The Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship recognizes high-achieving graduate students at the University of Alberta. The award is worth $12,000 and is paid as a one-time payment. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons and international students with study permits can be eligible.
The regular faculty-nomination route does not use a direct student application in the central awards portal. Each home faculty manages its own process and nominates candidates to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The university-level faculty nomination deadline is 13 November 2026, but student deadlines vary and may be earlier.
Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Details
The Government of Alberta funds the award through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund. It is open to course-based and thesis-based master’s or doctoral study, including eligible graduate certificates that ladder into a master’s degree. Students must be living in Alberta while enrolled at the University of Alberta.
Recipients need a Canadian bank account and an Alberta address recorded in Bear Tracks for payment. The award is not renewable within the year, although a faculty may nominate an eligible student again in a later year. Academic achievement is the central purpose of the scholarship.
Award | Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) |
|---|---|
Institution | University of Alberta |
Value | $12,000 one-time payment |
Levels | Master’s, doctoral and eligible laddering certificates |
Study types | Course-based or thesis-based |
Citizenship | Domestic and eligible international students |
Application | Home-faculty process and nomination |
Deadline | Faculty dates vary; Indigenous route closes 13 October 2026; faculty nominations due 13 November 2026 |
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Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Benefits
Each selected University of Alberta recipient receives a $12,000 one-time payment. The money recognizes academic excellence rather than funding a prescribed project. Students should plan for the payment conditions, including an Alberta address and Canadian bank account.
Other current graduate funding options include the SMART Scholarship, the Monash Research Scholarships and the UBC OIS Award. Each serves a different institution, level or applicant group, so eligibility should not be combined.
Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Eligibility
Applicants can be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons or international students holding a study permit. They must be registered in an eligible University of Alberta graduate route and live in Alberta while enrolled. Citizenship information must be current in Bear Tracks by the faculty deadline.
Both master’s and doctoral students can qualify, and some laddering graduate certificates are included. Students must be registered full-time in Fall 2026 and/or Winter 2027 (accommodations may allow 40% of a full course load). The home faculty may apply additional internal selection rules. Applicants should therefore follow their faculty’s notice even when the central award page uses broader language.
Requirements and Documents
Students must complete the official AGES Student Declaration form and send it to the home faculty by the faculty’s internal date. The faculty, not the student, submits the final nomination through the central awards system. Students using the regular faculty route cannot bypass nomination with a direct portal application.
The home faculty may request transcripts, academic statements or other evidence for its ranking. Students submit the signed AGES Student Declaration to their faculty, which forwards nominations to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies; ask the faculty exactly which supporting documents it needs in the nomination package. Contact the faculty early because the student deadline can precede 13 November. Applicants considering broader Canadian options may also review the BCDI Scholarships guide.
How to Apply
Contact the home faculty or department and ask for the current AGES internal procedure and deadline. Confirm that the programme and enrolment status are eligible, then complete the Student Declaration. Supply any records the faculty uses for nomination ranking.
For the faculty-nomination route, submit materials to the faculty rather than directly to the central awards portal. The faculty forwards successful nominations to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Monitor university email for requests or a result and keep Bear Tracks information current.
Application Deadline
URGENT: the AGES Indigenous direct-application route closes on 13 October 2026. The university’s current faculty memo confirms that eligible Indigenous graduate students can apply directly to GPS through the GSMS Awards Portal. This is a separate route from regular faculty nomination, and the Indigenous route is open to Canadian citizens only; check its own eligibility and application requirements.
The applicant deadline for the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship varies by faculty. Faculties must send their nominations to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by 13 November 2026. A student’s own deadline will normally be earlier.
Do not treat 13 November as permission to wait until that date. Contact the home faculty now and use its written internal schedule. The central date is included for context because students cannot submit the final nomination themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers distinguish the student’s faculty process from the university’s nomination deadline. That distinction is essential for a valid application.
The award page covers both domestic and eligible international students. Individual faculties may use additional ranking procedures within the university rules.
How much is the scholarship worth?
The University of Alberta award is a $12,000 one-time payment.
Can international students receive AGES?
Yes. International students with a valid study permit can be eligible if they meet the other university and faculty conditions.
Can students apply directly in the awards portal?
For the regular faculty route, students submit materials to their home faculty. The separate AGES Indigenous route allows eligible Indigenous students to apply directly to GPS through the GSMS Awards Portal.
What is the student deadline?
It varies by faculty and is normally earlier than the 13 November 2026 university nomination deadline.
Are course-based master’s students eligible?
Yes. The award is open to course-based and thesis-based graduate study under the stated conditions.
Is the scholarship renewable?
It is not renewable as the same annual award, but a faculty may nominate an eligible student again in a later year.
Conclusion
The Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship provides a significant $12,000 payment for strong University of Alberta graduate students. Its nomination system means the home faculty is the critical contact. International students can qualify alongside eligible domestic students.
Ask the faculty for its internal deadline, complete the Student Declaration and update Bear Tracks well before the nomination date. Use the faculty process unless eligible for the separately advertised Indigenous direct-application route. The verified university nomination date is 13 November 2026, but the operative student deadline varies.
