Alberta’s Enterprise and Advanced Education department’s new web site is proving very popular. Over 35,000 students visited the site to apply for post-secondary funding since June.

Stephen Khan, minister of enterprise and advanced education, says, “We want all Albertans who want to attend post-secondary to be able to, no matter what their financial situation is. Our Student Aid Alberta program helps students get the funding they need so they have one less thing to worry about when they are in school.”

He says more Albertans can attend post-secondary schools because of the improved program. Changes to contribution requirements make it easier for students to receive funding. As well, the new website supports the application process and follow-up, taking students through the various stages of applying for student loans and grants, obtaining their money and offering a variety of flexible repayment options. Students save time because they can easily find all the information they need on one site.

“This new website is a great example of how we’re using technology to improve the way we deliver services to students,” says Khan.

Jed Johns, president of the Grant MacEwan University Students’ Association in Edmonton, says, “The creation of Student Aid Alberta, along with its newly launched web site, has made it easier for students to apply for loans, become informed about the process, and is much faster in informing students if they have been approved and for how much. It’s a truly beneficial service.”

New features on the site allow many students who apply online to find out if they’re eligible for funding and how much they can expect to receive as soon as they’ve put in an application.

This year $274 million in student loans is available through Student Aid Alberta. It helps provide student aid through loans and grants to an estimated 53,000 full-time post-secondary students. The new website launched this June 15. Since then over 35,000 students in Alberta have applied for funding online for the 2012 – 2013 school year. Over 80 per cent of students who apply for student aid do so online.

Students can check out the site at studentaid.alberta.ca where they can register, set up a profile and create a password for privacy and security. Applications for student aid may be made at any time.

-Cryderman