplomas or degrees) are considered full time if they register in:
   • fewer than 6 units per term in the Fall and Winter terms, or
   • fewer than 3 units per term in the Spring and Summer terms.
2. Part-time students
   Students enrolled in course-based credentials (such as certificates, diplomas or degrees) are considered part time if they register in:
   • fewer than 6 units per term in the Fall and Winter terms, or
   • fewer than 3 units per term in the Spring and Summer terms

Registering in additional courses will change your status to full-time enrolment.

Students in the following types of programs are considered full- ime unless their program offers a part-time option:

• Thesis-based master's degree
• Doctoral degree

Refer to your program’s entry in the Graduate Calendar to find your program type.

Students in these program types listed above must get approval from their program to be designated part time. You must do this on an annual basis.

Part time students receive financial aid funding to pay for tuition, mandatory fees, and books/equipment.

Full time students receive financial aid to help cover education costs. They are also assessed for average living costs based on their province. This includes rent, food, clothing and transportation.

All students who have dependents are assessed for childcare costs. This applies no matter how many courses they’re taking.

You may no longer be eligible for funding if a change to your registration affects your enrolment status. This would include moving from full time to part-time status, or vice versa. If this happens, any funding that hasn’t been paid out will be cancelled.

UCalgary is required to update your lender of any registration changes. We do this on a weekly basis after the course add/drop deadline.

We strongly advise you to contact Enrolment Services and your lender before dropping any courses.

Undergraduate students 

Use the standardized first and last day of the month for your application.

1. Fall Term only
   Start date: Sept. 1
   End date: Dec. 31 
2. Winter term only
   Start date: Jan. 1
   End date: April 30 
3. Spring Term only
   Start date: May 1
   End date: June 30 
4. Summer Term only
   Start date: July 1
   End date: Aug. 31 
5. Fall and Winter Terms
   Start date: Sept. 1
   End date: April 30 
6. Spring and Summer Terms
   Start date: May 1 
   End date: Aug. 31 

Thesis-based graduate students: 
When applying for financial aid or interest-free status, you can apply for a maximum of 52 weeks of funding based on the term in which you were admitted. Applications for shorter periods are allowed.  Be sure to use standardized session start and end dates.

For example, if you were admitted in Winter 2025, you can apply from Jan. 1, 2025 until l Dec. 31, 2025.You can also apply using Sept. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2025 but you can’t  apply using Sept. 1, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026.

Course-based graduate students:
Use the standardized first and last day of the month for your application.

1. Fall Term only
   Start date: Sept. 1  
   End date: Dec. 31 
2. Spring Term only
   Start date: May 1 
   End date: June 30
3. Winter Term only
   Start date: Jan. 1 
   End date: April 30 
4. Summer Term only
   Start date: July 1 
   End date: Aug. 31 
5. Fall and Winter Terms
   Start date: Sept. 1 
   End date: April 30
6. Spring and Summer Terms
   Start date: May 1
   End date: Aug. 31

As a medical student, each program year has unique dates that you’ll use to apply for funding. Please refer to the table below to find your financial aid application dates based on your year of study and graduating year.

Class of 2026, 2027 & 2028
Year 1: July 1 to June 30 
Year 2: July 1 to Dec. 31
Year 3 (Application one): Jan. 1 to Dec. 31
Year 3 (Application two): Jan. 1 to April 30

When you complete the application, you'll be asked to provide personal information that includes: 

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Marital status
• Citizenship status  
• Alberta Student Number (ASN)
• Address and contact information
• University name
• Program
• Year of study
• Study period date

You'll also be asked to provide personal financial information that includes:

• RESP values
• Scholarships/bursaries
• Non-registered investments
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada/Band Funds 

If you're married or in a common-law relationship, you'll have to provide financial information for your spouse.

If you're considered a dependent student, you'll have to provide your parent/guardian's financial information.

Application assessment times vary by province. They can take four to six weeks to process. It's important to apply early.

Refer to the Government Student Aid tab under the ’My Financials’ section of your Student Centre for information about the status your application. You can find more help on using your student portal by accessing the how-to-guides.

If you applied for funding through a Canadian lender, you'll receive all funds will be deposited into your personal bank account. You are responsible for making subsequent payments with those funds towards your fees and residence, etc., by the posted deadlines.

If you have applied for U.S. student loans, UCalgary will request for funds on your behalf.

Click the red Error link to see why your confirmation of financial aid hasn’t gone through yet. If you need assistance, contact Enrolment Services.