The Alexander Rutherford Scholarship is funded by the Government of Alberta and administered by Alberta Student Aid, providing up to $2,500. This scholarship recognizes and rewards the academic achievements of high school students and encourages them to pursue post-secondary studies.
This scholarship has become one of the most popular and sought-after scholarships in the province, benefiting thousands of students each year. The Alberta government offers scholarships and awards to encourage and reward excellence among Albertans in post-secondary education.
The Rutherford Scholarship is named in honor of Alexander Rutherford, who had the distinction of being Alberta’s first premier and minister of education. He was known for his unwavering support of public education, particularly at the University of Alberta, and for his active involvement in community affairs.
Scholarship Overview :
- Level of Study: Undergraduate
- Location: Canada
- Eligible: Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and residents of Alberta at the time of application.
- Scholarship type: Government funded
- Scholarship value: Up to $2,500
- Application Status: Opens in early August for the online application
Scholarship Offer:
The Alexander Rutherford Scholarship provides up to $2,500 to recognize and reward the academic achievements of high school students and to encourage them to pursue post-secondary education.
Eligibility Criteria for Alexander Rutherford Scholarship
Apply once your official high school transcripts are available and you are currently enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies. High school transcript requirements vary.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must also meet all of these criteria below:
- be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or a person protected by Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (students with visas are not eligible).
- be a resident of Alberta and to be considered a resident of Alberta, the following conditions must apply.
- a parent or legal guardian must have held permanent residence in Canada for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to starting a program of study.
- the applicant has held permanent residence in Alberta for at least 12 months prior to commencing a program of study
- the applicant is not eligible to receive a scholarship for an academic year unless the applicant or their parents/legal guardians have resided in Alberta for the entire duration of that academic year.
- having completed high school on or after September 30, 1980. be enrolled in a full course program at a designated graduate educational institution or in an internship program of at least one semester.
Note: Postgraduate studies and professional programs (e.g. medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, etc.) are not eligible for this scholarship. You can receive the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship only once.
SCREENING
A student must have a minimum combined GPA based on five courses taken in at least one academic year, calculated from:
For Alberta residents;
Courses/grades on an official Alberta transcript
He finished high school outside of Alberta
Courses/grades on an official high school transcript taken in another province
Students will automatically be eligible for the following scholarships once they apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship. There is no separate application required for these scholarships.
- Rutherford Scholar Award
- Dr. Ernest and Minnie Mehl Scholarship
- Mildred Rowe Weston Memorial Scholarship
Apply online when your official high school transcripts are available and you are enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies.
How to apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship
Submit your application for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship
- Apply online:
All students must have a verified account to access the Alberta Student Support System. For help creating your account, visit the How to Apply section for step-by-step instructions and videos.
- Access your account information:
Student Aid recommends that you use your personal email address, rather than your school email address, in creating and verifying your Alberta Student Aid account.
Give parents/guardians access to your secure account
Your parents/guardians may be able to help you with some aspects of your grants/scholarships. To grant access to application information in your secure account, complete a Consent to Disclosure form or set up an authorization. Forms are available in the Requests and Forms section.
- Apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship:
The application for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship begins in early August for the online application. Students who had an application in progress and did not submit it should reapply when the new application is available in early August.
Apply after your official high school transcript results are available and when you enroll in full-time postsecondary studies. High school transcript quality requirements vary.
Step 1: Student Aid recommends applying when:
You will be studying full-time post-secondary between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024.
Note: You must be currently enrolled in full-time university studies to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
Your official high school transcripts are available.
You have completed all the high school developmental credit courses you are taking – since you can only apply once and you want to submit your highest grades.
Be sure Your high school remedial courses must appear on an official Alberta high school transcript.
And you graduated high school on or after September 30, 1980.
(High school transcript quality requirements vary. See details below)
Step 2: Log into your Alberta Student Aid account and select the Alexander Rutherford High School Achievement Scholarship in the Apply section.
The information you need to complete your application:
Personal Information
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Your SIN will be verified with the Government of Canada before your application is processed
- Alberta Student Number (ASN)
Your ASN can be found on your Alberta high school transcript
If you do not have an ASN, you can request one:
ASN Request
School Information
- The post-secondary institution you will attend
- Start date
- The high school you attended
Receiving Your Rutherford Scholarship:
You will be notified in writing of the results of your evaluation after Student Aid confirms your grades on your official final high school transcript. If you are eligible, Student Aid will send a request to your post-secondary institution, asking them to confirm your current enrollment:
- Apply before starting post-secondary studies
A registration confirmation request is sent to your educational institution before the end of the first month of study. - Apply during/after post-secondary studies
An enrollment confirmation request is sent to your educational institution one month after the approval of your request..
Once your educational institution receives the enrollment confirmation request, it has 30 days to respond.
If confirmation is not received within 30 days, Student Aid will send you an enrollment confirmation form. You will take the form directly to your school to complete. The form sent to you must be completed and submitted to Student Aid within 30 days of the date you receive it.
Student Aid will send you a check approximately 1 month after your school confirms your enrollment.
For more detailed information on Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, visit Alberta Student Aid page HERE