Alberta students sound alarm over financial aid changes
Posted Jun 9, 2026 8:25 am.
Last Updated Jun 9, 2026 8:28 am.
Alberta post-secondary student unions are sounding the alarm over recent changes to the student loan formula that would dampen enrollment.
For starters, students will have to contribute twice as much per loan year, from $1,500 to $3,000, and family income is being considered in the student loan equation after it was removed in 2012. Parental and spousal income will be evaluated to determine how much help a student receives.
“Students, they are incredibly worried about paying their tuition because it is that much harder to access student financial assistance,” said Mahad Rzain, president of the University of Calgary Student Union.
“Now it costs twice as much to even access help in a time when there is inflation.”
He says this cuts into Alberta’s competitive advantage across the country, and worries that students will move elsewhere for better incentives for their higher education.
This also comes as undergraduate and graduate students at MRU, UCalgary, and the University of Alberta face tuition increases.
All three are seeing a two per cent at the domestic level. On the international level, it’s upwards of 5.5 per cent for international students for the U of A, four per cent for UCalgary, and 1.5 per cent for MRU.
Marianna Mejia Salazar, vice-president external of the MRU Students Association, says the timing couldn’t be worse, because it only contributes to larger barriers to education, particularly with an affordability crisis that many face.
“A lot of low-income families just really cannot afford to pitch into their kids’ education, and that’s why they seek Alberta student aid,” she said.
“It does leave a big question as to where the money will come when the parents or spouses are unable to provide that funding.”
Salazar worries about inflation, but also a high unemployment youth rate in Calgary, possibly leading to higher education unaffordability.
In response to concerns, the Advanced Education Minister pointed to $1 billion in the latest budget for student aid, including increases to non-repayable supports and modernizing financial help to better reflect students’ needs.
Applications for the 2026-27 school year opened on June 3.
