Bursary Partnership Program

Important dates

Overview

The Bursary Partnership Program (BPP) brings together sponsors and the Northern Alberta Development Bursary Program with a return of service bursary. The program will match sponsor’s amount of up to $3,500 per student per year. Sponsors must provide the Request for Matching Funds form per student, each year they want the program to match their funds.

• Download the program area map

As a Bursary Partner, you can:

• select an eligible student you wish to sponsor
• specify the type of training you want a student to have to meet your own or local needs
• contract with the student to work in northern Alberta for a specified time after graduation
• hold a return of service agreement with the selected student

Sponsors can provide bursaries to the same student for several years or can sponsor a number of bursaries in one year to different students.

Funding

The Northern Alberta Development Bursary program will match between $1,000 and $3,500 per student (maximum of $1,750 for a half-year program), for a total of $7,000 per student.

Higher matching funds are available for:

• pharmacy or large animal veterinary students ($7,000 per year)
• nurse practitioner students ($10,500)
• students enrolled in medical or dentistry school ($14,000 per year)

Bursary recipients commit to working in northern Alberta after graduation and can be asked to commit to working for the sponsor.

Only one bursary type per academic year

Students can only receive one of the following bursary types per academic year:

• Northern Alberta Development Bursary
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit Bursary
• Bursary Partnership Program

Students can apply for all the bursaries they are eligible for, but if selected for more than one bursary, the student will be contacted to determine which bursary they would like to proceed with.

Return of service commitment

Selected recipients sign a return of service agreement with the Ministry of Advanced Education.

The agreement commits the student to live and work within the program area for a specified amount of time upon graduation, based upon the total value of the bursary. Return of service is based on one month of full-time employment for every $500 of total bursary support. For example: A combined $4,000 bursary has a return service commitment of 8 months of full-time employment.

If selected, the Program Administrators will follow up with students to monitor them up to the completion of their return of service commitment. If students do not fulfil their obligation, they will be asked to repay the funds provided from the Ministry of Advanced Education.

Important

How to become a sponsor

If you are interested in being a sponsor, download a Sponsor Application form and email it to us at [email protected].

How sponsors proceed

Step 1. Sponsors need to create a student application form for your applicants to complete.

Step 2. Advertise for applicants

Businesses and organizations usually use one of the following methods to select students:

• advertising in local newspapers, websites or social media
• advertising through high schools, colleges, universities and technical schools

Sponsors can also ask the program administrators to recommend a student based on the sponsor's eligibility criteria. When possible, sponsors will be connected with an eligible student who has applied through the other bursary programs.

Step 3. Selecting your recipients

The sponsor or sponsor designate will accept and review all the eligible applications received.

Eligibility

• Be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person.
• Resident of Alberta for 12 consecutive months before the start of your program.
• Have applied or enrolled in a full-time, post-secondary school designated for provincial funding.
• Registered in a program that is at least 12 weeks in length for half of a bursary or 16 weeks for a full bursary.
• Plan to live and work in northern Alberta upon completion of your program and sign a return of service agreement.
• 18 years of age or older.
• Not in an apprenticeship program.
• Must not be in default of a provincial student loan.
• Have reasonably good prospects for employment in northern Alberta after graduation.

The applicant must have an arm’s length relationship with the sponsor. This means that the student must not be related to the sponsor, and that the selection of the student is completed through impartial means.

The sponsor or sponsor designate will select the applicants that best meet the criteria advertised.

Step 4. After selecting your recipient(s)

The sponsor completes the Request for Matching Funds form and emails the form to: [email protected].

Selected students may be asked to sign a return of service agreement with the sponsor.

Once the matching form has been received, a Program Administrator will email the selected student(s) a link to the online Bursary Partnership Program application.

Students need a verified Alberta.ca Account to submit their application. Verifying an Alberta.ca account can take up to 2 weeks.

Create your account

Selected students must fully complete and submit the Bursary Partnership Program application form online, attach supporting documents and answer the essay questions clearly and concisely.

Final eligibility review

The Program Administrators will verify the student has not received other funds from the program in the same academic year.

Once the student receives, signs and returns the Bursary Partnership Program agreement and confirmation of enrolment is received, the sponsor will be advised the application has been approved.

The sponsor releases their funds to the student.

Advanced Education releases the matching funds.

Contact

Connect with the program administrators:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed 12 to 1 pm and statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-624-6545
Email: [email protected]