ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD Frequently Asked Questions HOW DO I APPLY? 1. Do I need to submit an application form? 2. When can I apply? 3. Can I fax or my completed application form? 4. What is the application deadline? 5. Do I need to be formally accepted by the educational institution before I can apply? 6. Can I still apply even if I am unsure of having met the required average? 7. Is there a time limit to apply for this scholarship? 8. Do I need to send my high school transcript? 9. Is a social insurance number required? 10. I forgot to apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship and I have now completed my postsecondary program, can I still apply? 11. When do I find out if I will be receiving a Rutherford Scholarship? 12. I ve made changes to my original application, what do I do? 13. Where can I obtain a post-secondary institution code? 14. Is an Alberta Student Number required? How do I obtain one? HOW DO I QUALIFY? 15. How do I qualify for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 16. What are the course requirements to receive a scholarship? 17. I graduated from high school a few years ago, how will I know what amount of scholarship I can receive? 18. Do I need to complete all my high school courses before entering post-secondary studies? 19. Can I retake or rewrite a course to have my Alexander Rutherford Scholarship re-assessed? 20. Can I take a lower level course after completing the same course at a higher level? 21. How many courses do I need to take to be considered a full-time student? 22. What is the value of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 23. What are CTS Courses and can I use them for the Rutherford Scholarship? 24. Can CTS courses be combined? 25. What are College Preperation Courses? 26. Are upgrading courses used in the assessment for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 27. What are IB Courses? 28. Are IB courses eligible for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 29. What are Green Certificate Courses? 30. Can Green Certificate Courses be used for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 31. Is Home Schooling eligible? 32. If I am home schooled how do I find out if the courses I am taking are eligible?

2 33. Which courses are not used in the assessment of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? 34. Are averages rounded-up? 35. Is Open Studies or Unclassified Program eligible? 36. Are courses with a Pass, on a high school transcript, eligible for the Rutherford assessment? HOW DO I RECEIVE PAYMENT? 37. When is the award disbursed? 38. Is my cheque mailed to the institution? 39. My cheque is lost or I have misplaced it. How do I get a replacement? 40. I received my cheque, but I have now withdrawn from post-secondary studies or I am now a part-time student. What happens to my scholarship? 41. How many Alexander Rutherford Scholarships can I receive? WHAT IS A RUTHERFORD SCHOLARS AWARD? 42. Who is eligible for the Rutherford Scholars award? 43. How are recipients selected for a Rutherford Scholars award? 44. What is the value of the Rutherford Scholars award? 45. What are the required subjects to receive a Rutherford Scholars award? ARE THERE OTHER AWARDS? 46. Where do I find out if I qualify for other scholarships? 47. Where can I find information about student loans and grants? 48. Do I have to declare the amount of my scholarship on my income tax? COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Since it was first available to high school students in the early 1980 s, a number of changes have occurred to the amount of the scholarship and the course eligibility. A chart of these changes can be found at the end of this document.

3 ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD Frequently Asked Questions Background on Alexander Rutherford Born in Ontario in 1857, Alexander Rutherford came to Alberta in 1895 after obtaining arts and law degrees at McGill University and practicing law in Ottawa for several years. He settled in Strathcona, then known as Edmonton South, where he practiced law. Entering politics in 1902, Rutherford was elected as a member of the Northwest Territories Legislature. He was the Deputy Speaker of the House until 1905, the year Alberta became a province. On September 1, 1905, Alexander Rutherford was asked by Lieutenant-Governor Bulyea to form an administration for the new province. He served as Premier, Minister of Education and Provincial Treasurer. He retired from political life in Premier Rutherford was also responsible for the founding of the University of Alberta in He served as its chancellor from 1927 until his death in The scholarship named in his honour, rewards exceptional academic achievement at the senior high school level and encourages students to pursue post-secondary studies. HOW DO I APPLY? 1. Do I need to submit an application form? Yes, you must submit an application form. Application forms are available on the website: alis.alberta.ca/scholarships or from your high school counsellor. 2. When can I apply? The best time to apply is when you are in Grade 12 and are planning to pursue post-secondary studies full-time either in the fall or winter semester. 3. Can I fax or my completed application? No, you must submit a signed original application. You can either mail your application, have it couriered or you can deliver it in person. Faxed of scanned applications will not be accepted. 4. What is the application deadline? There are two application deadlines: May 1 st for September studies and December 1 st for January studies. Applications must be post-marked by the application deadline.

