The application process for university students may have become a little easier on students and their wallets.
Apply Alberta, a new website launched on Tuesday, is a one-stop online application site where students can pay application fees and send copies of high school or post secondary transcripts for free.
The site is part of the Alberta government’s Access to the Future Act, an effort began by the government in 2005 to create a universal web-based system where students could apply to post-secondary institutions across the province.
So far, the site will accept applications for 20 different institutions around Alberta including the University of Alberta, NAIT and Grant MacEwan and independent colleges such as Kings University College and Concordia University College of Alberta.
Those applying to post-secondary will still have to pay the application fees to their institution of choice however transcript copies can be sent to the schools for free. This makes the process much easier for prospective students as transcript copies are generally sent to institutions for a $10 charge, and often have to be requested for in person.
Apply Alberta demanded a large amount of co-ordination as each institution had a separate system fro handling applications.
Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Doug Horner praised the site. As a former SAIT student and a father of two daughters in post-secondary, he related to the slow and often frustrating process of applying to post-secondary institutions.
"Four years, $14.5 million from the government of Alberta, and thousands and thousands of collaborative working hours later, Apply Alberta is a solid investment in the next generation," Horner said.
The website states that Apply Alberta is for programs that are a minimum of one year and will lead to a degree, diploma or certificate. Graduate programs and continuing education courses will need to be applied for directly through the school.
With files from The Edmonton Journal
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