Alberta tightens student loan rules, raising costs
Post-secondary students must now contribute twice as much to loans, and parental income is back in the equation after 14 years.
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Alberta is making it harder for students to access financial aid, doubling required student contributions and reintroducing family income as a factor in eligibility.
Beginning this fall, students will need to contribute $3,000 per loan year, up from $1,500. More significantly, parental and spousal income will now be evaluated to determine assistance levels—a measure the province eliminated in 2012.
Student union leaders warn the changes will deter enrollment. "Students are incredibly worried about paying their tuition when it's that much harder to access help," said Mahad Rzain, president of the University of Calgary Student Union. "It costs twice as much to even access help in a time when there is inflation."
The timing compounds existing pressures. The University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and Mount Royal University are all raising domestic tuition by two per cent and international tuition by between 1.5 and 5.5 per cent for the 2026-27 school year.
The province says $1 billion in the latest budget is earmarked for student aid, including increases to non-repayable supports. Applications for the 2026-27 school year opened June 3.