4 5. Do I need to be formally accepted by the educational institution before I can apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? No, you do not need to wait for your formal acceptance. Apply by the application deadlines and indicate the post-secondary school you plan to attend. If you decide to postpone your studies or change educational institution, you can inform Alberta Scholarship Programs. 6. Can I still apply even if I am unsure of have met the required average? Yes, you can still apply. Alberta Scholarship Programs will do an automatic assessment of your academic average for all three grades. You may qualify for Grade 10, Grade 11 or Grade 12. Apply even if you do not have your final Grade 12 transcript. 7. Is there a time limit to apply for this scholarship? No, there is no time limit to apply for this scholarship; however, apply only when you have decided to pursue full-time post-secondary studies. 8. Do I need to send my high school transcript? For grades completed in Alberta, you do not need to send a high school transcript; Alberta Scholarship Programs will obtain your transcript directly from Alberta Education. However, if you attended high school outside of Alberta you must attach a copy of your official high school transcript with your application form. 9. Is a social insurance number required? Yes, your social insurance number is required in order to process your application and to issue a cheque. If you need a social insurance number, please call or visit the following website: for information on how to apply. 10. I forgot to apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship and I have now completed my post-secondary program, can I still apply? Yes, you can still apply. Simply submit an official transcript from your post-secondary institution with your application and mail to Alberta Scholarship Programs. Your transcript will be considered as proof of enrolment. 11. When do I find out if I will be receiving a Rutherford Scholarship? You will be notified, by mail, of the status of your application in late August for September start date and mid-february for January start date. 12. I ve made changes to my original application, what do I do? You should notify Alberta Scholarship Programs of any changes such as: Change of address Delay of entry into post-secondary study, or Change of choice of educational institution. You can send an at: scholarships@gov.ab.ca or call or call toll free (Rite Line): Where can I obtain a post-secondary institution code? On your application form you must include the four digit post-secondary institution code of the educational institution you plan to attend. Institution codes can be found at: alis.alberta.ca/pdf/scholarships/codes.pdf.

5 14. Is an Alberta Student Number (ASN) required? How do I obtain one? Yes, an ASN is required. The ASN is the single unique identifier of all Alberta learners. It is also used by all post-secondary institutions in Alberta. This number is required to be able to process your application for a scholarship. To obtain your ASN visit and click on student then click on Alberta Student Number. HOW DO I QUALIFY? 15. How do I qualify for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? To qualify you must: be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be an Alberta resident you or your parents or a parent must have resided in Alberta during the qualifying grade(s), have completed high school on or after September 30, 1980, be enrolled full-time in a post-secondary program of at least one semester in length or be an apprenticeship student, and have attained an overall required average in five designated subjects in either Grade 10, 11 and/or 12 as calculated from marks on a valid Alberta Education transcript. You do not need to meet this average in all three school years or in all courses to qualify for a portion of the scholarship. 16. What are the course requirements to receive a scholarship? Over the years there have been changes to both the amount of the scholarship and the course requirements. Please refer to the Course Requirements section at the end of this document. 17. I graduated from high school a few years ago, how will I know what amount of scholarship I can receive? Below is a chart outlining the value of the scholarship you would be eligible for depending on the year you completed high school: ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD SCHOLARSHIP Before to 2006 April 1, 2006 April 1, 2008 Change to Award Value Change to Grade 12 Course Criteria Change to Academic Requirement Average 80.0%+ 80.0%+ 80.0%+ 75.0%-79.9% 80.0%+ Grade 10 $300 $400 $400 $300 $400 Grade 11 $500 $800 $800 $500 $800 Grade 12 $700 $1,300 $1,300 Students can use two Grade 12 options of five credits each $700 $1,300

6 18. Do I need to complete all my high school courses before entering post-secondary studies? Yes, all high school courses must be completed before starting post-secondary studies. Only marks earned prior to post-secondary study can be used. 19. Can I retake or rewrite a course to have my Alexander Rutherford Scholarship re-assessed? Yes, retakes or rewrites are permitted as long as they are completed before taking a higher level course and before entering post-secondary studies. Any revised mark or course should be submitted to Alberta Education in order to be recorded on your Alberta high school transcript. Remember to notify Alberta Scholarship Programs of any change to your original course mark. A reassessment of your application will be done. A copy of a revised statement of courses and marks or an official transcript should be faxed to or mailed to Alberta Scholarship Programs. 20. Can I take a lower level course after completing the same course at a higher level? No, courses must be completed in order of Grade: Grade 10, 11, 12, e.g. Grade 10 Math must be completed before taking a Grade 11 Math, and a Grade 11 Math must be completed before taking a Grade 12 Math. 21. How many courses do I need to take to be considered a full-time student? For scholarship purposes you are considered a full-time student if you complete 60% of a full course or its equivalent for one full semester. Requirements for full-time status may vary from institution to institution. Please contact the Registrar s Office at the post-secondary institution you are attending to confirm your full-time status. 22. What is the value of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? The value of the scholarship is up to $2,500. To qualify, a student must meet the required average based on five designated courses in at least one grade: Grade 10, 11 or 12. The required average, value of the award and courses that can be used depend on the year you graduated from high school. Students who graduated before April 1, 2008, should check the course requirements and award value at the end of this document. 23. What are CTS Courses and can I use them for the Rutherford Scholarship? CTS (Career and Technology Studies) courses are one credit courses and can be used as options in Grade 10, 11 and 12. In Grades 10 and 11, you need three CTS courses for a total of three credits to count as one option course. If you graduated from high school after April 1, 2006, you can use five CTS courses in Grade 12 for a total of five credits to count as one option course. 24. Can CTS courses be combined? Yes, CTS courses can be combined but they must be from the same level, e.g. Introductory, Intermediate or Advanced. Three one credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 10 and/or Grade 11 level. Five one credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 12 level if you graduated from high school after April 1, To be combined: all courses must be from the same level: Grade 10 Introductory 1000 or 4000 series, Grade 11 Intermediate 2000 or 5000 series, Grade 12 Advanced 3000, 6000 or series, courses can be from different streams or subject area, e.g. computer courses with welding courses, and marks will be averaged at the appropriate level.

