Stay current with information that affects you

Check back here often for news updates relating to financial assistance and post-secondary education.

Enhancements to EDULINX Online Services  
Your previously cashed Alberta Student Loan certificate numbers are now available on your student profile with EDULINX Online Services.  This feature gives you easy access to your certificate numbers which you may use to gain access to the online application and/or the student funding inquiry screens.
Also, links to the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) website have been added to EDULINX Online Services.  These links provide a convenient way for you to access the NSLSC website for information about your Canada Student Loans.

Allowable Monthly Costs for 2007-2008 
Effective for the 2007-2008 academic year, you are no longer required to list monthly living costs on the Application for Financial Assistance. 

Authorization for Direct Deposit of Student Funding
Read the important information regarding direct deposit of funds.

Electronic Application for 2007-2008 is available
If you are starting studies August 1, 2007 or later, the Electronic Application is available.

Thinking About a Student Loan? 
If you are considering a student loan and you want to know how it works, check out the Entrance Counselling session on the EDULINX website before you apply.

Interest Free Status for a person on Parental Leave 
Effective April 1, 2007, if you take a break from full-time studies for parental leave, you may apply for interest free status on your Alberta Student Loans.

Interest Free Status for Medical Residents 
Effective April 1, 2007 you will no longer be required to pay interest or make payments (interest free status) on your Alberta Student Loans while you are completing medical residency training.

Taxation of Post-secondary Scholarships, Bursaries, Grants and Fellowships 
Federal legislation was recently approved authorizing the elimination of income tax on all income from scholarships, bursaries, grants and fellowships.

This means if you received a T4A for scholarships, bursaries, grants or fellowships, you do not have to report the amount shown in Box 28 on your 2006 income tax return as long as you are eligible to claim the Education Amount (Form T2202, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate).  If you are not eligible for the education amount, report the amount that is more than $500 on Line 130.

If you are unsure of your tax status, contact the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281 or visit www.cra.gc.ca

Power of Attorney for Alberta Student Funding 
If you are studying out of country or out of province or, if for any reason, you want to authorize someone else to act on your behalf in regards to Alberta Student Loans cashed by EDULINX and/or in regards to your student financial information, you will need to assign Power of Attorney to that person.  (Note:  The person that you designate as your Power of Attorney cannot sign for you on a paper student funding application or on the Electronic Confirmation of Financial Information letter, if you applied on-line.) You can request a Power of Attorney form by contacting the Student Funding Contact Centre; in Edmonton at 780-427-3722 or toll free in Canada at 1-800-222-6485; or e-mail by using the secure e-Contact service.  You can also contact EDULINX toll free at 1-866-827-0310.

Revocation of Power of Attorney for Alberta Student Funding 
A Power of Attorney remains in effect until revoked (cancelled) by the student.  To request a Revocation of Power of Attorney form for Alberta Student Funding, contact the Student Funding Contact Centre; in Edmonton at 780-427-3722 or toll free in Canada at 1-800-222-6485; or e-mail by using the secure e-Contact service.  You can also contact EDULINX toll free at 1-866-827-0310.

Remember:  This Revocation of Power of Attorney form revokes only the Government of Alberta Power of Attorney for Alberta Student Funding.  It does not revoke any non-government Power of Attorney that may have been submitted.

Start the school year off on the right financial foot  
It's easy to develop a Spending Plan that works for you as a student in school or as a former student already in repayment.  All you need is the right information.  There are lots of resources on the Credit Counselling Services of Alberta Ltd website to order free of charge or to download.  The "Stretch Your Dollars" workbook and "Money Strategies" tip sheets are recommended.

Parental Contribution Calculator 
A new tool is available to help parents or legal guardians estimate the amount of money they should contribute to their children's education.  The estimated amount is calculated using assessment tables for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Important Process for Alberta Student Loan Agreements that may apply to you  
If you cashed an Alberta Student Loan Agreement since August 1, 2006, you may be eligible to have your future Alberta Student Loan funding automatically paid without signing another Alberta Student Loan Agreement.  EDULINX will deposit funds directly into your bank account OR will send you a cheque if your banking information is not provided.

How will I know if this process applies to me?  The automatic payment only applies to you if your educational institution has "electronically" confirmed your registration directly with Students Finance AND your initial Alberta Student Loan Agreement has been cashed.  Visit the ALIS website to Inquire about a previously submitted application.

Important:  Your school can still request tuition fees be paid directly to them from your loan disbursement amount.  This amount will be indicated in the tuition portion on the Application Inquiry or you can go to www.edulinx.ca to find out the amount that has been paid to the school.  If you disagree with the tuition amount paid to your educational institution, contact your educational institution to negotiate directly with them.

Confused about which bursary you will receive? 
Please note that the Canada Millennium Bursary and the Millennium Alberta Rural Incentive Bursary are two separate bursaries.  If you are eligible for either or both of these bursaries, you will be notified separately.  Read your Notice of Assessment carefully to understand which bursary you will receive.

Child Care Subsidy 
If you have child care costs for preschool children, you may not be aware that all eligible Albertans may qualify for the Child Care Subsidy Program.  Click on the link to get complete information about the Child Care Subsidy or to try the Estimator.

Millennium Alberta Rural Incentive Bursary 
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, in partnership with the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, is offering rural Alberta* students a bursary of up to $1,000 per loan year through a joint initiative. (*Rural Alberta is defined as any community outside of Edmonton, Calgary, Sherwood Park and St. Albert)

You may qualify if you:

• attended a rural high school in Alberta, or lived in rural Alberta for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to starting post-secondary studies
• are attending a designated post-secondary institution in Canada
• are enrolled full-time in Year 1 or Year 2 of an undergraduate program of at least two years in length
• qualify for a minimum $1,000 in student loan funding

Important:  you must complete Schedule 3 of the Application for Financial Assistance to be considered for this bursary.