The purpose of the Faculty of Graduate Studies is to define and support excellence in graduate education and the research and scholarly activities associated with it.
AU Library also serves the needs of graduate students.
Athabasca University's Write Site is designed to assist students with academic writing assignments. Students can use this service to receive feedback about the writing component—organization, mechanics, grammar, and style—of an assignment before they submit it for marking.
Counsellors at Athabasca University's Counselling – Learner Support Services are here to help you clarify your career and educational goals plus provide you with the tools necessary to become a successful student; including learner success and mental health and wellness.
Accessibility Services – Learner Support Services is committed to providing students who have disabilities with reasonable, individualized accommodations and support services to facilitate access and the successful completion of AU programs and courses.
In Canada, students may be able to reduce income taxes payable by claiming tax credits for enrolment in and payment of tuition and academic fees for Athabasca University's credit courses.
Each February, the official Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate (Form T2202) will be available to all eligible students in printable format on myAU portal.
To be eligible for the tuition tax credit, the total of such fees paid to an educational institution in Canada for the year must exceed $100.
The calendar year for which the fees are paid, not the date on which the fees are paid, is used to calculate eligible tuition fees. Tuition fees paid for courses that extend beyond the calendar year-end will be pro-rated on the T2202 according to the period of course delivery pertaining to each calendar year.
For example, if a course has an October 1 start date and a March 31 contract end date, only 50 per cent of the tuition fee representing the October through December period will be reflected in the current year tax credit certificate. The remaining 50 per cent, representing January through March, will be reflected in the following year's T2202.
Students may be eligible for the Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate tax credit for each month of part-time or full-time registration. For income tax purposes, a full-time student at the graduate studies level is defined as a person actively registered in at least .75 credits per month (three credits for every four-month period).
The Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate (form T2202) will reflect the months of enrolment that are eligible to be considered as part time or full time. Further details concerning the Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate may be found in Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's (CCRA) Personal Income Tax Guide or by contacting a CRA district taxation office.
Financial assistance is available to part-time and full-time graduate studies students from their local financial aid agency. Full-time students may be eligible for loans, grants, bursaries, or scholarships.
To qualify for full-time status at the graduate studies level, students must be registered in a minimum of a 60 per cent course load (.75 credits per month). To qualify for a 100 per cent course load, students must register in a minimum of 12 credits (one credit per month).
For example:
| 3 credits for Term 1 6 credits for Term 2 3 credits for Term 3 |
Simply maintaining program status does not meet the requirements established by the Students Finance Board for full-time funding purposes. Students are responsible to ensure that they follow the financial assistance guidelines outlined by the Students’ Finance Board in the province in which they live.
Students who request that certification of a 100 per cent course load be provided to their financial aid agency, must identify their full 12-month study plan before their first term of study begins. Students are permitted to use any combination of credits in their three identified terms provided the total number of credits is equal to 12 and that they identify an active registration for each term.
For example:
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | Scenario 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 credits for Term 1 | 6 credits for Term 1 | 3 credits for Term 1 |
| 6 credits for Term 2 | 3 credits for Term 2 | 3 credits for Term 2 |
| 3 credits for Term 3 | 3 credits for Term 3 | 6 credits for Term 3 |
For more information about full- and part-time status, please refer to the Office of the Registrar's student financial aid information.
Contact AU Student Financial Aid
Office of the Registrar
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB T8S 3A3
1.800.788.9041
Fax 780.675.6174
sfa@athabascau.ca
AU policies and regulations governing academic conduct and appeals apply to all students. Refer to the Student Code of Conduct and Right to Appeal Regulations website.
Students presenting non-Canadian/non-United States credentials for possible transfer credit to an AU program must obtain an evaluation of post-secondary course work from an international assessment agency, for example, the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS). The credential assessment agency will assess each student's international educational documents and compare them to educational credentials in Canada.
All assessments, regardless of the agency used, must be completed using original documents or certified copies—official documents issued directly from the sending institution are preferred. For program-specific requirements, visit the applicable graduate program application page in the Calendar. Students must also submit copies of all foreign transcripts used in the assessment to AU. Please note AU reserves the right to request that official documents be sent directly from the institution to AU.
If you elect not to use an assessment agency, you may not obtain any transfer credit for your course work towards an AU program.
There are a number of foreign credential evaluating services whose assessments may be accepted. In Canada, refer to the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada.
AU can also accept assessments from the U.S. from members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Foreign Education Credential Service (AACRAO).
Information effective September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.
Updated November 18 2020 by laurab
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