7 25. What are College Preparation Courses? College Prep courses are courses offered by post-secondary institutions to help students upgrade their high school. These upgrading programs may also be called bridging programs, pretechnology programs, pre-careers programs or transition programs. These courses are generally offered by MacEwan University, Red Deer College, Medicine Hat College, Grande Prairie Regional College, and the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta. 26. Are upgrading courses used in the assessment for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? No, college preparation or upgrading courses are not eligible. Only courses that are recorded on a valid Alberta Education transcript are accepted. 27. What are IB Courses? IB courses or International Baccalaureate program offers courses in international education to a worldwide community of schools. 28. Are IB courses eligible for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? Yes, IB courses can be used either core or option course for Grades 10 and 11 and What are Green Certificate Courses? The Green Certificate Program allows students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 to participate in an agriculture-related apprenticeship, earn credits, and complete the Technician Level of a Green Certificate in any one of nine specializations. It offers twenty-one (21) courses in seven primary agricultural specializations. 30. Can Green Certificate Courses be used for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? Yes, Green Certificate courses are accepted as options for Grade 12. These courses are not sequential and may be taken in any order. Each Green Certificate course is coded as a 33 Grade 12 level, and all credits earned in Green Certificate courses count toward Grade 12 graduation requirements. 31. Is Home Schooling eligible? You are eligible if the home school education program you are studying follows the Alberta Programs of Study curriculum; and you have applied to a high school principal in your school jurisdiction for credits which are required for you to be able to obtain an Alberta Education high school diploma. 32. If I am home schooled how do I find out if the courses I am taking are eligible? Students must follow the curriculum outlined in the Alberta Programs of Study Guide and take the required diploma examinations. If in doubt contact Alberta Education Special Programs Branch or consult the Home Education Branch Information Handbook. The website to download the handbook is: Which courses are not used in the assessment of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship? Courses recorded on a valid high school transcript be will be used in the calculation of the award with the exception of Driver s Education. 34. Are averages rounded-up? No, averages are not rounded-up.

8 35. Is Open Studies or Unclassified Program eligible? Yes, providing you are taking post-secondary courses and meet the full-time enrolment requirement. 36. Are courses with a Pass, on a high school transcript, eligible for the Rutherford assessment? Yes, courses with a Pass are eligible and are equivalent to a 50% mark. HOW DO I RECEIVE PAYMENT? 37. When is this award disbursed? A cheque is issued after Alberta Scholarship Programs confirms full-time enrolment in November for students who apply by May 1 st and in early April for students who apply by December 1 st. 38. Is my cheque mailed to the institution? No, your cheque is mailed to your home address, as provided on your application form. 39. My cheque is lost or I have misplaced it. How do I get a replacement? If your cheque has been lost or misplaced, contact Alberta Scholarship Programs either by phone at , or by at scholarships@gov.ab.ca. Give your full name, your social insurance number, current mailing address and the name of the scholarship. There is a waiting period of ten (10) days from the time the cheque was mailed to you before you can request a replacement cheque. Example: A cheque was mailed on November 1 st. It is now November 12 and you have not received your cheque. You can request a stop payment and allow approximately four to six weeks to process the replacement. NOTE: If you request a stop payment and you receive your original cheque, you must return the original cheque to: Courier to: Mail to: Alberta Scholarship Programs Alberta Scholarship Programs 4 th Floor, Street Box Station Main Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2V1 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4R4 40. I received my cheque, but I have now withdrawn from post-secondary studies or I am now a part-time student. What happens to my scholarship? If you have not completed one full semester of post-secondary studies as a full-time student, you are not eligible to receive payment of the scholarship. If you have cashed your cheque you must send a refund to Alberta Scholarship Programs and your cheque should be made payable to the Government of Alberta. If you have not cashed the cheque, you can return it to Alberta Scholarship Programs for cancellation. 41. How many Alexander Rutherford Scholarships can I receive? You may only receive this award once. WHAT IS A RUTHERFORD SCHOLARS AWARD? 42. Who is eligible for the Rutherford Scholars award?

