Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship

The Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship is a one-time Alberta government award worth up to CAD $2,500. It rewards strong academic performance in Grades 10, 11 and 12 and helps eligible Alberta residents begin undergraduate or apprenticeship studies.

This is not an international scholarship, a University of Alberta scholarship or a full-tuition award.

Quick Answer and Scholarship Summary

Funding type, Coverage and Award Amount

The Alexander Rutherford Scholarship is partially funded because it provides a fixed academic achievement award rather than paying the complete cost of university.

Students can receive up to CAD $2,500, calculated from qualifying high-school marks.

Students may qualify based on eligible marks from one, two or all three grades. The maximum combined payment is CAD $2,500, and the scholarship can only be received once.

What Funding Does not Clearly Cover

The scholarship does not provide separate guaranteed funding for:

• Full university tuition
• Accommodation or residence fees
• Meals and personal expenses
• Books and academic supplies
• International or domestic travel
• Study permits or visa expenses
• Health insurance
• Dependant expenses

The payment can help reduce education costs, but applicants should arrange additional funding for tuition and living expenses.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant must:

• Be a Canadian citizen, Canadian permanent resident or protected person.
• Satisfy Alberta Student Aid’s residency requirements.
• Have completed high school on or after September 30, 1980.
• Have qualifying marks in the required Grade 10, 11 or 12 courses.
• Be enrolled in a full course load.
• Attend a designated undergraduate or apprenticeship programme lasting at least one semester.
• Have official high-school transcript marks available.
• Meet the institution and programme-designation requirements.

For residency, the applicant must generally have lived permanently in Alberta for at least 12 months before beginning the programme. Alternatively, the applicable parental or legal-guardian residency conditions must be satisfied.

5. International-Student Eligibility

International students studying in Canada with a temporary study permit are not eligible.

The scholarship is restricted to:

• Canadian citizens
• Permanent residents of Canada
• Protected persons under Canadian immigration law

An international applicant who later becomes a permanent resident may be considered only if all citizenship, Alberta residency, academic and enrolment requirements are satisfied.

StudyFinder should classify this scholarship as:

International students: No

Scholarship availability: Alberta domestic students

Language requirements

The scholarship does not publish a separate IELTS, TOEFL or French-language score.

However, applicants must meet the language-admission requirements of their chosen university, college, polytechnic or apprenticeship programme. Being eligible for the scholarship does not guarantee admission to a post-secondary institution.

Deadline and Current Scholarship Status

The 2026–2027 Alexander Rutherford Scholarship application is available for students attending full-time studies between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027.

Alberta Student Aid does not publish one fixed university-specific closing date. Students should apply when:

• Their official high-school marks are available.
• They have completed any planned high-school upgrading.
• They are enrolled in eligible full-time post-secondary studies.

Because the scholarship can only be received once, applicants should avoid applying before their best eligible upgrading marks appear on their official transcript.

Current status: Open
Fixed closing date: Not published
Recommended action: Apply after final marks and full-time enrolment are available.

Required Documents

Applicants should have the following information ready:

• Social Insurance Number
• Alberta Student Number
• Verified Alberta.ca account
• High-school information
• Post-secondary institution’s name
• Programme information
• Programme start date
• Official high-school transcript, where requested
• Residency information, where additional verification is required
• Proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or protected-person status, if requested

Students with an Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement generally do not need to upload it because Alberta Student Aid obtains the marks from Alberta Education.

Students who completed high school outside Alberta may need to provide an official transcript according to Alberta Student Aid’s instructions.

How to Apply

1. Confirm that you satisfy the citizenship and Alberta residency rules.
2. Use the school and programme eligibility search to confirm that your institution and programme are designated.
3. Wait until your final high-school transcript marks are available.
4. Complete any planned high-school upgrading before applying.
5. Create or sign in to your verified Alberta.ca account.
6. Enter the Alberta Student Aid system and select the Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship.
7. Provide your Social Insurance Number, Alberta Student Number, school and programme details.
8. Review the application carefully and submit it once.
9. Monitor your account and correspondence for the assessment result.
10. Ask your post-secondary institution to respond promptly if Alberta Student Aid requests confirmation of enrolment.

Selection process

The award is based primarily on academic achievement.

Alberta Student Aid calculates the applicant’s average using five designated courses from each qualifying high-school grade. The calculation is based on marks appearing on the accepted official transcript.

After reviewing the application, Alberta Student Aid asks the post-secondary institution to confirm the student’s full-time enrolment. Once enrolment is confirmed, an eligible applicant normally receives the payment by cheque.

Applicants are also automatically considered for certain related awards, including:

• Rutherford Scholar Award
• Dr. Ernest and Minnie Mehl Scholarship
• Mildred Rowe Weston Memorial Scholarship

No separate application is required for these additional awards.

Important Applicant Restrictions

Applicants should note the following restrictions:

• The scholarship can only be awarded once.
• Visa and temporary international students are ineligible.
• Graduate programmes are ineligible.
• Academic upgrading programmes are ineligible as the post-secondary programme.
• Professional programmes such as medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and optometry are generally excluded.
• The student must carry a full-time course load.
• The institution and programme must be designated.
• Receiving university admission does not automatically guarantee the scholarship.
• Open Studies may qualify only when the student maintains the required full-time course load.
• Applicants should not submit before completing planned high-school upgrading because a second application is not permitted.

Final Applicant Guidance

This scholarship is worth pursuing if you earned strong Alberta high-school marks and are beginning eligible full-time undergraduate or apprenticeship studies.

However, do not treat the CAD $2,500 award as a complete university funding plan. Compare tuition, accommodation and living costs, then search for additional entrance scholarships, bursaries and student aid.

Before applying, complete any planned upgrading, confirm that your programme is designated and make sure your official transcript contains your highest eligible marks. Since you only get one application and one award, timing matters.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for this scholarship has not yet been confirmed in the StudyFinder canonical record. Applicants should verify the latest closing date through the official scholarship source before applying.

Deadline verification: Check the official scholarship source for the latest country-, program-, university- or round-specific deadline.

FAQs

Is the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship fully funded?

No. It is a partially funded, one-time scholarship worth up to CAD $2,500.

Can international students apply?

No. Visa students are ineligible. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons and satisfy Alberta residency requirements.

Is this a University of Alberta scholarship?

No. It is an Alberta government scholarship administered by Alberta Student Aid.

Which universities participate?

There is no fixed partner-university list. The student must attend an institution and undergraduate programme designated by Alberta Student Aid.

Can I use the scholarship outside Alberta?

Potentially, yes. The institution and programme must be designated, while the applicant must continue to satisfy the scholarship’s Alberta residency and other eligibility rules.

Do I need IELTS to apply?

The scholarship has no separate IELTS requirement. The receiving institution may require proof of English or French proficiency for admission.

When should I apply?

Apply after your official high-school marks are available, any planned upgrading is complete and you are enrolled in eligible full-time studies.

How many times can I receive the scholarship?

Only once.

Can graduate students apply?

No. Graduate-level studies are not eligible.

How much can I receive?

The maximum combined award is CAD $2,500, based on qualifying marks from Grades 10, 11 and 12.