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Athabasca University
Athabasca University works differently from every campus school: you pay per course, courses start on the 1st of every month, and you study from wherever you already live. This is what paying for an AU degree actually looks like, which deadlines are actually yours to track, and where the award money is hiding.
$908–$972
Cost per 3-credit course
AU's 2026–27 all-in course fee for Alberta residents — tuition, fees, and textbooks included. Business and Health faculty courses run $971.50, Humanities and Science $907.50.
Source$36,300+
Estimated full degree cost
AU's estimate for a 120-credit degree for an Alberta resident, depending on program. Out-of-province students pay about $7,600 more.
Source81%
Of AU undergrads work while studying
The average AU undergrad is 32 years old. AU is built to fit around a job, and most students take courses as they can afford them.
SourceApply to Alberta Student Aid
Student Aid funds AU students full-time and part-time, and recommends applying at least 60 days before your course starts. AU's rule is stricter: funding approval must be in place a full month before your course start date, and there's no flexibility on it.
Register and pay by the 10th for next month's start
Courses start on the 1st of every month, and registration with full payment has to be processed by the 10th of the month before. Register by May 10 for a June 1 start. Miss it and you're waiting another month.
Your only refund window
Withdraw within 30 days of your course start date and you get tuition and fees back minus a $207 processing fee. After 30 days there is no tuition refund at all. This is the AU equivalent of a drop deadline, and it comes fast.
Course contract deadline
Everything in a 3-credit course is due within 6 months of the start date. Extensions cost $230 each, up to three — and on a funded course, an extension gets reported as a withdrawal and can cancel future funding.
AU awards and graduate funding
AU administers its own awards and bursaries year-round, and graduate students have a dedicated funding program. Because courses start monthly, you can apply the moment you're eligible instead of waiting for a semester cycle. Award applications: fihi.ca/s/au-awards. Graduate funding: fihi.ca/s/au-grad-funding.
Eating well for less as an Athabasca University student
AU has no cafeteria, so your food budget is a grocery budget. A $50 to $75 a week system for home cooking, plus cheap eats near the Edmonton and Calgary learning centres and AUSU food support.
Getting started at Athabasca University: costs, deadlines, and your first month
AU has no fall tuition deadline: you pay per course, and each course starts on the 1st of the month. What your first course costs, the 30-day refund window, and how to start without wasting money.
Athabasca University housing: why you probably don't need to move
AU has no residence and no need for one: 36,000 students study from home. Rent in Athabasca, Edmonton, and Calgary, plus where to stay if you travel in for a science lab.
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Does Athabasca University use OSAP?
OSAP and every other provincial program fund AU students, because AU is a designated institution in Alberta. If Alberta is your province of residence, you apply through Alberta Student Aid. If you live in Ontario, you apply through OSAP. Your province of residence decides, not the school's location.
Am I a full-time student at AU if I take one course?
No. Full-time for Student Aid purposes means 9 credits over 4 months, all starting on the same date, which is at least 60% of a standard course load. Part-time study also qualifies for aid, just at lower amounts, and AU puts funded students on compressed 4-month contracts instead of the standard 6.
Do I have to apply separately for AU awards?
Yes. AU administers awards and bursaries through its own awards system, and they run year-round rather than on a semester cycle. Since courses start every month, check the awards page when you register for a course rather than waiting for a fall or winter window.
What happens if I can't finish my course in 6 months?
You can buy up to three 2-month extensions at $230 each. That's $690 to stretch a course by half a year, so decide early whether the course will get finished. If you're funded by Student Aid, an extension is reported as a withdrawal and can cancel future funding, so talk to AU's financial aid team before buying one.
Do I need to file taxes as an AU student?
Yes. AU issues T2202 tuition tax forms through the myAU portal every February, and filing is how you claim those credits and register for benefits like the GST/HST credit. Online students claim the same tuition credit campus students do.
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