9 Recipients are selected from the applications received for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship and who applied by the May 1 st application deadline. 43. How are recipients selected for a Rutherford Scholars award? The top ten (10) Alberta students who received an Alexander Rutherford Scholarship are selected for a Rutherford Scholars award. Recipients are selected based on the first writing of Diploma Examinations. 44. What is the value of the Rutherford Scholars award? The value of the award is $2,500 and recipients also receive a plaque. 45. What are the required subjects to receive a Rutherford Scholars award? The required subjects are as follows: One of: English 30-1, 30-2, or Français 30, 30-2, and Social Studies 30-1 or 30-2 Plus any three of: Mathematics 31 Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2 Physics 30 Biology 30 Chemistry 30 Science 30 ARE THERE OTHER AWARDS? 46. Where do I find out if I qualify for other scholarships? Visit Alberta Scholarship Programs website at: alis.alberta.ca/scholarships for a list of awards administered by Alberta Scholarship Programs. In addition, you will find a link to Scholarship Connections an online scholarship database created to help Alberta post-secondary students find awards, bursaries and scholarships. Scholarship Connections is a searchable list of more than 500 awards provided by a variety of organizations and associations. Students can search for awards either by keyword, category or application deadline in areas ranging from leadership, financial need, to athletics or the arts. 47. Where can I find information about student loans and grants? To apply for financial assistance such as student loans, grants and bursaries contact the Student Funding Contact Centre by: Phone: toll free in Canada use the secure e-contact service available on alis.alberta.ca In-person: you can visit your nearest Alberta Service Centre, Canada-Alberta Service Centre, or Alberta Human Resources and Employment Office. Address is listed on the "alis" website. 48. Do I have to declare the amount of my scholarship on my income tax? The full amount of scholarships, fellowships or bursaries are not taxable and are no longer reported as income on your tax return. The scholarships, fellowships, or bursaries must be received by you as a student with respect to your enrolment in a program that entitles you to claim the Education Amount (Form T2202, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate). If you are not eligible for the education amount, report on line 130 only the amount that is more than $500. T4A s issued by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology Students Finance will show the tax amount of scholarships and bursaries in Box 28 Other Income, Box 38, shows the footnote code as 05, which is for Scholarships/Bursaries. This amount should not be reported on your tax

10 return, as long as you are eligible for the Education Amount (Form T2202, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate). If you are unsure if your tax status, contact the Canada Revenue Agency at: or Alberta Scholarship Programs 4 th Floor, Street Box Station Main Edmonton, AB T5J 4R4 Telephone: Fax: Toll Free (Rite Line): scholarships@gov.ab.ca Website: alis.alberta.ca/scholarships

11 ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP COURSE REQUIREMENTS Since it was first offered to high school students in the early 1980s, a number of changes occurred to the amount of the scholarship and the course eligibility criteria. Students who completed high school in the year the changes occurred will be assessed according to the amount and course criteria that prevailed at that time. Changes also occurred in the course curriculum particularly with respect to English, Social Studies and Mathematics. These changes will automatically be considered. ALEXANDER RUTHERFORD SCHOLARSHIP Before to 2006 April 1, 2006 April 1, 2008 Change to Award Value Change to Grade 12 Course Criteria Change to Academic Requirement 75.0%- Average 80.0%+ 80.0%+ 80.0%+ 79.9% 80.0%+ Grade 10 $300 $400 $400 $300 $400 Grade 11 $500 $800 $800 $500 $800 Grade 12 $700 $1,300 $1,300 Students can use two Grade 12 options of five credits each $700 $1,300 CTS Courses: Three one credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 10 and Grade 11 level. Five one credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 12. To be combined: all courses must be from the same level i.e. Introductory, Intermediate or Advanced, courses can be from different streams or subject area, e.g.. computer courses with welding courses, and marks will be averaged at the appropriate level. NOTES: French and Français are not the same course, and are not interchangeable. A course cannot be repeated after a higher level course has been taken in the same series. Averages are not rounded up for scholarship purposes. The value of the scholarship is calculated on the overall average in five designated courses as listed under each grade level. All courses showing on a valid Alberta Education high school transcript are acceptable, and only marks obtained before the start of post-secondary study can be used. Courses with a Pass on a high school transcript are equivalent to a 50% mark. Regarding CALM, this course can be taken in any grade, but the final mark will be calculated in Grade 11.