Official Guidelines Updated: March 2026
Key Facts for 2025–2026:
The Alexander Rutherford Scholarship recognizes high school academic achievement and rewards eligible Alberta students with up to $2,500 toward post-secondary studies. There is no application deadline — apply anytime once your official high school transcripts are available and you are enrolled in a qualifying program. You can only receive this scholarship once.
Named in honour of Alexander Rutherford — Alberta’s first Premier and Minister of Education — this scholarship recognizes and rewards academic achievement at the senior high school level and encourages students to pursue post-secondary education. It is funded through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund and administered by Alberta Student Aid.
Unlike most scholarships, there is no fixed application deadline. You apply once your official high school transcripts are available and you are currently enrolled in a qualifying post-secondary program.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, you must meet all of the following:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Students on a visa or study permit are not eligible.
- Be an Alberta resident — either you have maintained permanent residence in Alberta for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before starting post-secondary studies, or one of your parents or legal guardians is a resident of Alberta. You or your parent/guardian must also have been a resident of Alberta throughout the qualifying grade year.
- Have completed high school on or after September 30, 1980.
- Be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program — at least 60% of a full course load at a designated undergraduate institution (in Alberta or anywhere else in the world), a private career college in Alberta, or be registered in an apprenticeship program as defined under the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act.
- Have a minimum five-course average of 75% in at least one of Grade 10, 11, or 12 (see award amounts below).
- Have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN).
You may only receive this scholarship once. Alberta Student Aid automatically assesses your average for all three grade levels — you may qualify for Grade 10, Grade 11, and/or Grade 12 depending on your marks.
Pro Tip:
Since you can only apply once, wait until you have completed any high school upgrading courses before submitting — you want to apply with your highest possible marks. Your upgrading courses must appear on your official Alberta High School Transcript of Achievement to be included in the assessment.
How Much Can You Get?
The scholarship amount is based on your five-course average for each qualifying grade. You can receive an award for each grade level where you meet the threshold — the maximum combined total is $2,500 if you qualify at all three grade levels at the 80%+ tier.
| Grade Level | Average 75% – 79.9% | Average 80% or above |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 10 | $300 | $400 |
| Grade 11 | $500 | $800 |
| Grade 12 | $700 | $1,300 |
| Maximum total | $1,500 | $2,500 |
Once your enrolment is confirmed by your post-secondary institution, Alberta Student Aid will mail a cheque to you within one month.
Selection Process
Your average is calculated from five designated courses in each qualifying grade. For Alberta residents, marks are taken from your official Alberta Transcript of High School Achievement. For students who completed high school outside Alberta, marks from your official high school transcript from another province are used.
When you apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, you are automatically considered for the following related awards — no separate application is required:
- Rutherford Scholar Award — recognizes the top ten students from Rutherford Scholarship recipients based on Diploma Examination results
- Dr. Ernest and Minnie Mehl Scholarship
- Mildred Rowe Weston Memorial Scholarship
How to Apply
There is no strict deadline — you can apply at any time once two conditions are met: your official high school transcripts are available, and you are currently enrolled in a qualifying post-secondary or apprenticeship program.
Before you apply, make sure you have your Social Insurance Number, your Alberta Student Number (if you have one), the name of the post-secondary institution you are attending, your program start date, and information about where you completed high school. For Alberta residents, Alberta Student Aid will access your Alberta Education transcript directly. If you completed high school outside Alberta, you will need to submit your official transcripts.
All applications are submitted online through your Alberta Student Aid account. You will need a verified Alberta.ca Account to access the system. Once your application is submitted, Alberta Student Aid will request confirmation of your enrolment from your institution. If your institution does not respond within a month, a confirmation form will be sent to you directly to submit on their behalf — this must be returned to Alberta Student Aid within 30 days.
If you want a parent or guardian to have access to your student aid information, you can fill out a Consent to Disclose form or assign a Power of Attorney through your account.
Other Alberta Student Aid Options
If this scholarship is not the right fit, explore other programs available through Alberta Student Aid:
- Alberta Student Grant for Full-Time Students — up to $425/month in non-repayable provincial funding for eligible students
- Alberta Grant for Students with Disabilities — up to $3,000 for exceptional education-related disability costs
- Alberta Student Loans — provincial loans to help cover tuition, books, and living costs
- Canada Student Grants — federal non-repayable grants assessed automatically through your Alberta Student Aid application
Ready to find a program? Explore eligible schools today.
