Alberta has the best front-line health-care workers in the world. Alberta’s government is committed to making sure Albertans get the care they need, when and where they need it. That includes making sure there are more opportunities for more students. Making Alberta’s post-secondary system more affordable will help Alberta train the nurses the province needs.
Thanks to an additional $8.5-million investment in the New Beginnings Bursary, up to 1,700 nursing students will be eligible for a one-time, non-repayable $5,000 bursary. Recipients in nursing programs will be automatically selected from student loan applicants who meet program and financial eligibility criteria.
The additional funding builds off Alberta’s Healthcare Action Plan to help address the high demand for nurses and health-care professionals in Alberta. Last year, Alberta’s government created nearly 2,500 new seats in health-related programs across the province. Other initiatives include expanded training for internationally educated nurses and funding micro-credential programs in health-care fields.
The New Beginnings Bursary was created in 2022 to increase access to post-secondary education for those who might otherwise not be able to attend, due to financial constraints. By the end of the 2023-24 academic year, 3,400 low-income students will have benefited from the bursary, at a total investment of $17 million. The bursary began supporting students in the 2022-23 academic year. Alberta Student Aid will deliver funding to recipients who meet the eligibility criteria and have approved student loan and grant funding applications during the 2022-23 loan year.
Alberta’s Investment in Diverse Community Projects across Alberta
