Requirements

How does my academic progress factor into my student loans or other funding?

As a fundamental requirement of your student aid, you are required to successfully complete the academic requirements of their program of study to continue to be eligible for financial assistance.

In addition to unsatisfactory grades, these situations—incomplete courses, course extensions, withdrawals, multiple program switches, multiple repeats of a program, or taking multiple programs—may be considered as insufficient academic progress. It is in your best interest to maintain satisfactory academic progress to be considered for further government financial assistance.

• Full-time and part-time externally funded students (government loans, sponsored students) are subject to the regulations and requirements of their external funding agency.
• Funded students are encouraged to submit assignments and complete course projects regularly. As a guideline for demonstrating academic progress, you should have submitted a minimum of 50 per cent of your course work and assignments within 60 days from your semester start date. The majority of course work needs to be submitted, and the final exams need to be booked to be written 1 month before the start of the second semester.
• Academic progress is monitored and will be confirmed 1 month before the start of the second semester. If satisfactory academic progress is not achieved by the contract end date, your second semester courses and continued funding eligibility may be negatively affected. If you do not demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, AU must report the status to the provincial funding agency. The funding for your second semester will likely be discontinued.

How do course extensions affect my government student funding?

• Full-time funded students are expected to successfully complete their courses within the 4-month funded term.
• Course extensions should be used with caution as government funding agency regulations take precedence over related AU policies.
• Full-time funded students are granted one 2-month extension at no charge, plus up to 3 additional 2-month purchased extensions in each course. 
• Course extensions do not extend full-or part-time status or funding eligibility. 
• The extension begins on the first day of the month following your course contract end date. 
• Course extension requests for student aid funded courses must be received 1 month before the course end date.
• Full-time funded students are not able to extend courses via myAU. Printable Undergraduate Course Extension forms are available online. 
• Email the completed course extension form(s) to sfa@athabascau.ca.
• If you are extending your courses at the end of your funding term, you will be unable to proceed in your second semester or start a new funding term until all the previous courses are completed.

If I have to withdraw from a course, how does that work with my government student loan?

• The AU regulation applies to funded students. If a withdrawal changes your status from full-time to part-time, your funding agency will be notified accordingly. 
• When a student loan is used to pay for courses, any eligible refund will be issued to the loan service provider to be applied to your loan balance. 
• If you are withdrawing from a funded course, you may not be able to apply for funding to re-register in the course. Students are eligible to apply for full-time funding for the initial registration and 1 re-registration in each course provided they are eligible for subsequent funding.
• Withdrawals must be formally requested; simply not completing assignments or not attending class does not constitute a withdrawal. All withdrawal requests must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar and bear the student's signature.  
• Full-time funded students are not able to withdraw from courses online. 
• To formally withdraw from a course, complete and submit a Course Withdrawal Request form (individualized study) (grouped study).
• Please scan and email the completed Course Withdrawal Request form to sfa@athabascau.ca. 
• Remember to include your name and AU ID number in your email.
• The withdrawal date will be the date and time on the emailed document.
• Withdrawal timeframes are important. You may withdraw from a course any time during the active study period unless the final examination is written. 
• If you are expecting a refund, please refer to the Undergraduate Calendar. 
• Please refer to the AU regulation for more detailed information on withdrawal timelines and what goes on a student's academic record.
• Nursing students: Please consult the Undergraduate Course Withdrawal regulation to explain the academic impact of a withdrawal from a nursing clinical and the process that must be followed.

How do refunds work at AU?

To be entitled to a refund, you must withdraw from the course (except for challenge courses) any time up until 30 days after the course start date, and you must meet specific criteria found in the refunds section of the Undergraduate Calendar.

If returning course materials, please return to:

What is the maximum course load I can manage?

AU intends to support your academic success. To ensure that students do not overburden themselves, AU imposes a course load maximum for each semester. We recommend starting with three, 3-credit courses per 4-month semester if you are a first-time funded student.

Use AU's Counselling Services resource to determine if you are ready for full-time studies.

Students may not be active in more than 6 courses at any given time. Course(s) remaining incomplete by the second semester registration deadline may trigger the maximum course load. Preventing registration and the release of student financial aid disbursements for the second semester.