Alberta's Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides announcing additional funding for the New Beginnings Bursary program, February 8, 2023. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Provincial Politics

Province expanding New Beginnings Bursary program to help nursing students

Feb 8, 2023 | 12:12 PM

The Government of Alberta has announced more details of a bursary program aimed at assisting students who facing financial challenges.

The New Beginnings Bursary program was initially announced in June 2022.

READ MORE: $15 million bursary to help Alberta students struggling financially

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides announced an additional $8.5 million investment into the program. That funding will be used to expand the program with a focus on nursing students.

Up to 1,700 nursing students are now eligible for a one-time, non-repayable $5,000 bursary. The province noted that recipients in nursing programs will be automatically selected from student loan applicants who meet program and financial eligibility requirements.

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Nicolaides said the bursaries have been fully allocated and recipients are currently in the process of being contacted by Alberta Student Aid.

He stated that the provincial government wants “to ensure every student can gain the knowledge and skills they need to build successful careers at home and secure Alberta’s future.”

The province said this latest funding, focused on nursing students, is one way the government is addressing issues concerning the healthcare system in Alberta. In 2022, the government helped create roughly 2,500 new seats in health-related programs across the province.

Minister of Health Jason Copping stated, “Health care needs continue to grow in our province and we need more local professionals familiar with the challenges in their area.”

Copping added, “By increasing education opportunities for Albertans, we improve the chances of retaining home-grown talent.”

By the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, the province said 3,400 low-income students will have benefitted from the New Beginnings Bursary program. The total investment into the program is $17 million.

NDP Advanced Education Critic David Eggen, issued the following statement in response to the government’s expansion of the New Beginnings Bursary:

“Today’s announcement is pennies on the dollar compared to the cuts and increased costs students have faced under the UCP.

“Tuition at the University of Calgary has increased 33 per cent since 2019, with international students facing a 40 per cent increase in costs. This includes an eight per cent increase to nursing tuition next year and comes at a time when we are already facing a shortage of nurses.

“At the same time, the UCP has cut almost $700 million from post-secondary institutions, and most students don’t qualify for affordability payments as the cost of groceries, utilities, and auto insurance continues to increase under the UCP.

“An NDP government will invest in post-secondary institutions in order to make education more affordable, while building a skilled workforce and resilient economy.”

More information about the bursary is available at the Government of Alberta website.