Athabasca University Student Financial Aid Information
Note: Students whose fees are paid by a third party (e.g. employers, workers compensation, a band, etc.) are not financial aid students and should contact Enrolment Services for assistance.
Financial Aid Advisors
- Linda Baert
- 1-800-788-9041 ext. 6705
Surnames A-E - Morgan Newington
- 1-800-788-9041 ext. 6161
Surnames F-L - Becky Jonasson
- 1-800-788-9041 ext. 6793
Surnames M-S - Ingrid Donahue
- 1-800-788-9041 ext. 6654
Surnames T-Z
Application Process
You should apply for financial aid at least three months in advance of your anticipated start date. This is particularly important if you live outside of the province of Alberta because out-of-province students must apply to their home province for funding. We do not send financial aid packages to out-of-province students.
You are required to complete a Loan Study Plan once you have submitted your application to your Provincial Funding Agency.
If you have submitted a financial aid application and have any concerns with it, there are contact numbers to call. Alberta students may contact their nearest Career Development Center. Out-of-province students may contact their local student financial aid agency.
Once approved for funding, you can change your start date, but the approved loan documents have to be sent back to Students Finance and your application will be reassessed. The reassessment will delay your new student loan document by at least three weeks.
Your loan must be negotiated/cashed within 30 days of the financial aid advisor's signature. Information on how to negotiate/cash your student loan is included with the loan documents for all Alberta students. If you are an out-of-province student and you haven't received any information from your funding agency, you may contact the appropriate financial aid advisor.
Full-Time Student Status
Funded Undergraduate Student Full Time Status
Funded students receive a shortened contract for their courses. Three-credit courses are shortened to four months (instead of six) and six-credit courses are shortened to eight months (instead of twelve). Full-time requirements state that you must be registered in a minimum of sixty percent of a full course load or nine credits over four months for one semester or eighteen credits over eight months for two semesters. All courses in a semester must have the same start date.
To maintain full-time status, your must successfully complete at least 2 credits per month or 9 credits in any four month registration period. If you do not meet the minimum completion requirements, we may recommend to your funding agency that funding be discontinued.
Non-Funded Undergraduate Student Full-Time Status
In order for non-funded students (students who are not receiving government student financial aid ) to be granted full time status, the minimum course load required is 2 credits per month. This aligns with the Revenue Canada definition. http://calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad/current/page05_09.php
For AU Individualized Study students this means that they need to be actively registered in 4, three credits courses, all commencing on the same start date. (4 x 3 = 12, 12 credits/6 month contract = 2 credits per month).
Funded Graduate Full-Time Status
To qualify for full-time status for funding purposes in a four month semester at the graduate studies level, students must be registered in a minimum of a 60 percent course load (.75 credits per month). This is equal to one 4month grouped study course per 4month semester OR two 6 month individualized study courses per 4 month semester.
One 6 month graduate course is considered part time.
Non-Funded Graduate Full-Time Status
In order for non-funded Graduate students (students who are not receiving government student financial aid) to be granted full time status, the minimum course load required is .75 credits per month. For AU Graduate students this means that they need to be actively registered in one three credit course to be full time for four months (3 credits/4 month contract = .75 credits per month) or two three credit 6month individualized study courses commencing on the same start date. (3 credits x 2 = 6, 6 credits/6 month contract = 1 credits per month).
Academic Progress
We monitor the academic progress of all funded students and report your progress to your funding agency. If you do not demonstrate academic progress, we will recommend that funding be discontinued.
You must submit assignments and complete course projects on a regular basis. As a guideline for monitoring academic progress, you should have submitted at least 50 per cent of your course work and assignments within 60 days of your semester start date.
Maximum Course Load Policy
You may not be active in more than six courses at once. This does not include pre-registered or wait-listed courses.
Funded students should be aware of this policy as it may affect multiple semesters if course extensions are being purchased. You must ensure that you do not exceed the maximum course load while maintaining the minimum number of credits required for funding.
Course Extensions
Full-time funded students are allowed one free two-month extension plus up to an additional three two-month purchased extensions in each course. While any extension taken for the first semester does not delay the start date of the second semester courses, students who do not complete the required number of credits in their funding term may jeopardize their full-time status and thus future funding considerations. You should therefore be cautioned not to use extensions unless absolutely necessary.
For example, if you are registered in five three-credit courses in your first semester, you must complete a minimum of three of the courses in that semester. You may then take a maximum of four more three-credit courses in the second semester, extending the remaining two courses from the first semester.
Please note: If you are extending your courses at the end of your funding term, you will not be able to start a new funding term until all of the courses are successfully completed.
Course Withdrawals
The standard withdrawal policy applies to funded students. If a withdrawal changes your status from full-time to part-time, your funding agency will be notified immediately of this change in status. When a student loan is used to pay for courses, any eligible refund will be issued to the Service Provider to be applied to your loan balance.
Withdrawals must be formally requested; failing to complete assignments or attend class does not constitute a withdrawal. All withdrawal requests must be made in writing and bear your signature, or be made via our online system. To formally withdraw, you may submit a Course Withdrawal Request Form (also included in the Forms Package of your course materials), to the Office of the Registrar to the attention of your Student Financial Aid Advisor.
Confirmation of Enrolment
If you are a full-time student requiring confirmation of enrolment or deferral of interest forms, the request must be made before you are mid-way through your courses. Out-of-province students must provide us with their provincial document if it is required.
Contact AU Student Financial Aid
Office of the Registrar
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3
1-800-788-9041
Fax 780-675-6174
sfa@athabascau.ca
Office of the Registrar - Last Updated April 25, 2012
Related Links
- I want to read about Financial Assistance in the current AU calendar.
- How can I apply for bursaries and other awards based on financial need?
- Where can I find out about available student awards and scholarships?
- What funding resources are available for disabled students?
- Who can help me complete a loan study plan?
