How to apply for
student aid

Under Student Aid policy, you are considered full-time if you are enrolled in 60% or more of a full course load for your semester.

You can find the number of credits required for 60% on your program webpage under “Costs and courses.”

If you are enrolled in less than 60% of a full course load, you may be eligible to apply for part-time funding instead.

Student Aid will only fund a practicum, co-op, field placement, or other work-integrated learning if it is:

• Required to complete your program
• Not replaceable with another course

If the work integrated learning component is required and you are participating 30 hours or more per week, it may be assessed as full-time equivalent, even if the credit value is less than 60%.

Optional work integrated learning experiences are not eligible for full-time student loan funding. This means the credits for these courses will not count towards the assessment of your course load, nor are any associated costs eligible for reimbursement. Check the course description in the Costs and courses section of your program webpage to learn if your work integrated learning experience is optional or required.

If you have a break of 30 calendar days or more between the end of one class and the start of the next class, you must submit two separate loan applications—one for each study period.

If the break is less than 30 days, you only need to submit one application.

A study break is calculated by counting the number of calendar days between each class end date and the next class start date.

If you have a break of 30 days or more and you’re not sure how to apply, contact Financial Aid before submitting your application.

In your Student Aid application, you will select your study period from a list of date ranges.

Depending on your program and class schedule, you may see one option or several date ranges to choose from. These ranges are standardized Student Aid funding periods and may not exactly match your class start and end dates.

To determine which funding period applies to you, review your class start and end dates in MyQuest and apply the calendar month rules below.

Start month rule

• If your first class begins on or before the 15th of the month, funding includes that month. Select the first of the month.
• If your first class begins after the 15th, funding begins the next month. Select the first of the next month.

End month rule

• If your last class ends on or after the 7th of the month, funding includes that month. Select the last day of the previous month.
• If your last class ends before the 7th, funding ends the previous month. Select the last day of the month.

If your full-time studies are less than one month in length, Student Aid provides one full month of funding, based on when your class started.

For example: If your study dates in MyQuest are from September 17 to December 5, you would select October 1 and November 30 in the Alberta Student Aid application.

Tuition, mandatory fees and book costs are pre-populated in the Student Aid application for students enrolled in a full course load.

If you are taking less than a full course load, update your tuition and fee costs to match the amounts shown in MyQuest and your book costs to match The Core website.

Enter only your actual tuition and mandatory fees.

If you are unsure what amounts to enter, contact Financial Aid before submitting your application.

The process for applying for student aid differs for full-time and part-time students:

• Full-time students submit their application online through their Student Aid account.
• Part-time students must complete the part-time application form and follow the instructions on the form.

Start with Alberta Student Aid’s step-by-step guide and video demo on how to apply: How to Apply | Alberta Student Aid. It’s the best place to begin, especially if you’re feeling unsure about filling out the application form.

After you submit your application:

1. Alberta Student Aid reviews and assesses your application.
2. If approved, NorQuest confirms your enrolment before funding is released.

Enrolment confirmation takes place in the 30 days before your classes begin. Funding is released after this step is completed.

Student aid funding is based on your confirmed full-time registration and approved study period.

Changes to your enrolment after applying, such as:

• Dropping courses or reducing your course load below full-time requirements (60%, or 40% if approved for reduced course load)
• Withdrawing from your program
• Changing programs
• Creating a study break of 30 days or more

May result in:

• A reassessment of your funding
• A reduction in your funding amount
• Repayment of funds already issued
• An impact on your future eligibility under Student Aid policy

If you are considering making changes to your registration after applying for funding, contact Financial Aid first to understand how the change may affect you.

If you are unsure how Student Aid policy applies to your situation, contact Financial Aid before applying. Applying with accurate information helps prevent delays in your funding.

You may be eligible if you

• are enrolled either part-time or full-time in a qualifying NorQuest program.
• Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have protected person status.
• have limited financial resources.
• Meet the residency or dependent residency requirements for your province.

Visit your provincial student aid website to learn more about eligibility in your own province, including any different requirements for full-time or part-time students.

Fill in your program and personal details according to the Student Aid requirements of your province. Include income and parental information if applicable.

You may need to submit additional documents to complete your student aid application. Visit your province’s Student Aid website to find out which documents are needed.

If your province requires additional documents, submit them to the NorQuest College Financial Aid & Awards office at financial.aid@norquest.ca after completing these steps:

1. Include your NorQuest College Student ID on the form
2. Fill in only your personal information (do not complete the school's section)
3. In your email to Financial Aid include:
   • Which semester(s) you're applying for (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)
   • How many courses you plan to take in each

1. You will receive an Award Letter – Frequently check your provincial student aid portal (if applicable) or your email used on your application for communication.
2. Complete any additional documentation required by your province.
3. Important! For some provinces, you may be required to complete your Canada Master Student Financial Assistance Agreements MSFAA) if it is
   • your first time applying for a Canada Full time or Part Time Student loan
   • If there has been a gap between funding applications of two years or more

   Instructions will be included in your Student Aid portal if you are required to submit this documentation.